Bali Health - Avoid bad holiday
memories...

Being aware of the Bali health issues if very important especially if you are not from a tropical country. Read the following carefully to prevent ending up in bed during your whole holiday or bringing home some kind of disease as a souvenir.

• Travel Insurance
• Clinics
• Bali Belly
• Malaria and Dengue fever
• Rabies Hepatitis A and B
• AIDS/HIV
• Tropical sun
• Other diseases
• Hygiene
  

Bali Health - Travel insurance

First of all to prevent any extra hassle always arrange a good travel insurance. If something does happen to you during your travels, the last thing you want to worry about is where you'll end up.

With a good travel insurance you will be able to receive private Bali health care and even be sent to Singapore if treatment in Bali is not possible.

Additionally if you are already on medication or when you are pregnant then you should get appropriate advice from you general practitioner before leaving. Remember not to check-in your medicine at the airport in case your suitcase gets lost.

Return to top

 

Bali Health - Clinics

Before I start to give you all the Bali travel information on all of the diseases you are able to get when you are there, let me start with reassuring you first. Bali has really good health clinics with modern equipment and English speaking doctors. So if the unfortunate thing happens and you end up in one of the Bali clinics, you will be in good hands.

Here are three popular international oriented clinics:
BIMC Hospital is located near Kuta and the international Airport. They have primary health care service plus 24 hour emergency medical services. You can find them on Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No. 100x. Tel: 62-361-764345. You can also visit the BIMC website for more details. 

SOS International is also located in Kuta area and provides comprehensive primary health care and 24-hour emergency medical services. Their address is Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai, Denpasar. Tel: 62-361-710505. For more detailed information check the SOS bali website

If you are staying around Ubud then you have the Ubud Clinic on Jl. Raya Ubud No. 36 Campuhan. Tel:62-361-974911. You can read more about their facilities and treatments on the Ubud Clinic website.

 

An other option in Ubud is the Toya Medika Clinic, which receives patients 24h every day of the week. It is located on the other side of town on Jalan Raya Pengosekan. Tel:62-361-978078

The general emergency numbers in Bali are: police 110, ambulance 118 and fire department 113. You can also dial 112 to get an operator who will assist you further.

Ok, that's that. So let's start with the Bali health diseases that you should watch out for. I hope they don't freak you out because with some minor action and precautions they can be easily prevented.

Return to top

 

Bali Health - The Bali Belly

The most famous disease that you can get quite easily when you visit Bali is the Bali Belly. Basically the Bali Belly is stomach cramps together with diarrhea. All in all it can bring misery to your holiday.

You often don’t know how you got it but the only thing you can do is to start using re-hydration salt solutions available at the drugstores and to drink as much water from the bottle as possible, even when brushing your teeth.

If you can't even make it to the drugstores anymore use 8 teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt in a liter of water and get in contact with the local doctor as soon as possible.

Don't use drugs such as Imodium or Lomotil since these only constipate your system, handy when you have a long flight but not when you're on holiday.

 

You can get the Bali Belly by contaminated water, eating food that is not well prepared or fruit that is not washed properly. Basically it depends per person, some have more sensitive stomachs while others have a stomach like a rock.

It is difficult to say where you should eat to prevent getting the runs. You might expect that it will be safe to eat at a fancy hotel where they besides Indonesian food, also prepare international dishes. But sometimes the food there is less fresh then the 'warung' around the corner. The warung prepares its food right on the spot and has more visitors so they will use fresh ingredients more regularly.

Therefore I prefer to choose places where it is crowded. Besides, where there is a large crowd there must be great food too, right?

Also never drink tap water when in Bali. Instead buy bottled water or buy water at water refill stations.

Some people advice against using ice cubes in drinks but I personally think you’ll not get diarrhea from this. Even local people would get sick if they don’t use proper water for ice cubes. So it’s OK to use ice in drinks but be careful with ice-cream though.

 

So just make sure that your food is always freshly prepared and that you avoid drinking tapped water at all cost. If you keep that in mind you'll be fine...

Return to top

 

Bali Health - Malaria and Dengue fever

Mosquitoes and the tropics come in one package. Fortunately today there is little risk of malaria in Bali so you don't need to take any pills to prevent catching it. But always get the most recent Bali health advice on this disease before you leave because it can be fatal if you don't get any treatment as soon as possible.

The symptoms are fever, headache and shivering often coming in cycles. These symptoms can also occur after you get back from your holiday so make sure your consult a doctor immediately.

To prevent catching this serious disease sleep under a mosquito net, especially if you can't close the windows properly. Don't forget to spray within the net with anti-mosquito spray a couple of hours before going to bed.

