Bali Belly Tips Every Traveller Should Know (From Experience)

If you’ve heard the term “Bali Belly,” you’re probably wondering how serious it is and what to do if it happens to you. I live in Bali and have dealt with it more times than I’d like to admit. It’s not fun, but it’s something you can manage with the right approach.

In this post, I’m sharing the most helpful Bali Belly tips I’ve learned from personal experience. You’ll get practical advice on what causes it, how to treat it fast, and simple ways to avoid it so you can actually enjoy your time in Bali without spending it stuck in a bathroom.

Let’s go!

What Is The “Bali belly”?

Bali Belly is a type of food poisoning that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or both. It’s extremely common in Bali, and unfortunately, it can happen to anyone, no matter how careful you are or how long you’ve been here.

Personally, I usually get hit with both vomiting and diarrhea, and it can last for at least six hours.

It doesn’t seem to matter if I’m eating Western food, local food, street food, or dining at a restaurant.

The reality is that Bali Belly doesn’t discriminate, you can get it anywhere.

How to Treat Bali Belly Fast

Try to drink at least 1 teaspoon of water between vomiting to keep your body hydrated. If you have electrolytes in hand, that’s even better. These things have helped me a lot.

Having anti-vomit and diarrhoea tablets with you could also be very helpful. When I take anti-vomit pills on time it makes a lot of difference!

What If It Doesn’t Stop For Hours?

The very first time I got Bali Belly it lasted over 6 hours.

If you don’t stop feeling sick after a few hours, call the reception of your hotel or anyone you know close to you and ask to be taken to the nearest clinic. Or get in touch with the clinic and ask for a doctor to visit you.

In my Bali Belly Survival Kit, you will find a list of doctors available 24/7 and their WhatsApp numbers! 👉 Read more here

In my case, the first time I waited too long to ask for help so I was hospitalised after 6 hours of sickness (vomiting, diarrhoea, high fever).

It turned out I had a parasite and bacterial infection. This is why you should be seen if your sickness continues, there might be a chance it’s something more than just Bali belly, you never know!

You have to make sure you don’t have these infections. If you do, they will prescribe anti-parasites and antibiotics. Doctors in Bali are really good, I’ve always had a great experience.

What’s In My Bali Belly Survival Kit (And Why It Helps)

I created this kit after being sick in Bali far too many times.

The first time I had no idea what was going on or who to contact. I was dehydrated, overwhelmed, and completely unprepared.

Since then, I’ve kept notes on what actually helped me recover, which doctors and clinics I trust, and what I now avoid completely.

This guide includes all of that. It has my step-by-step action plan, packing tips, food advice based on lived experience, and two Google Maps (one for places I would normally go for help and one to get safe meals.)

I made it so you don’t have to figure things out the hard way.

If you want to be prepared before anything happens, 👉 you can get the kit here for $19.99!

How Long Does The Sickness Last?

If it’s only Bali belly, it normally takes me a day or two to get back to my strength. However, sometimes I also get a fever, and in that case, it takes me about a week to get back in shape!

How To Avoid Bali Belly While Travelling

• Probiotics are key! You can start taking them 10 days before leaving for Bali. Make sure to get the ones you don’t have to refrigerate.

• Bring vitamins and electrolytes with you or get them in Bali. There are lots of pharmacies dotted around the island.

• Avoid grilled fish by the beach. I noticed that the fish wasn’t stored in ice or cold temperatures. It’s very likely that grilled fish caused the parasite infection I experienced.

How Can I Choose A Risk-Free Restaurant?

While there isn’t really a way to choose a risk-free restaurant, there is a small thing you could do.

I normally go to the reviews section for the restaurant/cafe I’m interested in and search for “vomited”, “sick”, “Bali belly”, “not well”, “poison”.

If there is any recent comment regarding food poisoning, I’m not going to the venue, especially if it’s recent.

Make sure you also leave a review if you have a bad experience so we can all help each other!

That being said, there are a few cafes now clearly stating they are using filtered water for food and drinks which is amazing!

For example, this cafe in Uluwatu called Bali Blue Coffee & Gelato does that (see picture below). Hopefully, more restaurants will follow this beautiful initiative, fingers crossed!

You could look at Google reviews OR go to Bali with your eyes closed because in the Bali Belly Survival Kit, I’ve included a list of cafes/restaurants I’ve been consistently visiting in the past 5 years without ever feeling sick!

FAQs On Bali Belly

Last Bali Belly Tips

Whatever travel insurance you choose, make sure to read the T&Cs of your travel insurance very carefully.

I used to use the travel insurance provided by work and I found out it only covered 65 days of travelling.

My first Bali belly happened at day 67 so I wasn’t able to claim anything!

I have now switched to my own travel insurance since leaving work and it’s been super reliable! Speaking of which…

👉 I highly recommend HeyMondo, it’s the best travel insurance out there. Very affordable and you also get 24/7 customer service!

Last but not least, remember to always carry a little anti-bacterial gel. I always use it when the hand soap is not available.

Ciao for now,
Silvia x

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