‘Dropping like flies’: Why tourists are reconsidering their Bali holidays

A very unwanted illness is ruining Bali holidays with insurance companies reporting a spike in claims for medical costs.

Tourists have been complaining on social media about the sheer number of people getting struck down with gastro in Bali.

One sick TikTok user said “people were dropping like flies” and on a Facebook group dedicated to travelling to Bali with children, parents are contemplating cancelling their upcoming holidays.

“Are we the worst parents on the planet to be taking our four kids?” one couple wrote.

“I understand it’s also in Australia but a little different when you’re in your own country and home,” said a mum reconsidering her family trip with a toddler and baby.

News.com.au can confirm multiple travel insurance companies have experienced an increase in relevant claims, backing up these observations that gastroenteritis is on the rise.

One woman on TikTok said tourists in Bali were ‘dropping like flies’ with viral gastroenteritis. Picture: TikTok / @emtraveldiariess

Is it ‘Bali belly’ or the stomach flu?

Gastroenteritis is an illness that can be brought on by a virus or bacteria and causes symptoms like diarrhoea, cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever.

Traveller’s diarrhoea, also nicknamed “Bali belly” among travellers to the wildly popular island, is gastroenteritis that is usually caused by bacteria endemic to local water.

”Travellers contract the illness through consumption of food and drinks contaminated with pathogenic organisms,” Dr Sonny Lau, who is medical director at clinic Travel Doctor-TMVC Melbourne, told news.com.au.

“The most common pathogen that causes TD (traveller’s diarrhoea) globally is a bacteria known as E. coli. The illness is not spread from person to person directly.”

However, other gastroenteritis infections caused by viruses like rotavirus and norovirus can be very contagious. Viral gastroenteritis is also known as the stomach flu or stomach bug.

Traveller’s diarrhoea, a gastro illness caused by bacteria, is nicknamed ‘Bali belly’ by tourists on the wildly popular island. Picture: Sonny Tumbelaka / AFP

‘Steep climb’ in insurance claims for gastro in Indonesia

Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) saw a 79 per cent spike in gastro bug claims overall in January this year compared to the same time the previous year, with Indonesia making up 54 per cent of cases since November.

SCTI chief customer officer Jess Strange said there had been a “steep climb” in claims and support for customers with gastro bugs in the country, as well as in nearby backpacker hotspot Thailand.

She said many customers have been so unwell, they have ended up in medical centres and hospitals on drips and strong antibiotics, and some have even required surgery.

The average cost for gastro related claims in Bali over the last 12 months was just over $2000. However, they can be much higher.

“Aside from people experimenting with street food or drinking a cocktail with ‘dirty’ ice, many travellers are also forgetting the lessons we learned during the Covid pandemic to wash and sanitise our hands more regularly to prevent the spread of germs and viruses,” Ms Strange said, stressing the importance of having travel insurance to help find a traveller suitable care and pick up the unexpected medical costs.

More than 6.3 million foreign tourists visited to Bali in 2024. Picture: Sonny Tumbelaka / AFP

Data from a second travel insurance provider, 1Cover Travel Insurance, showed claims in Indonesia rose by 40 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year, with illness and injury the leading causes, and a significant volume of those claims attributed to gastroenteritis.

There was a 21 per cent increase in claims lodged in January this year compared to January 2024.

Last year, the insurer paid out nearly $200,000 for a single claim when a traveller developed sepsis and severe medical complications following a bad case of “Bali belly”.

1Cover Travel Insurance chief operating officer Natalie Ball explained while Bali is seen an affordable travel destination, the cost of a medical emergency can be “staggeringly high”.

“While the majority of cases are mild, some can lead to hospitalisation, cancellations, and additional travel expenses, which can quickly add up,” Ms Ball said.

“We remind travellers that hospitals in Bali and Indonesia may refuse to treat you unless you prove you have cover or the means to fit the bill, so double check you have sufficient travel insurance before you go.”

Symptoms of gastro caused by a virus or bacteria include diarrhoea, cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever. Picture: istock

Cover-More Travel Insurance had also noticed “an increase in the number of customers in Bali contacting our medical team with gastroenteritis symptoms”.

“We urge travellers to take preventive measures and to seek immediate medical care if they have an underlying health condition or experience blood or mucus in their diarrhoea, high fever, severe abdominal pain, or if their symptoms persist or worsen,” a company spokeswoman said.

The company issued the following advice.

How to avoid getting sick in Bali

• Wash your hands regularly and use alcohol sanitiser or soap, especially after using the bathroom,

• Don’t drink or swallow the tap water. Only drink bottled drinking water and avoid accidental swallowing when showering or cleaning your teeth. Be careful of drinking any street drinks containing ice,

• Stick to fruit and vegetables with a peel, but be careful if peeled fruit has been put on fresh ice to keep it cool,

• Go with your gut on street food. If you’re unsure about it, give it a miss,

• Consider a preventive supplement. An over-the-counter product may help to reduce the risk of gastro,

• Stock up on electrolyte rehydration tablets. If symptoms emerge, stay hydrated by sipping bottled water with electrolytes added. Avoid sports drinks as the high sugar content could worsen gastro. If using them, dilute the drink by 50 per cent with bottled water.