The island's main risks and how to avoid them: scooters, your stomach, monkeys and alcohol.

Bali is safe as far as crime goes, but a couple of local risks deserve attention.

Scooters

Motorbike accidents are risk No. 1. Renting without a license and experience is dangerous: only with a helmet, an international license and insurance. The roads are narrow and the traffic is chaotic.

Fake taxis

Bali has two different taxi scams, and both are worth knowing about in advance. The first is cars painted in the colors of the well-known Blue Bird company (a light-blue body, a similar logo, sometimes even a similar name such as “Blue Biru”), where the driver either refuses outright to turn on the meter and names a price 3–4 times above the market rate, or agrees to the meter and a few minutes into the ride announces that it is “broken” and demands a fixed sum with no room to haggle. A genuine Blue Bird car always has the inscription “Blue Bird Group” on its side, the car number on the dashboard and a driver in uniform — if any of this does not match, it is wiser to get out at the nearest safe stop.

The second scheme is more dangerous and occurs mostly at night in nightlife areas, above all in North Kuta: unofficial “drivers” in jackets that resemble taxi uniforms approach tourists on foot as they leave clubs and bars intoxicated — these cars are most often not registered in any app and are counting precisely on the fact that a drunk tourist is easier to cheat on the price or take in the wrong direction. The most reliable protection against both schemes is one: order your ride through the Grab or Gojek app, where the price is fixed in advance and you can see the car number and route, and do not get into a car that pulled up by itself and offered you a lift.

Health and small things

  • “Bali belly”: drink bottled water and be careful with street food in the first days.
  • Monkeys in Uluwatu and the Monkey Forest steal glasses and phones — do not tease them, and keep your belongings secure.
  • Rip currents on ocean beaches — swim near the flags and lifeguards.
  • Avoid cheap local “arak” liquor from dubious bars (risk of methanol poisoning).
  • The legal drinking age in Indonesia is 21 (not 18, as in many countries), and the permitted allowance is no more than 1 liter of spirits per person. Bali police may fine or detain a violator under 21 — keep this in mind if you travel in a group with younger members.

A few more small things

  • ATMs: withdraw cash from machines inside banks and shops — street ones may have skimmers.
  • Mount Agung is occasionally active; before trekking check its status and do not enter exclusion zones.
  • The single emergency number is 112.
  • Drones in Bali are allowed without complicated bureaucracy for devices up to 2 kg — no registration is needed, but basic restrictions apply: no higher than 150 m, only within the pilot’s line of sight, not after sunset and not over crowds of people. There is no direct state ban over temples, but popular shrines such as Tanah Lot and Uluwatu often post their own signs prohibiting drones — check on the spot before taking off.