The real risks are not violent crime: they are the roads, counterfeit alcohol, drug raids and money changers. Bali has seen a large increase in fatal moped accidents, methanol poisoning kills, police raid tourist venues and test for drugs, and 68 illegal money changers were shut down in 2025 alone.
- Change money only at a licensed exchange. The FCDO's test is a Bank Indonesia logo and a QR code on the door - the QR encodes the licence. Bali had 68 illegal money changers shut down in one 2025 operation.
- The scams are sleight of hand, not robbery: notes palmed into a gap in the counter and then declared damaged, a miscount of 5,750,000 read back as 5,075,000, a calculator showing a rate you never agreed. Count every note yourself, in front of the teller, and do not hand the stack back.
- A rate noticeably better than everyone else's is the advertisement for the scam.
- Moped and motorbike accidents in Bali have risen sharply and some are fatal. Do not learn to ride one here.
- Traffic discipline is very poor, and foreigners involved in even a minor accident are vulnerable to extortion.
- Counterfeit alcohol causes methanol poisoning and a small amount can kill. Watch drinks being poured and never leave one unattended.
- Police raid venues popular with foreigners, especially in Bali, and can require a urine or blood test on suspicion of drug use. Penalties are severe.
- At the airport, use the official lounges and the taxi counter. Unofficial drivers working the exit are the first pressure point of the trip.
Money changers
This is the scam Indonesia is known for, and it is preventable in one step. The FCDO's instruction is simple: use only licensed currency exchanges, identified by a Bank Indonesia logo and a QR code - the code carries the licence details of that specific operator.
It is not a theoretical problem. Bank Indonesia and the Bali police shut down 68 illegal money changers in a single 2025 operation, and enforcement has continued since.
The methods reported are all sleight of hand at the counter:
- Notes slipped into a crevice in the counter while counting, then produced as "damaged" to justify a worse rate.
- A count that lands on a similar-looking number - 5,750,000 handed over as 5,075,000.
- A calculator worked through at a rate different from the one agreed at the window.
- The small change simply not returned.
So: count the money yourself, in front of the teller, and do not hand it back once counted. And treat an unusually good rate as the bait it is.
The roads
This is the actual danger, not crime. The FCDO reports a large increase in moped and motorbike accidents in Bali, some of them fatal, and describes traffic discipline as very poor.
- Do not ride a scooter here if you have not ridden one before. Bali traffic is not where to learn.
- A minor accident can turn into extortion. Foreign nationals involved in even small traffic incidents are, in the FCDO's words, vulnerable to it.
- Journey times are longer than the map suggests. Do not plan a first day that depends on crossing the island quickly.
Drink and drugs
- Counterfeit alcohol causes methanol poisoning, and even a small amount can be fatal. Watch your drink being prepared and never leave it unattended.
- Police raid venues popular with foreigners, especially in Bali. If drug use is suspected you can be required to give a urine or blood sample. Indonesian drug penalties are among the harshest anywhere.
At the airport
The first pressure point of the trip is the walk out of arrivals. Use the Grab or Gojek lounge, or the prepaid taxi counter. Do not negotiate with anyone who approaches you - the price is always worse and the leverage is all theirs.
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