Check local advisory before you go.
This week, flights to and from Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport have been disrupted after a volcanic eruption sent ash flying into the air. Travelers were stranded at the airport after 83 international routes were canceled. On Thursday, flights resumed slowly, but some are still facing delays and cancellations.
Indonesia is among the favorite destinations for Australians, and the flag carrier Qantas also posted an update that operations had resumed between Australia and Denpasar after two days of disruptions. Jetstar mentioned that it is closely monitoring the situation and will operate recovery flights to bring people home.
Travelers have been posting about their ordeals on social media and requesting airlines and governments to intervene.
Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Cathay Pacific, IndiGo and AirAsia are among airlines cancelling flights in Bali as the ash from Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki spreads through the region. Here’s a view of the ash cloud on Flightradar24. pic.twitter.com/lcOadFtuV9
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) November 13, 2024
If you are traveling to Bali this week or have a return planned, check with your airline before leaving for the airport. All services might be overwhelmed as people scramble to find their way back home. Also, consider the warnings of local travel authorities and avoid any travel to exclusion areas.
The U.K. Foreign Office is recommending against all travel to Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, Mount Marapi in West Sumatra, Mount Semeru in East Java, Mount Ibu in North Maluku, and Mount Ruang in Northern Sulawesi—all exclusion zones identified by local authorities. It also warns travelers to check with their airlines about flights after cancellations due to volcanic ash. The Australian government’s consular service, Smart Traveler, also updated its Bali advisory.
Some flights between Australia & Bali have resumed, following disruptions due to volcanic ash from Mt Lewotobi on Flores. The situation is evolving. Contact your airline directly for information about your travel arrangements. Read more: https://t.co/WtfzLyMlms@KonJenBali
— Smartraveller (@Smartraveller) November 14, 2024
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About 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Bali, Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano in East Nusa Tenggara province continues to spew ash into the air. The volcano first erupted on November 4, killing 10 people and displacing more than 15,000. It is still emitting ash, with columns reaching as high as 9 kilometers (5.5 miles). Authorities have expanded the exclusion zone as villages and towns have been covered with volcanic ash.
The alert level has been raised to the highest status, and people have been warned not to return to their homes. Hadi Wijaya, the head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, said that hot clouds of lava were spreading in all directions. “We are still evaluating how far the [danger zone] radius should be expanded.” More than 2,000 houses and public facilities have collapsed or been damaged due to volcanic material. The crater was spewing rocks, lava, and thumb-sized fragments of gravel and ash, Wijaya said.
Bali is one of 15 destinations that Fodor’s included on its just-released No List, which urges travelers to reconsider booking vacations to the hotspot in 2025, citing “rapid, unchecked development spurred by overtourism,” which is “eroding its environmental” and creating a “plastic apocalypse.”
