Safety in Indonesia: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 18 August 2026.
Safety
- Papua: travel advised against — Papuan separatist groups continue to claim independence and acts of violence have risen steadily since 2018. Armed clashes between the TPNPB-OPM and government forces happen regularly in Highland Papua and Central Papua and have killed civilians, foreign nationals among them, and in 2023 the group declared that foreigners would be targeted across the region; separatists have also attacked commercial aircraft serving remote communities from small local airports. Travel to the area is advised against, and before going you have to ask the Indonesian police whether special permits are required.
- Papua and Aceh permits — For visits to particular regions such as Papua or Aceh, on top of the visa you need to ask the Indonesian embassy for up-to-date information on the special authorisations required to enter them.
- Volcano exclusion zones — Indonesia has over 120 active volcanoes, graded on a four-level alert scale. The authorities advise against any activity within 7 km of the craters of Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi and Mount Ibu in the North Moluccas, within 5 km of Sinabung and Semeru, and within 3 km of Marapi; Lewotobi Laki-Laki and Semeru are at the maximum alert level 4, with lava, mud and debris flows possible. Check the official volcanic activity reports before heading into these areas and follow local instructions, evacuation orders included.
- Sulawesi and the Moluccas — Interreligious and intercommunal tension periodically resurfaces in the southern Moluccas, on the islands of Ambon and Haruku, and in Central Sulawesi, where the political situation is unstable and conflict continues between security forces and terrorist groups, concentrated around Sigi, Parigi Moutong and Poso; take particular care in Palu, Poso and Tentena. Renewed terrorist activity also makes South Sulawesi a risk area for travellers, and there is a risk of religiously motivated attacks around Manado in North Sulawesi.
- Rainy season landslides — From October to April floods, landslides and slips are frequent, including in urban areas and the capital, often leaving parts of Jakarta and stretches of Java and Sumatra impassable. Intense tropical storms are common, and the Indonesian authorities' emergency response capacity is uneven, so help can be very limited in remote or hard-to-reach places.
- Bali and Lombok crime — Break-ins and thefts continue in tourist accommodation on Bali, and violent robbery aimed at foreign women has increased, in some cases killing the victim; move with maximum caution across the island, above all at night, and deal only with well-known operators rather than freelance guides and intermediaries. On Lombok there have been armed extortions of foreign tourists with pistols and machetes, thefts of hired scooters that often have no plates and no insurance, and cases of western tourists kidnapped and killed.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 18 August 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Indonesia before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 18 August 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.