Indonesia Records New Volcanic Eruptions: What Tourists Should Check Before Traveling to Bali, Flores, and Maluku

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Marta Skylar
Aviation News Editor
28.07.2026 06:54

Indonesia Records New Volcanic Eruptions: What Tourists Should Check Before Traveling to Bali, Flores, and Maluku

Indonesia is once again in the spotlight for travelers due to volcanic activity: in recent days, official and regional sources have reported eruptions of several active volcanoes, including Lewotobi Laki-laki on Flores, Ibu, and Dukono in North Maluku. For most tourists, this does not mean an automatic cancellation of a trip to Indonesia, but it does mean the need to more carefully plan internal flights, excursions to volcanic regions, connections via Bali and Jakarta, as well as checking insurance coverage terms.

The most important thing for a tourist right now is not to confuse the general safety of the entire country with risks in specific areas. Indonesia consists of thousands of islands, and eruptions on Flores or in North Maluku do not equal the closure of Bali, Jakarta, or all resort destinations. At the same time, volcanic ash can affect aviation significantly wider than the zone around the crater: even if a resort is operating in normal mode, individual internal flights may be delayed or canceled due to the closure of local airports, changes in wind or flight restrictions in the airspace.

What Exactly Happened

On June 12, the Vietnam News Agency reported that Indonesian authorities increased attention to three active volcanoes — Dukono, Ibu, and Lewotobi Laki-laki — after simultaneous eruptions with ash emissions. In a report citing the Geological Agency of Indonesia, it was noted that Lewotobi Laki-laki is at level III, while Ibu and Dukono remain at level II. This is important for travelers, as the warning level determines how close one can approach the danger zone, how local services operate, and whether route restrictions are possible.

The MAGMA Indonesia operational feed, maintained by Indonesian geological services, as of the night of June 15 local time, continued to record eruptions of Lewotobi Laki-laki and Ibu with ash columns. For example, for Lewotobi Laki-laki, the feed recorded reports of ash approximately 600-1000 meters above the summit, as well as the direction of the ash cloud spread to the west and northwest. For Ibu, repeated episodes with ash several hundred meters above the summit were also indicated. Such parameters can change quickly, so tourists should not treat any single report as a forecast for the entire day or week.

Additional context is provided by an incident on June 5, when Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted several times and, according to regional agencies, caused the temporary closure of the airport in Maumere on Flores. This affected several internal flights. This episode shows the main practical risk: even if international hubs are operating, local aviation on the eastern islands can react to volcanic activity very quickly.

Where the Risk Zones Are Located

Lewotobi Laki-laki is located on Flores Island in the East Nusa Tenggara province. This is an important region for travelers who combine Bali with Labuan Bajo, Komodo, Flores, or more remote natural routes. Flores itself is not a single closed destination, but tourists need to look carefully at the specific route: land transfers, local flights, airport availability, and recommendations from local authorities may vary depending on the area.

Mount Ibu and Dukono are located in the North Maluku region. This is a less common destination for Ukrainian tourists than Bali or Java, but it is important for diving, natural expeditions, individual routes, and travel through eastern Indonesia. Due to the more limited transport network, any flight cancellations or changes in ferry connections here can be more noticeable than in large tourist centers.

The British FCDO in its current advice for Indonesia separately indicates volcanic regions where it does not recommend traveling. Among them are the zone within 7 km of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki crater on Flores, 7 km from Mount Ibu in North Maluku, as well as separate zones around Sinabung, Marapi, Semeru, and Ruang. For insurance, this is not a formality: traveling against official warnings can complicate or even nullify insurance coverage in the event of a delay, injury, or evacuation.

Is It Dangerous to Fly to Bali Now

Available data does not mean that Bali is closed to tourism. The main international flow to the island goes through Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, and tourists should check the current status of flights just before leaving for the airport, rather than only during booking. For a quick check, you can use the Denpasar-Bali DPS airport page and the DPS online board, especially if the route includes an internal flight further east or connections with an international flight.

