Bali Volcano Update

While Bali continues its conversation with the great god of the underworld, SeaTrek wants to make sure that all travelers, agents and concerned individuals have the best and most up-to-date information on the fate of the Balinese people, holiday plans, airport closures and the effects Mt Agung on the island.

While there are many sources out there offering up the latest news and information, the one we recommend is the Bali Tourism Board, the most proactive website with news on the day-to-day activity of the volcano and its impact on the island. You can also check out our Facebook page which will be carrying daily updates.

From a safety aspect, our boats are currently 2,000 km (1,250 miles) away — in Raja Ampat in far eastern Indonesia — far from the wrath of the volcano. And our office staff is doing all it can to make sure our guests can get to their intended destinations with minimum disruption.

In the meantime, please spare a thought for those Balinese people living on or around Mt Agung, uprooted from their homes and living in makeshift camps. Two wonderful Bali-based NGOs that are doing amazing work here are Kopernik and Rumah Sehat. Please visit their websites to see what they’re doing on the ground in Bali and make a donation if you can.

SeaTrek, along with Khiri Travel, GeoEx, Currie & Co, Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris, Travcoa, Travelhouse and AdventureSmith — all participants in a recent fam. trip to Raja Ampat aboard the Ombak Putih — have all pitched in to donate US$550 dollars to each of these organizations.

On the plus side, one unintended consequence for Bali is a massive increase in volcano tourism, with thousands of enthralled and excited people heading to the edge of the exclusion zones to witness what can only be described as a most awesome event of a lifetime. This is the kind of positive thinking the island needs right now.

Life in Bali continues much as it always does and we urge you to not be put off by the sensationalism of the TV news and use your own judgment in deciding whether or not to visit the island at this point in time. Remember that the island’s lifeblood is tourism, and they need our help.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us directly for further information, either by phone or email at (+62) (361) 474-3902 or info@seatrekbali.com.