TRAVEL ADVICE
Is it safe to travel to Bali and Lombok following the recent earthquakes?
TOURISTS scrambled to escape from Bali, Lombok and the Gili archipelago after a series of earthquakes left more than 340 people dead.
Here's the latest official advice from the British Government about travelling in the region.
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What happened in Lombok?
A series of earthquakes rocked the islands of Lombok and Bali in Indonesia in the Summer of 2018.
On July 29 Lombok was hit by a 6.4 magnitude quake close to the surface, killing 16 people.
A week later on August 5 a bigger earthquake measuring 6.9 brought devastation to the same area.
Worst hit were the Gili Islands off the North-West of Lombok.
Buildings were flattened and scores of people killed. Residents and tourists were left scrambling for space on evacuation boats in Dunkirk-style scenes on the beaches.
Officials said more than 2,000 people had been evacuated from the three Gili islands as fears spread of a tsunami.
The Foreign Office said staff were sent to Lombok to assist stranded British tourists, with extra flights added to help holidaymakers who want to leave.
The death toll from two quakes rose to 347, with at least 1,400 injured in Lombok and Bali.
Then on August 9, another quake of 6.2 magnitude struck the same region, toppling more houses and bringing further chaos as those left homeless by the earlier disasters ran for their lives.
Lombok was struck again on August 19 when a quake measuring 6.3 hit at a depth of 4.9 miles.
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Is it safe to travel to Lombok and Bali?
Indonesia's centre for meteorology, climatology and geophysics issued a tsunami warning after the second quake, but that has since been declared over.
Despite the destruction, Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport and Lombok International Airport are both operating flights.
And the major tourist resorts in southern Bali are open as normal.
The Foreign Office is to the Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air), and the north-west region of Lombok.
And all travel around the within 4km of the Mount Agung crater in east Bali is advised against.
The same red-zone is in place within 7km of the Mount Sinabung crater in Kalo Regency, North Sumatra due to ongoing volcanic activity.
The FCO says: "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but essential travel to areas of Lombok north of the main east-west route from Pamenang, which passes north of the capital Mataram across to Lombok town (Jalan H. Mansur - Jalan Jendral Sudirman - Jalan Raya Mataram-Sikur - Jalan Raya Masbagik - Jalan Raya Anjani - Jalan Kooperasi - Jalan Raya Labuhan Lombok).
"This area includes the Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air) and the Mount Rinjani National Park, but excludes Senggigi on the west coast and Kayangan port on the east coast."
It adds: "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel within 4 kilometres of the Mount Agung crater in east Bali and within 7 kilometres of the Mount Sinabung crater in Kalo Regency, North Sumatra due to ongoing volcanic activity.
"These are exclusion zones put in place by the local authorities. If you’re in either exclusion zone, you should leave immediately."
The FCO advises anyone planning to travel to Lombok to keep their travel plans under close review and seek the advice of their transport and accommodation providers before travelling.
Travellers should also ensure that they have contingency plans and travel insurance in place.
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Can I cancel the holiday I've booked in Bali or Lombok?
It will be practically impossible for tourists to go to the devastated Gili Islands for some time, so bookings will have to be cancelled.
Bookings further from the epicentre should not be affected, even though some people may now not wish to go.
While some airlines and hotels may be lenient under the circumstances, neither they or your travel insurance provider are obliged to change or cancel bookings.
The only time that hotels are required to give a refund is if the Foreign Office changes its travel advice for a region and turns it into a no-go area.
So far, they have placed no travel restrictions on Bali and only a small part of Lombok, but it is worth finding out from your travel agent or accommodation provider whether your hotel is still fit for purpose.
If the hotel is part of a large chain, it could be worth asking to change your stay to another location but they are under no obligation to grant this.
At least three dead after massive earthquake rips through Lombok
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