Bali is geographically located west of Flores, and most hotel areas of the island are not in the direct volcanic risk zone of Lewotobi Laki-laki. However, aviation depends on ash, cloud height, wind direction, and decisions by dispatch services. In past periods of volcanic activity in Indonesia, ash was the cause of delays or cancellations, even when the resort infrastructure continued to operate. Therefore, travelers with expensive international connections should leave a time buffer, rather than planning a return from a remote island at the last moment before a long flight home.

If the journey goes through Jakarta, it is worth separately checking the route via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport CGK and its online board. Jakarta is often used as a backup or transit hub for internal flights, but during schedule disruptions, large hubs can quickly accumulate delays due to the rebooking of passengers from local destinations.

What Changes for Tourists in Practice

The main change is the need for more flexible planning. For a classic holiday in Bali with a direct international flight, the risk may be lower than for a route like Bali — Labuan Bajo — Flores — Maluku, but even in the first case, it is worth checking the airline, flight status, and return conditions. Tourists planning volcanic treks, photographic tours, diving safaris, or expedition routes should directly ask the operator whether the program passes near the zones mentioned in travel advice, and what will happen in case of a route change.

Travelers with short connections should be especially careful. If an internal flight from Flores or Maluku is delayed due to ash, an international ticket from Bali or Jakarta may not wait for the passenger. The best protection is to book the entire route as one ticket where possible, or leave a night between the internal and international flight. If such a night is needed near the airport, for Bali you can look at hotels near DPS in advance, and for the capital — hotels near CGK.

Another practical point is the transfer. During flight schedule changes, passengers often arrive late in the evening or depart earlier than planned. In such situations, it is better not to rely on random transport after a long flight. For arrival in Bali, you can check transfers and taxis from DPS airport in advance, and for Jakarta — transfers from CGK. This does not solve the volcanic risk, but reduces the number of small problems if the travel schedule shifts.

What to Check Before Booking or Departure

  • Official travel advice for Indonesia, especially sections on volcanoes, exclusion zones, and insurance.
  • Operational reports from MAGMA Indonesia or local services, if the route passes through Flores, North Maluku, Java, or other volcanic regions.
  • Flight status on the day of travel, rather than just 24 hours before departure: ash and wind can change the situation very quickly.
  • Air ticket conditions: whether there is free rescheduling, whether the route is booked as one booking, whether the airline covers the hotel in case of delay.
  • Insurance policy: whether it applies in case of natural disasters, flight delays, missed connections, evacuation, or travel to an area against official warnings.
  • Plan B for remote islands: an extra day, an alternative port or airport, contact of a local operator, and the possibility to change the excursion.

Why This Is Important for the Tourism Market

Indonesia is actively restoring and expanding tourism, trying to distribute the flow not only through Bali, but also through other islands. That is why volcanic risks are important not only for safety, but also for trust in the routes. If travelers know how warnings work, where to check flights, and why they should not ignore exclusion zones, they can plan more complex journeys without unnecessary panic.

For tour operators, this is also a test of the quality of communication. A formal phrase like "the route may be changed" is no longer sufficient when it comes to active volcanoes, ash, and potential airport closures. Clients need concrete answers: which airport is used, what will happen if the local runway is closed, whether there is a backup day, who pays for an extra night, and how the operator monitors warnings from local authorities.

Conclusion

Recent volcanic activity in Indonesia does not make the country closed to tourists, but it makes an imprudent approach of "just fly in and figure it out on the spot" risky. For a holiday in Bali, it is sufficient to carefully check flight status, keep a time buffer before an international flight, and not ignore aviation notices. For Flores, North Maluku, and volcanic routes, much more detailed preparation is required: current official sources, insurance, and a flexible schedule and readiness to change the program.

The smartest strategy for traveling to Indonesia in the coming weeks is not to automatically cancel plans, but to switch them to a mode of attentive monitoring. Volcanic activity is part of the country's reality, but for a tourist, the difference is made not by the fact of eruption itself, but by whether there is a time buffer in the route, verified sources of information, and a clear plan in case of schedule changes.