Australian couple reveal their Bali nightmare

A couple’s dream holiday to Bali ended up turning into a horror experience when one of them became ill. Now, they’re warning others.

A dream holiday to Bali to celebrate a 30th birthday ended up turning into a nightmare for an Australian couple.

Nicola Fox and Kayla Heagney forked out $8000 during the “traumatic” experience after Kayla fell ill on the holiday island, and were later paid back by their insurance company.

At first, Kayla, 29, who travelled from Newcastle to Bali with Nicola and her two-year-old son, didn’t think too much about her symptoms, however she soon ended up hospitalised.

She said she initially felt “pain across the middle of my belly”.

“I just thought I’d gotten Bali belly,” Kayla said.

“I’d been six or seven times before and never got it, so I thought I jinxed myself and had Bali belly.”

Kayla was admitted to hospital with severe abdominal pain where she was put in the intensive care unit with acute pancreatitis and was placed on a feeding tube.

“It all just happened really quickly,” she told A Current Affair.

“I was being told that if I didn’t have the tube put down into my stomach it would be the worst outcome.

“And obviously, I think the worst outcome would be death.”

A shocked Nicola described how Kayla was “pinned” to the hospital bed at one point.

“They pinned her down on the bed and she was vomiting everywhere. Vomit was coming out of her nose through the tube, it was coming from her mouth. The doctor and nurse just threw paper towels at me and left, I had to clean the vomit off her chest,” Nicola told Yahoo.

“I was so desperate to get back and get the help I needed here in Australia. So I just used all my strength to hold it together. I thought I was going to die,” Kayla said.

Facing a huge financial cost, Nicola called Kayla’s travel insurer, Budget Direct.

Nicola said they advised her it would take at least 24 hours to investigate to ensure Kayla’s condition wasn’t pre-existing.

The couple said their holiday in Bali was ruined. Picture: A Current Affair

She had been told by the hospital it would cost $1500 per night, plus other fees. So having insurance cover was important.

Kayla’s condition deteriorated while they awaited news of whether she was covered or not, and when a doctor from NSW advised them to fly home, a doctor in Bali said their travel insurance would be void if they did so.

“I was led to believe I wasn’t going to make it,” Kayla said.

“I would be asking to see doctors or nurses and they wouldn’t come. So I felt like this was the only opportunity I had to get home and get the treatment which meant going against what the travel insurance was telling us.”

The couple flew home, saying they had already spent thousands of dollars.

“I called mum and dad and was inconsolably crying at this point,” Nicola said.

Kayla became very ill. Picture: A Current Affair

She ended up in the ICU. Picture: A Current Affair

Back in Australia, doctors said a lot of the treatment she received in Bali was unnecessary, and that crucial hydration measures weren’t taken.

The couple are now warning other travellers.

“What we experienced in the hospital is definitely not a reflection of the Bali that we know and love … our whole aim is to educate others,” Nicola said.

“I think it’s just really making sure that you are so stringent with insurance. I thought that buying a comprehensive cover was enough.

“We were fortunate that we did have a little bit of money to fall back on, but that money quickly ran out … get the right cover.”

Travel expert Quentin Long said the couple faced difficulty gaining help.

“You would hope the medical team from the travel insurance provider would talk to your local doctor and then support that opinion,” he said.

“In this particular case, that hasn’t happened and that creates a real tension between what’s best for you and what’s best for the insurance provider.”

The couple’s case has since been investigated and they have been paid by Budget Direct in full within 48 hours of the case being received, however an unhappy Nicola said, “there was no compassion”.

The couple were traumatised by the experience. Picture: iStock

A Budget Direct spokesperson told news.com.au: “Our travel insurance is backed by a highly trained and specialist medical assistance team including doctors with several years of aeromedical and repatriation experience. Australian travellers are generally aware that flying is not without risk, especially longer-haul flights as there may not be appropriate medical expertise onboard should something go wrong.

“The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has best practice guidelines about the transport of injured or ill patients that our medical team always follow. This includes the assessment and verification of a patient being fit-to-fly by a local treating doctor.

“While Australian GPs have amazing general experience, they may not have the same depth of specialist knowledge or training in aeromedical safety.

“We advise Australian travellers to carefully consider the risks of flying without being cleared as ‘fit-to-fly’ by a local treating doctor in location.”

Indonesia continues to attract millions of Australian travellers each year with its mix of cultural power, natural beauty and affordability.

The tropical getaway was the number one travel spot for Australians in 2023, according to data from Bupa Travel Insurance, followed by the United States and New Zealand.