Is Bali Safe Right Now? What the Flores Earthquake and Lewotobi Eruption Mean for Bali Travelers

If you are asking “Is Bali safe right now?” after seeing headlines about a powerful earthquake, tsunami warnings and another volcanic eruption in Indonesia, the short answer is reassuring but needs context.

Bali itself was not the center of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara on 15 August 2026. I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport continued operating normally after the earthquake, including flights between Bali and East Nusa Tenggara. The tsunami warning issued after the quake was also officially ended later that morning.

But there is a second issue travelers should understand. Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, a highly active volcano on Flores, has continued producing intermittent volcanic-ash emissions. On 18 August, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre was still issuing aviation advisories for Lewotobi, with ash reported up to flight level 080 and forecast moving west.

That does not mean Bali Airport is closed. It does mean that anyone flying to Bali during an active volcanic period should understand how a volcano hundreds of kilometers away can suddenly affect an otherwise normal journey.

Before dealing with that uncertainty, take care of one predictable part of your trip. International visitors who are subject to the Bali Tourist Levy pay IDR 150,000 per person, and the Bali Provincial Government allows it to be paid before or during the stay. Arranging it before departure means one less piece of administration to deal with if your flight schedule changes at the last minute. Bali Levy Application – provides optional independent paid assistance for travelers who want help with the process.

Is Bali safe right now for tourists staying in Kuta, Seminyak or Ubud?

For travelers already in Bali or preparing to fly there, three separate facts matter.

The 15 August earthquake happened near Flores, not on Bali. BMKG recorded the updated magnitude as 7.7, with the epicenter about 30 km northeast of Mbay in Nagekeo, at a depth of 15 km. The event generated measurable sea-level changes in parts of East Nusa Tenggara, but BMKG officially ended the tsunami warning at approximately 07:31 WIB.

The consequences on Flores have been serious. Lives have been lost, thousands of residents have been displaced and some tourist sites have temporarily closed for structural inspections and repairs. That situation should not be minimized simply because Bali remained operational.

At the same time, Bali’s main international airport did not close because of the earthquake. Airport management reported normal operations after the event and no cancellations on the Bali–East Nusa Tenggara routes at the time of its statement.

So when people ask is Bali safe right now, it is important not to confuse a devastating local disaster on Flores with conditions across the whole Indonesian archipelago.

For most travelers asking “Is Bali safe right now?”, the key is to separate conditions on Bali itself from earthquake damage on Flores and volcanic ash risks affecting aviation.

The Earthquake and the Volcano Are Two Different Stories

The timing can make the situation look more alarming than it actually is.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Flores region on 15 August. Within days, travelers were also seeing new aviation alerts for volcanic ash from Lewotobi Laki-laki.

But these should not be merged into a single event.

The earthquake was a tectonic event associated by BMKG with the Flores back-arc thrust fault. Lewotobi’s activity is volcanic. Nothing in the official bulletins reviewed for this article establishes that the August earthquake triggered the volcanic activity.

This distinction matters because their effects on travelers are different.

An earthquake can damage buildings, ports, roads and airports close to its epicenter. Volcanic ash, by contrast, can affect aviation far away from the volcano itself if winds carry ash into important flight corridors.

And that is exactly why Lewotobi matters to Bali.

Why a Volcano on Flores Can Disrupt Flights to Bali

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is not on Bali.

It is on Flores in East Nusa Tenggara, hundreds of kilometers east of Bali. That geographical fact often gets lost in headlines such as “Bali flights cancelled after volcano eruption.”

The airport does not need to be close to the crater for flights to be affected.

Fine volcanic ash can travel hundreds of miles downwind. USGS warns that it can damage aircraft surfaces and instruments, and ash entering jet engines can cause severe damage or even engine failure. ICAO therefore operates an international system of Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres to monitor and warn aviation operators about ash hazards.

This creates an important rule for Bali travelers:

The size of the eruption alone does not tell you whether your flight will be cancelled.

Wind direction, ash altitude, concentration, flight route and an airline’s own safety assessment all matter.

That is why one airline may cancel a Bali flight while another departure at a similar time still operates.

What Is Lewotobi Doing Now?

As this article was last verified, Darwin VAAC advisories on 18 August 2026 reported intermittent eruptions at Lewotobi.

One advisory issued at 13:30 UTC referred to volcanic ash last observed up to FL080 — approximately 8,000 feet — with the estimated ash area moving west at around 15 knots. The advisory also noted that ash was not identifiable on the latest satellite image but that ground reports indicated intermittent eruptions were continuing.

