Travel authorities have issued a new warning for Australia’s most popular travel spot, Indonesia, following several serious and sometimes fatal incidents.
The federal government’s Smartraveller website updated its advice for visitors to Indonesia. It continues to urge travelers to “exercise a high degree of caution” but added a stronger warning about beach safety.
The website said, “Australians have drowned at coastal areas because of rough seas and strong rip currents at popular beaches, including those in Bali.”
It also noted that many beaches in the area are not patrolled by lifeguards.
In December last year, 32-year-old Jacob Vennix from Adelaide drowned while honeymooning in Bali. In January, a three-year-old girl from Sydney, Janaa Al Easawi, was found unconscious in a swimming pool at her family’s villa in Seminyak.
The Smartraveller site reminded Australians that “Australia has strict pool safety laws, but other countries may not. Private villas, hotels, and resorts often do not have safety fences around pools.”
