A Dutch tourist was killed in a horrific crash with a truck in Bali on Tuesday morning. The 21-year-old man, identified as RJ, was riding a motorbike on Bypass Ngurah Rai Road in Pemogan, Denpasar, when he collided with a large truck carrying concrete. The impact of the crash was so severe that RJ’s head was severed from his body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver, 25-year-old Muchammad Fatkhurrozi, was not injured. Police said RJ was driving without a license or registration when the crash occurred, and that he was “not careful” as he failed to maintain a safe distance fro ..read more

We hope that we can soon forget about inching along in bumper-to-bumper hell on motorbikes, because Budi Karya Sumadi, Indonesia’s Minister of Transportation, recently announced what sounds like concrete plans for a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system in Bali. Budi Karya said the Bali LRT, which has been under proposal for several years, is urgently needed to address the increasingly severe traffic congestion in Bali. Moreover, Bali is one of Indonesia’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year. “Bali is an international tourism showcase, and there is indeed chr ..read more

Two foreign women were arrested in Bali on Saturday after a video of them allegedly assaulting salon employees went viral on social media. The women, identified as 37-year-old US citizen CA and 37-year-old UK citizen AC, were arrested at Ngurah Rai International Airport as they were trying to board a flight to Thailand. In the video, which was filmed at the Ombre Nail Salon in Kerobokan on Dec. 14, the women can be seen arguing with salon employees and pushing one of them. Video screengrab Police said the women had gone to the salon for a body treatment but did not have enough money to pay for ..read more

A 33-year-old Australian tourist, identified by his initials SBW, perished tragically on Tuesday afternoon in a hit-and-run incident on the Persinggahan Highway, near Klungkung’s border with Karangasem. SBW was riding his Honda Scoopy motorcycle westbound when a speeding motorbike approaching from the opposite lane collided with him, according to Klungkung Police spokesman Agus Widiono.  The perpetrator fled the scene immediately after the impact. “The identity of the perpetrator remains unknown […]  the victim suffered injuries with a severe head injury,” Widiono stated, confirming ..read more

With the Christmas and New Year holidays just around the corner, Bali has recorded 33 new COVID-19 cases in December 2023. According to data compiled by the Bali Health Agency, Badung emerged as the area with the highest number of cases, at 13. Jembrana followed with six cases, Karangasem with eight, and Buleleng with one. Five other cases were detected in Denpasar. Thankfully, the patients have since recovered. While contact tracing is ongoing, Wayan Widya, Head of the Disease Prevention and Control of the Bali Health Agency, acknowledged that a travel history investigation has not yet been c ..read more

The Bali Port Health Office has reportedly implemented stricter border controls at three key entry points: Benoa Port, Celuk Bawang, and I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport amid reports of rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in several Southeast Asian countries. The Head of the Denpasar Office of the Bali Port Health Office, Anak Agung Ngurah Kusumajaya, explained that while health protocols are not yet fully enforced, the agency is encouraging travelers who are feeling unwell or experiencing flu-like symptoms to wear masks. “We have not yet implemented the health protocols. But if someone i ..read more

A 70-year-old Canadian tourist, Beauchamp Gaston, tragically died after falling from the third floor of a luxury villa in Karangasem yesterday. Gaston was staying at the Bayshore Villa, a resort that is described by local media for its stunning views and high-end amenities. The deluxe room where Gaston and his wife were staying reportedly costs IDR7.7 million (US$491) per night. “Gaston’s wife, Guerin Manon, informed villa staff that she had sent her husband to the bathroom around 3am. When she woke up at 6:30am, she could not find him in their room,” said Karangasem Police spokesman I Gede Su ..read more

A Filipino national identified by the initials JPP was apprehended and escorted out of the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport after creating a commotion that disrupted fellow travelers in the early hours of yesterday.  The 33-year-old tourist’s alleged aggressive behavior prompted intervention from local airport authorities, leading to his transfer to the Badung Public Order Agency (Satpol PP).  Local news reported that JPP was just landed at the Bali airport from Manila. The local airport authorities arrested him at about 3am yesterday. “We received a report from the airport a ..read more

An Australian couple was deported from Indonesia after they were caught misusing their tourist visa by conducting a property rental business on the Island of Gods.  Local reports say the deportation took place through the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Monday, with the couple boarding a Jetstar flight headed for Adelaide. Singaraja Immigration Office Head Hendra Setiawan said that the tourists, identified as PNL, 62, and RAL, 60, were intercepted by the office’s intelligence and law enforcement team during one of their surveillance operations regarding immigration-related act ..read more

An extended Singaporean family of 12 were robbed while sleeping in their four-bedroom villa in Canggu on Nov. 30. Straits Times reported that the family “had lost about S$3,000 worth of cash and items, including bags and wallets.” The surveillance footage from the premises showed someone leaping over the villa’s low perimeter wall. Additionally, the video captured a motorcycle, its headlights switched off, circling the villa multiple times during the night.  Another motorcycle was observed departing from the premises; however, it remained uncertain whether the footage portrayed the same v ..read more