Australian traveller’s Bali warning: ‘Check your bags’

An Australian traveller has issued a warning to those flying to the popular holiday island after something unexpected and shocking happened to her.

An Australian traveller has issued an alert to those flying to Bali after she found a very unexpected item in her luggage.

The woman was relaxing in her accommodation in the popular tourist destination with her partner when she began to hear noises coming from one of their bags.

Perplexed, they began to hunt for the source of the noise only to discover an Apple AirTag. The only issue, they don’t own any Apple AirTags. In fact, they don’t own any Apple product at all, so how did it end up in their bag?

“My partner and I have been in Bali for a couple of days (our first time),” the traveller wrote on the Bali Bogans Facebook page. “We’ve been staying in a villa … and have been hearing a strange noise coming from one of our bags and this morning we found an Apple AirTag in one of the bags.

“Neither of us have any Apple products and don’t own an AirTag and we both completely emptied our bags before packing for the trip. The battery also was made in Indonesia.

“We’re fine now, headed back to Kuta today and have dismantled and left the AirTag in Amed – just wanted to see if this has happened to anybody else and give a warning to others to check your bags!”

There was an unexpected item inside the woman’s luggage. Picture: iStock

She later clarified that she had padlocked her suitcase for the flight – except for a small pocket on the side.

“It wasn't the main compartment, it was a side pocket that cannot be locked,” she said. “Will put my raincover over in future too.”

Luckily, there had been no theft.

“Nothing was taken, and we never left our bags unattended someone must have unzipped the outer pocket and just slipped it in.”

Fellow travellers thought the discovery was “scary” and very “strange”, with many saying they wouldn’t be comfortable carrying the bag back to Australia.

One commenter wrote: “Weird, I think I’d be buying new bags before going to any airport just in case something's been hidden in there”.

An Apple AirTags was found in her bag.

While a second said: “Have heard of AirTags and gps tags being placed in bags at the airport. Then when routine is worked out and your location is away from hotel they break in”.

And another commented: “My mind instantly goes to someone putting something illegal in it and then potentially collecting it when they get back to Australia or something.”

A fourth said: “Very interesting and very dodgy, especially as you said it had an Indonesian battery in it.”

SA Weekend travel Seminyak Bali provided by Flight Centre

While some wondered if it may have been an accident.

“My guess is it’s fallen from someone’s bag and luggage handlers or hotel staff have put it in your bags?”

”Maybe somebody just put it in the wrong bag thinking it was theirs, can easily happen.”

Originally published as Australian traveller’s Bali warning: ‘Check your bags’