A Series of Violations by Foreigners that Prompted the Bali Governor to Ban Foreign Tourists from Renting Motorcycles

Dream - Bali Governor I Wayan Koster has banned foreign tourists from renting motorcycles while vacationing in Bali. This decision is a result of the actions of foreigners who frequently violate traffic rules.

Several foreign tourists vacationing in Bali are being widely discussed on social media due to various disturbing actions.

"So, foreign tourists must travel using vehicles from travel agents. It is no longer allowed to use vehicles that are not from travel agents. Borrowing or renting is no longer allowed," said Wayan Koster in a press conference at the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of Bali Province, Denpasar, quoted from Liputan6.com, Monday, March 13, 2023.

The governor, who has been in office since 2018, revealed that the Bali provincial government has a number of regulations governing foreigners regarding tourism management, including a ban on foreigners using motor vehicles.

The change in the regulation took effect in 2023 after the Covid-19 pandemic to maintain a culturally-oriented tourism, not just focusing on the number of tourist visits each year.

Types of Violations

Based on the enforcement carried out by the Bali Regional Police, many tourists, especially foreign tourists, have been found to violate traffic regulations.

The violations range from not wearing clothes while riding, not wearing helmets, altering vehicle license plates, to not having a driver's license.

Wayan Koster hopes that with the implementation of new policies this year, Bali's tourism will become more quality-oriented with law enforcement and regulations, especially for foreign tourists.

The governor, who is also an economist, also hopes that the local provincial government will tighten supervision of foreigners who visit Bali. He stated that he and the foreigner surveillance team will take strict action against tourists who violate the rules in Bali.

"We are coordinating with the Regional Police Chief and the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Regional Office in Bali to take firm action against tourists, travelers, and foreign nationals whose actions do not comply with the applicable laws and culture in Indonesia, especially in Bali," said Koster.

Several foreign tourists in Bali have recently gone viral due to their violations. For example, a video showing a foreigner getting angry when being ticketed by the police for not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle.

Through a video shared on the Instagram account @unikinfo_id, a woman riding a Vespa Primavera motorcycle refused to be ticketed, claiming that she had been living in Indonesia for a long time. 

"I've been here for 23 years," she said in a high-pitched tone. The woman even pointed at the officer's face in protest.

The officer then asked her to pull over, as her commotion had caused traffic congestion in the area.

After being asked to pull over, the woman attempted to flee, but her action was prevented by the officer. One of the officers immediately turned off the motorcycle engine and secured the key.

Viral Video: Tourist in Bali Reveals Reality vs Social Media Traveling in Bali, TikTokers Reveal the Real Facts

Dream - A tourist's post while on vacation in Bali has caught the attention of TikTok users. The traveler showed a resort view that turned out to be not as beautiful as depicted on Instagram.

From the post by the tourist on the TikTok account victoria_goulbourne, https://www.tiktok.com/@victoria_goulbourne, a view of a resort with a small swimming pool and a row of neatly arranged and beautiful sunbathing spots can be seen.

The sunbathing area for resort guests is intentionally designed to face the mangrove forest.

However, the view that should have been a healing moment for resort guests did not meet their expectations.

The tourist showed a view of the mangrove forest at low tide. Only trees and shallow water with visible mud can be seen.

'Don't be fooled by insta,' wrote the account owner.

Watched by 49 Million

A traveler's post with a bio stating that they are in Saigon, Vietnam has attracted the attention of netizens. It is evident that 49.2 million TikTokers have watched the short video. Meanwhile, 5.1 million netizens have liked the video and 19 thousand others have left comments on the post.

From the explanations given by TikTokers who have seen the video, it is known that the tourist visited at the right time. The water conditions in the mangrove forest in front of the resort were indeed at low tide.

"Because it's low tide, if it's high tide, the view would be nicer," wrote the account owner @driverayang.

The Actual View is Beautiful

Similar comments were also made by TikToker with the account @coffeeeonthetable, who wrote, "Yesterday in Bali, the tide was low, the Bali Mandara toll road that is usually surrounded by water, yesterday it looked like land."

Among those who commented, one netizen hoped that the tourist's post would draw the attention of the resort management to innovate in order to satisfy visitors.

"Hopefully the resort management can see it and come up with innovations to renovate/beautify the area," wrote the account Risto Singkawang.

@victoria_goulbourne Dont be fooled by insta 😅🌝 #traveltok #bali #canggu #indonesia #traveltok #comedy #fyp #instavsreality #baliviews #balitravel ♬ original sound - Andrei King