Tourists Must Allow Extra Travel Time On Bali’s Roads

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With the full impact of the devastation caused by recent floods in Bali still being calculated and with the risk of more heavy rain ever present, tourists on the island are being urged to leave plenty of travel time.

All of Bali’s major and minor tourist attractions remain open and operational, but accessing them may require taking the scenic route. 

While all major roads are now open and operational again, there are many local roads that are still experiencing major issues.

In Singakerta Village, just outside of Ubud, a huge sinkhole and road collapse are making driving through Banjar Dauh Labak extremely difficult.

In fact, the road is impassable for four-wheeled vehicles, who must detour around the village, though motorcycles are permitted to drive through at their own risk. 

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The Secretary of State of Gianyar, I Gusti Bagus Adi Widhya Utama, confirmed that assessments are still underway and new plans must be made before the road can be fixed to ensure that rebuilding work is done in such a way that prevents this from happening again in the future.

Utama explained to reporters, “Currently, we are still conducting a study to find out the cause of the broken road, so that later, when it is repaired, it will not collapse again.” He added, “That’s why we have to find out why the road broke down, so that the next repair is really solid.”

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It is not only in and around Ubud where flood impact and potential heavy rain are issues for the roads, but in Badung Regency and Denpasar City, too.

Badung Regency is home to tourism destinations such as Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, and Canggu. Heavy rains on Monday led to more flooding across Kuta, Canggu, and Seminyak, too. Flooding impacted vital tourism routes, including along Gang Puji and Jalan Sri Kahyangan towards Berawa Beach, as well as Gang Sri Kahyangan. 

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Speaking to reporters on Monday, 15th September, the Head of the Bali Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Gede Agung Teja Bhusana Yadnya, has called on both residents and tourists to be aware of the potential natural disasters triggered by extreme weather in the coming days.

This is especially true for fallen trees, road collapses, and landslides as rainwater from higher and more inland areas flows down to the coast. He has also called for local communities to take flood mitigation efforts seriously, to both prepare for more flooding and they clean up from last week’s devastation.

Whether traveling to attractions or to Bali Airport, tourists are urged to allow extra time on the roads and to plan on arriving early for booked experiences and flights.

Last week, Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport declared the current flooding and natural disasters seen around the province as a force majeure, as the floods were deemed the worst in more than 70 years. 

The Head of the Communications and Legal Division at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Gede Aka Sandi Asmadi, was clear that the airport will remain open and fully operational and that round-the-clock work is underway to ensure that this is the case.

He also called for passengers to play their part in ensuring smooth travel by planning on arriving extra early at the airport and anticipating delays on the roads in the coming weeks and months.

This week’s heavy rain unofficially marks the beginning of the monsoon season in Bali, and heavy rains will be an increasingly common occurrence until March 2026. 

Asmadi told reporters that mitigations “include adding [extra] passenger seating facilities, arranging terminal service personnel, and providing an appeal to prospective passengers to arrive at the airport early.”