This is a perfect example of why an aviation ash advisory should not automatically be interpreted as “Bali Airport closed.”

A volcanic advisory means aviation authorities and airlines are monitoring a potentially hazardous airspace situation. Whether that turns into cancellations depends on what happens next.

For anyone searching “Is Bali safe right now?”, the more useful question on the day of travel is therefore:

Is my specific flight operating?

Check directly with your airline rather than relying on a viral video, a general news headline or a social-media post showing an eruption.

Bali Has Been Here Before – Several Times

This is not the first time an eruption far from a tourist’s hotel has affected Bali aviation.

In November 2024, repeated Lewotobi eruptions disrupted international traffic to Bali. Reuters reported that 80 flights had been cancelled between 4 and 12 November as airlines including Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, AirAsia and Singapore Airlines responded to volcanic ash.

Then in March 2025, another major Lewotobi eruption sent ash more than eight kilometers high and again caused Bali flight cancellations.

In June 2025, another eruption caused more than 20 Bali flights to be cancelled or delayed and temporarily closed three airports in East Nusa Tenggara.

And on 7 July 2025, an enormous ash column reaching roughly 18 kilometers into the atmosphere led to at least 24 flights to and from Bali being cancelled.

The pattern is useful for travelers because it shows what volcanic disruption usually looks like: not necessarily a long-term shutdown of Bali, but sudden airline-by-airline cancellations followed by rescheduling, congestion and a backlog of displaced passengers.

The Bigger Bali Volcano Crisis Happened in 2017

There is another historical comparison worth understanding.

Lewotobi is on Flores. Mount Agung is actually on Bali.

When Agung entered a major eruptive phase in November 2017, the consequences for Bali aviation were much more direct. Ngurah Rai Airport closed for 24 hours, disrupting 445 flights and around 59,000 passengers.

That distinction is useful when evaluating alarming headlines today.

The current Lewotobi problem is primarily an aviation ash-routing risk for Bali, while the 2017 Agung crisis involved an erupting volcano on Bali itself, local exclusion zones, evacuations and direct concern about the island’s own volcanic activity.

They are not equivalent situations.

The Part Travelers Often Discover Too Late: The Backlog

A volcano does not have to keep erupting for your trip to remain disrupted.

This is one of the least discussed consequences of volcanic flight cancellations.

Imagine 30 flights are cancelled today. Even if conditions improve tomorrow morning, those aircraft and thousands of passengers do not automatically return to their original positions.

Airlines have to find seats for stranded travelers, reposition aircraft and crew, respect working-hour limits, restore rotations and fit delayed passengers into flights that may already have been nearly full.

After the June 2025 Lewotobi disruption, around 14,000 travelers were reported affected, with warnings that clearing the backlog would take time even as Bali Airport returned toward normal operation.

That is why the first announcement that “flights have resumed” does not necessarily mean your journey is back to normal.

The disruption can outlive the ash cloud.

What Happens If Your Bali Flight Is Cancelled?

Start with your airline, not the airport news.

Your carrier determines whether your individual flight will operate, be delayed, rerouted or cancelled. If a flight is cancelled, look at the airline’s rebooking and refund options before purchasing an expensive replacement ticket yourself.

Travel insurance can also become important here, but read the wording carefully. Coverage for natural disasters, volcanic eruptions, travel disruption and additional accommodation varies substantially between policies. Do not assume that a generic “travel delay” benefit automatically covers every volcanic event.

And if your journey involves European air-passenger rights, there is an important distinction.

Volcanic ash can constitute an extraordinary circumstance, which may mean the airline does not owe the normal fixed EU261 cancellation compensation. But extraordinary circumstances do not automatically remove the airline’s duty of care. European case law confirms that the obligation to provide care can continue even when the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances, including volcanic activity. Depending on the circumstances, that can include meals, refreshments and necessary hotel accommodation.

So “volcano = airline owes nothing” is not a safe assumption.

Is Bali Safe Right Now If You Are Flying Tomorrow?

If your flight is tomorrow, do not make a decision based solely on the fact that Lewotobi has erupted.

Instead, check four things in this order: your airline’s flight status, any direct message from the carrier, the latest volcanic ash advisory, and current Bali Airport operational information.

