Bali may be happy to see tourists returning following the end of COVID-19 border lockdowns, but it’s laying down the law on unruly guests.
The Indonesian holiday hotspot has endured years of bad behaviour from tourists, with a seemingly constant stream of foreign nationals taking nude pictures in holy sites and engaging in alcohol-fuelled disruptiveness.
Although Indonesia’s ban on sex outside of marriage introduced last year doesn’t apply to tourists, Bali’s leadership is keen to let tourists know that it isn’t the place to visit with an ‘anything goes’ mentality.
In a circular reportedly issued across Bali’s government departments, Governor I Wayan Koster signed off on 12 ‘dos’ and eight ‘dont’s’ for international tourists.
This list will be distributed to foreign visitors arriving in Bali from June onwards.
Indonesia’s Canberra-based embassy did not respond to TND‘s request for an English copy of the circular, but a Google translation of Indonesian news outlet Tribun-Bali.com provided some details.
“Guests are king, but don’t abuse.”
The same month, a ban on foreigners renting motorbikes and scooters in Bali was proposed after a number of accidents alarmed local authorities.
Tourists aren’t excused from Bali’s road rules. Photo: Getty
According to The Bali Sun, 405 people died from motor vehicle accidents in 2020.
In Denpasar, the island’s capital, about 80 per cent of road accidents involve motorbikes.
“You [should] not roam about the island using motorbikes, without wearing shirts or clothes, no helmet, and even without a licence,” Mr Koster said in March.
“If you are a tourist, then act like a tourist.”
Between January 1 and April 17, Bali deported 93 foreigners, including six Australians, Nine News reported.
Most of those were deported over visa or permit violations, and other legal breaches.