 

In good resorts, hotels etc. you don't really need a mosquito net as they use other means to extinguish these nasty insects. 

Additionally if there are many mosquitoes remember to use repellent and during dusk wear long sleeves and pants since during this time of day the malaria mosquito is the most active.

Another disease transmitted through mosquitoes is dengue fever. Unlike malaria, there are no tablets available which will prevent you from getting it. In Indonesia outbreaks of dengue fever is common and it can easily occur in Bali as well. Make sure to check for the most recent information concerning dengue fever.

The symptoms are fever, headache, rash, joint and muscle pains. If it progresses it can lead to internal bleeding and circulatory system failure. So seek a doctor as soon as possible if you happen to have these symptoms.

An important thing to remember when heading to the doctors is that if a rash is ascent the symptoms can be easily diagnosed as a common flu. So stress that you have been to the tropics when visiting your doctor.

Like malaria, dengue can be prevented by using a mosquito net and applying repellent. These mosquitoes are however more active during the day and breed around water collections such as puddles in water tanks, used tires and flower pots.

Return to top

Bali health - Rabies

In Bali you will see dogs everywhere. Unlike the dogs you might be used to back home, the Bali dog can look really hideous. Once you see them you can only expect them to carry all kind of diseases.

However if the dog looks cute or not, always try to avoid contact as it can carry rabies.

 

Rabies is spread via the saliva of dogs, cats and monkeys. If you get bitten wash the wound immediately with soap and seek medical assistance. Getting vaccinations against rabies can prevent extensive treatments.

I got bitten by a dog in Bali once. Luckily for me the dog was vaccinated and it regularly visited the vet. The owner told me though that many Balinese in the area had died from rabies. The symptoms only occur two months after the bite and by that time treatment is too late. So be careful.

Generally the dogs are harmless in Bali. If you just walk by without surprising them then you have nothing to be afraid of.

Return to top

Bali Health - Hepatities A and B

Fortunately there are vaccinations that can prevent Hepatitis A and B. So it is wise to head to the doctors for some injections. Hepatitis A is transmitted via contaminated food and water or saliva. So you can imagine how easily you can become a victim.

Hepatitis B is transmitted via sexual contact or by contaminated blood. Therefore always use condoms and ensure that needles and syringes are sterilized before receiving treatment.

Return to top

Bali Health - AIDS/HIV

Bali, Java and West Papua are the most affected islands of Indonesia. Exact numbers of AIDS/HIV affected people are not clear for Bali, but unfortunately the numbers are increasing. Also realize that other travelers can be affected as well.

Condoms are available in Bali however they can be unreliable. So if you think you would be needing some on your trip to Bali bring some from your own country.

Return to top

 

Bali Health - Tropical Sun

This Bali health tip should not be underestimated. The sund in the tropics in different then at home so even on a cloudy day you can get seriously sunburnt and dehydrated. Read more about sun exposure and how to prevent it.

Return to top

 

 

Bali Health - Tropical diseases

Generally European, American and Australian travelers don't have to worry about diseases such as polio, tetanus, diphtheria and turberculosis since they have had inoculations when they were young.

However if you are not sure if you ever had any injections for these diseases, make sure you check with your doctor before leaving for Bali.

Return to top

Bali Health - Hygiene

When staying in resorts, hotels or even homestays you can expect that the hygenic conditions are similar to the standards back home. But I just want to mention this little Bali health tip to avoid unpleasant surprises on your visit to Bali.

It's about the toilets...

Like I said all the accomodation and nice restaurants are pretty clean. But if you plan to go touring around the island or want to visit some temples and you need to use the use public toilets then you should be prepared.

Generally there are Western-style toilets, but occassionally you will encounter a squat toilet. On top of that, sometimes the toilets do not flush automatically. Instead you have to scoop some water with a small bucket in order to flush it all away.

And if there is no toilet paper, the same small bucket is used to wash yourself. Very uncommon in most countries, but the Indonesians do not use toilet paper. Instead they wash themselves using their left hand (that is why this hand is considered unclean).

Small bucket and tub to rinse yourself after going to the toilet

 

Especially for woman travelers, it is maybe a good idea to always have tissue or a role of toilet paper in your bag. And to be super hygienic maybe you want to bring some antibacterial hand creme too.

There is usually soap but I always get this feeling that they add allot of water to it.

But don't worry, these kind of toilet encounters are usually in the villages far from the tourist crowds. Places like Kuta, Ubud, Candidasa etc have all good toilet facilities. Some are even beautifully designed with statues and flowers....so you might be surprised too.