Ah, Bali Belly. It’s the enfant terrible of the cheap tropical holiday, so severe and so reliable that it put me off escaping to the island of the gods for a good five years – and that was before Covid happened.

Friends, too, harbour haunted tales of their iron guts being not so bulletproof when on Australia’s favourite getaway isle. Many remain scarred. Even with the return of easy travel and affordable flights, those panicked memories of not knowing which end to point at the toilet first have them throwing pins at different parts of the world map.

And yet, there’s hope. On my recent, tentative return to Bali, I didn’t get sick – not even once. I went a second time, committed, as I am, to thorough gastrointestinal research. I submitted myself to experiments involving sound insider knowledge and astute culinary choices – high and low end.

I didn’t lick the pavement but I reckon I’ve cracked the Bali Belly curse. Once again, I can travel to Bali without dining anxiety. Fancy knowing how it’s done?

According to The Bali Bible – an online travel oracle with nearly 1M Instagram followers and a truckload of tips – the key is to dose up on natural, easily-accessible-from-the-pharmacy, probiotics that strengthen your gut’s microflora. And, if you can get your hands on it, an over-the-counter, bacteria-targeting immune supplement called Travelan.

I got hold of kid-friendly, individually-wrapped portions of probiotics for our trip, setting me back about $36. If that’s all it costs to avoid spending days studying bathroom tiles, I’m sold.

Travelan, meanwhile, was all out. “Ah, that’s what all the GPs get,” said the pharmacist, knowingly. “We’ve got it on back order.” I tried a few more pharmacies: same deal. If you want Travelan, buy it months before you depart, not weeks.

Turns out we didn’t need it. Each morning, my seven, and nine-year-old boys and I whisked a teaspoon of white powder into our freshly pressed juices and glugged it down. My sister stoically declined. Guess who was the only one to go green? It’s not a trick question.

As well as bordering our insides with a fortifying layer of healthy microorganisms, we opted to pay a little above average for well above average meals and venues that make ice from spring water. 

Shelling out for top-notch food is something I’ll stretch for, and remember: expensive in Bali is still mainstream restaurant price in Australia.

I also volunteered to put my belly on the line at a few locally recommended, cheap-as-chips wurungs, or family-run eateries. And you know what? No belly bubbles. What a revelation. What a relief.

So next time you’re headed to Bali and want to avoid travel tummy, it's probiotics all the way

This story was originally published on escape.com.au and was reproduced here with permission.