Bali

Is Bali safe?

For most visitors, yes, but the dangers are not the ones people pack for. Violent crime against tourists is uncommon. What hurts people in Bali is the traffic, theft from bags and villas, the occasional poisoned drink, an untreated dog bite, and the sea. Bali police recorded 622 road deaths on the island in 2024, and the number of foreigners reporting a crime rose 47% in 2025.

We score Bali 67 out of 100, close to Bangkok and a little below Kuala Lumpur. Our Indonesia page covers the rest of the country, including Lombok and the Gili Islands.

The scooter question

Renting a scooter is how many visitors see Bali, and it is the single biggest risk on the island. Bali police counted 8,256 crashes in 2024, with 622 deaths, about 14 per 100,000 residents, more than Bangkok's rate. Crashes involving foreigners rose 35% that year, to 142, and killed 21 people. Most crashes involved a single vehicle, which points to speed, sand on the road and inexperience rather than other drivers.

In November 2025 Bali police banned foreigners without riding skills from riding motorbikes on their own and stepped up checks on helmets and licences. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary adds that foreigners involved in even minor traffic incidents can face demands for money.

If you have not ridden a motorbike before, Bali is not the place to learn. Use Grab or Gojek cars, or hire a driver for day trips; it is cheap. If you do ride, you need a licence that includes motorcycles, a helmet that fits and travel insurance that covers riding, which many policies exclude unless you are licensed.

Theft, scams and villas

Theft is the crime visitors most often report. Of the 339 foreign victims Bali police recorded in 2025, 153 were victims of theft or aggravated theft and 36 of theft with violence, usually a bag pulled from a shoulder by someone on a motorbike. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says bag snatching is often reported in Bali. Carry your bag on the side away from the road and do not hold your phone out at the kerb.

The common scams are small but steady:

• Money changers who short-change you with sleight of hand. Use a licensed changer with a Bank Indonesia logo and QR code, or an ATM inside a bank.
• Tattoo parlours, nail salons and spas that add charges after the service; the FCDO says these scams have risen. Agree the full price first.
• Card skimming, which the FCDO calls common. Keep your card in sight.

Villa and guesthouse break-ins also happen. Use the safe and lock doors when you sleep.

Nightlife, drinks and the sea

Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Canggu are busy until late. The bigger risks there are what is in the glass and what happens afterwards. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary reports deaths and serious illness from drinks containing methanol, including drinks bought in licensed bars, shops and hotels, as well as drink spiking followed by robbery or sexual assault. Choose sealed bottles and beer over cheap spirits, keep your drink in sight, and use an app-booked ride home.

Drug laws are severe, and the FCDO says police often raid venues popular with foreigners in Bali and may require urine or blood tests.

The surf is a quieter danger. Rip currents along the west coast from Kuta to Canggu are strong; swim between the red and yellow flags where lifeguards are on duty, and do not swim after drinking.

Rabies, water and medical care

Rabies is present in Bali's dogs and monkeys. The provincial health office reported 7 human deaths in 2024, down from 22 in 2022, and said each victim had delayed treatment. Do not feed or touch monkeys at Uluwatu or the Ubud Monkey Forest. If you are bitten or scratched, wash the wound and get vaccine at a clinic that day.

Tap water is not safe to drink, and stomach upsets are common. Dengue is present, so use repellent. Private hospitals in Denpasar, Kuta and Nusa Dua handle routine emergencies, but serious injuries are sometimes flown to Jakarta, Singapore or Australia, so check your insurance covers evacuation.

Floods, volcanoes and earthquakes

Bali sits on an active earthquake belt and Mount Agung last erupted in 2017, closing the airport for several days; eruptions on nearby islands can also cancel flights. On 10 September 2025, flash floods killed 18 people, according to Indonesia's disaster agency BNPB, with Denpasar the worst hit. If a strong earthquake strikes while you are near the shore, move to high ground at once rather than waiting for a warning.

How we scored it

Traffic safety (42) is Bali's weakest factor, driven by police crash data and the scooter habit. Natural hazards (60), health (62) and theft (65) sit in the middle. Violent crime (86) is the strongest factor, held below 90 by the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's warnings on sexual assault.