Is Indonesia Safe?

1. Scooter and traffic accidents. By far the number one cause of tourist injuries and deaths, the same across the whole country. Chaotic traffic and inexperienced riders are a bad mix.
2. Sea and ferry accidents. Indonesia is island-hopping country, and overloaded boats, rough seas and patchy safety standards make ferries and fast boats a real risk.
3. Petty theft and scams. Bag and phone snatching, pickpocketing in Jakarta and tourist crowds, taxi and money-changer scams. Annoying and costly, rarely dangerous.
4. Natural disasters. Indonesia sits on the Ring of Fire: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and, rarely, tsunamis. Mostly they disrupt flights rather than threaten tourist areas.
5. Traveler's diarrhea ("Bali belly"). Stomach illness from food, water or ice affects a large share of visitors. Unpleasant rather than dangerous for most.
6. Counterfeit alcohol. Rare but serious. Methanol in cheap, unbranded spirits has killed tourists, mainly in Bali and the Gili Islands.
7. Regional unrest. Confined to specific areas, the Papua highlands and parts of Central Sulawesi, that governments advise against and ordinary tourists never go.

Notice that violent crime against tourists isn't on the list. The sections below take each of these in turn, plus a region-by-region breakdown. Heading to Bali specifically? See our full Bali safety guide.

• Overall: exercise increased caution. The US State Department has Indonesia at Level 2, and the UK, Australia and Canada give similar country-wide advice. That's normal for the region and reflects terrorism risk and natural disasters, not day-to-day danger in the tourist areas.
• Do not travel: the Papua highlands. Governments advise against all travel to Central Papua and Highland Papua because of an ongoing separatist conflict and civil unrest. These are remote areas with no tourist trail.
• Central Sulawesi has, in the past, carried extra advice following extremist activity, though most advisories now focus almost entirely on Papua. Check the latest advisory if you're traveling to remote parts of the province.
• Bali, Java, Lombok, the Gilis and the main islands carry no special warning beyond the country-wide caution.

Advisories change, especially around volcanic activity and elections, so always check your own government's official advice before you fly. The live government advisories are shown below.

Even in the "moderate" regions the tourist routes are generally fine; the caution is about remote, rural travel. The one genuine no-go is the Papua highlands. For Bali in depth, see our Bali safety guide.

• Pickpockets in Jakarta and the cities. Crowded markets, buses, trains and transport hubs are where wallets and phones disappear. Keep valuables in a front pocket or a zipped bag.
• Bag and phone snatching from scooters. A passing rider grabs a bag off your shoulder, so wear bags across your body on the side away from the road.
• ATM and card skimming. Use ATMs inside bank branches, cover the keypad, and if the card slot looks loose or bulky, walk away.
• Lock up your accommodation. Opportunist theft happens at budget rooms and villas. Use the safe and don't leave cash or passports on show.
• Watch for fake police or immigration officials. Rare, but if someone in "uniform" demands an on-the-spot cash fine, stay calm and ask to settle it with proper paperwork at a police station.

• Earthquakes are frequent, serious damage is rare. Most are small. In a strong one, drop, cover and hold on, then follow your accommodation's staff and instructions.
• Volcanoes mostly disrupt flights. Eruptions like Mount Lewotobi in Flores, very active through 2024 and 2025, close regional airports and cancel Bali and Labuan Bajo flights at short notice. Watch your flight status and the Magma Indonesia alerts, and stay outside any official exclusion zone.
• There is a tsunami warning system. Indonesia runs coastal sirens and alerts (InaTEWS), but they aren't foolproof. If you feel a strong earthquake near the coast, don't wait for a siren: move to higher ground.

Volcanic activity is far more likely to disrupt your travel than to put you in danger. If you're passing through eastern Indonesia, leave a day or two of flexibility before an international flight, and keep travel insurance that covers disruption.

See the strongest recent earthquakes across Indonesia ↑

The risk today is low, though as anywhere not zero, so check your government's Indonesia travel advisory for the current assessment.

• Treat ferries and fast boats with care. Indonesia runs on boats between islands, and overloading, rough seas and weak safety standards cause regular accidents. Use reputable operators, avoid obviously overloaded boats, check that life jackets exist, and don't sail in bad weather.
• The Bali-Lombok-Gili fast boats have a mixed record. Pick an established operator over the cheapest ticket, and skip crossings when the sea is rough.
• Domestic flights are the safest way to cover distance and generally fine on the major carriers. Expect delays and cancellations, especially around volcanic activity.
• Hire a car with a driver for long overland trips. It's cheap and far safer than driving yourself on unfamiliar, unpredictable roads.

• Use mosquito repellent everywhere. Dengue (spread by daytime mosquitoes) occurs nationwide year-round, including Bali and Jakarta, and there's no tablet for it, so cover up and use repellent.
• Don't drink the tap water. It isn't safe to drink anywhere in Indonesia. Stick to sealed bottled or filtered water, be cautious with ice at small venues, and expect the odd bout of Bali belly.
• Rabies is present. Carried mainly by dogs, notably in Bali, Flores and Sulawesi. Treat any bite or scratch as a rabies risk: wash it thoroughly and get post-exposure shots fast.
• Check your vaccinations. Ask a travel clinic about hepatitis A and typhoid, and about rabies and Japanese encephalitis for longer or rural trips. A yellow fever certificate is only required if you're arriving from a country with yellow fever. This is general information, not medical advice.

• Indonesia's new criminal code. The revised code, in force from January 2026, criminalizes sex outside marriage and unmarried couples living together. In practice it's very unlikely to affect tourists: a case can only begin if a spouse, parent or child files a complaint, and hotels don't check marriage certificates. Worth knowing, not worth worrying about.
• Vaping is legal, cannabis is not. Don't confuse Indonesia with Thailand: cannabis and other recreational drugs remain completely illegal and are treated as serious narcotics.
• Respect local customs. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country and mostly conservative outside Bali. Dress modestly away from the beach, and be mindful during Ramadan and, in Bali, Nyepi (the Day of Silence).
• Don't overstay your visa. Overstays are fined per day and, if they run long, can lead to detention, deportation and a re-entry ban.

• Dress for the context. Bali and the beaches are relaxed, but Indonesia is largely conservative and Muslim-majority, so cover shoulders and knees in cities, villages and at religious sites.
• Use ride apps at night. Grab and Gojek beat walking unlit streets or haggling with taxis, and the route is tracked in-app.
• LGBTQ travelers: be discreet outside Bali. Same-sex relationships are legal in most of Indonesia (Aceh, under sharia law, is the exception and criminalizes them), but the country is socially conservative, there's no legal recognition, and public affection draws attention. Bali is generally the country's most accepting tourist destination; elsewhere, discretion is wise.

• Single emergency line112
• Police110
• Ambulance118 / 119
• Fire113
• Search & rescue (Basarnas)115

Numbers change and English-speaking operators aren't guaranteed, so having your accommodation call on your behalf is often faster. For advisories issued at country level, see the full Indonesia advisories.