A sensible travel buffer also helps. If your Bali flight connects to a separate long-haul ticket, cruise departure, wedding, tour or other event that cannot be missed, a one-day buffer can be worth far more than the extra hotel night.

Keep your airline emails, boarding passes and receipts if disruption occurs. They may be important for an insurance claim or reimbursement request.

And arrange predictable entry requirements — including your Bali Tourist Levy — before departure where practical. A volcanic eruption cannot be controlled. Your paperwork can.

Should You Cancel a Bali Trip Because of the Flores Earthquake?

Based on the information available when this article was verified, the August 15 earthquake alone is not a reason to treat Bali as closed to tourism.

The earthquake’s severe direct impacts are concentrated in East Nusa Tenggara, while Bali’s international airport continued operating normally after the event.

Travelers going beyond Bali need to make a more specific assessment.

If your itinerary includes Flores, Labuan Bajo, Komodo, Ende, Maumere or other parts of East Nusa Tenggara, check local conditions separately. Some tourist sites on Flores have been temporarily closed for safety inspections following the earthquake, even though important transport links have continued operating.

“Indonesia is safe” or “Indonesia is unsafe” is simply too broad to be useful in a country spread across thousands of islands.

Is Bali Safe Right Now After the Tsunami Warning?

The tsunami warning linked to the 15 August earthquake is no longer active.

BMKG detected sea-level changes at several locations following the earthquake, including approximately 0.94 m at Maurole-Ende and 0.36 m at Labuan Bajo, before officially declaring the warning ended at 07:31 WIB on 15 August.

That does not mean future earthquakes cannot produce new warnings. Indonesia is seismically active, and any new BMKG warning should always be treated independently.

If you are in a coastal area and receive an official tsunami warning, follow local evacuation instructions rather than relying on an article — including this one — for real-time emergency guidance.

The Most Important Lesson From the August 2026 Events

The earthquake and volcanic activity reveal something that travelers often miss.

The most dramatic headline is not always the event most likely to affect your flight.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake caused catastrophic damage and loss of life in parts of Flores, yet Bali Airport continued operating normally after the quake. Days later, a much less visually dramatic volcanic-ash advisory from Lewotobi still mattered to aviation because ash was being tracked in airspace used by aircraft.

That is why travelers should separate three questions:

Is the destination itself affected?

Is the airport operating?

Is my flight operating?

Those answers can be different at exactly the same moment.

What Travelers Should Do Before Flying to Bali

• Check your specific flight directly with the airline 24 hours before departure and again before leaving for the airport.
• Do not assume that a volcanic eruption automatically means Bali Airport is closed.
• Allow extra connection time if volcanic activity is elevated.
• Check whether your travel insurance specifically covers volcanic or natural-disaster disruption.
• Keep receipts and airline correspondence if your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed.
• If traveling onward to Flores or East Nusa Tenggara, check that destination separately from Bali.
• Complete predictable travel administration, including the Bali Tourist Levy, before departure where practical.

Is Bali Safe Right Now? The Bottom Line

Yes, Bali remains open to travelers based on the latest verified information, but anyone flying during the current Lewotobi activity should monitor their individual flight closely.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake of 15 August was centered near Flores, not Bali, and Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport continued normal operations after the event. The associated tsunami warning has ended.

Lewotobi is the more relevant issue for Bali aviation right now. The volcano is hundreds of kilometers away, but history has already shown repeatedly that its ash can disrupt Bali-bound flights when wind and atmospheric conditions put ash into important flight corridors. Darwin VAAC was still reporting intermittent activity on 18 August 2026.

That does not make Bali a destination to avoid automatically.

It makes Bali a destination where, during periods of volcanic activity, checking the airline before heading to the airport is more useful than reacting to the headline.

Prepare the things you can control. Keep some flexibility around the things you cannot. And if you’re required to pay the Bali Tourist Levy, arranging it before your journey means one less task waiting for you when you arrive.

BaliTouristLevy.com provides optional independent paid assistance and is not a government website.

Official Sources to Check for Live Updates

For rapidly changing conditions, travelers should prioritize BMKG for Indonesian earthquake and tsunami information, Indonesia’s Geological Agency / PVMBG for volcanic activity, Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre for aviation ash information, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and the individual airline for flight operations, and Love Bali for official Bali Tourist Levy information.

This article was last fact-checked against official and aviation sources on 19 August 2026, Bali time. Volcanic activity, earthquake advisories and flight operations can change quickly; always check live official information before travel.