Tourists traveling to Bali’s Kintamani are being urged to prioritise safety as landslides, fallen trees, and road collapses have caused havoc in the area.
Weather warnings are also in place for part of Klungkung Regency and Karangasem Regency, where major flooding events are taking place.
Here at The Bali Sun, we are dedicated to bringing tourists and travellers the most important news from across Bali, and right now, with the rainy season in full flow, we are reporting a lot on the weather.
With major disasters being recorded around Indonesia, this rainy season is showing just how powerful Mother Nature can be. Residents and visitors in Bali are being urged to take safety seriously, to keep up to date with the latest news and the latest weather forecasts.
Heavy rainfall in Bali’s Kintamani region this week has triggered a series of landslides, fallen trees, and even major road collapses. For those who do not know Kintamani by name, you’ll surely know it for its major landmarks and sites of cultural importance.
Kintamani is the gateway to Mount Batur, Lake Batur, and Pura Ulun Danu Batur, the temple on the lake. Kintamani is soaring in popularity with tourists, and it’s home to some of the best coffee roasters on the island.
On Wednesday, 12th December, a stretch of the Penelokan Main Road collapsed into the ravine below. The incident took place on a busy stretch of Penelokan Main Road, just meters from some of the town’s most popular cafes and eateries. The road is also a vital connection route between Kintamani and Sinjaraja and sees not only a huge amount of tourist traffic but also commercial trucks transporting goods from the central region of the island out west.
The Bangli Regency Public Works, Spatial Planning, Housing, and Settlement Areas have confirmed that they are responding to the incident and will be compacting the holes, securing the retaining wall for the road, and filling in the damaged tarmac.
Speaking to reporters, Dewa Agung Surya Darma, Head of the Bangli PUPRKim Department, shared “we’ll compact with ready-mix…If possible, we’ll work on it by the end of this year. Because hot-mixing doesn’t take long.”
Tourists driving to Kintamani along Penelokan Main Road from the Tunon intersection are advised to drive extremely cautiously until the road is fixed. There will be traffic officers stationed at the point of the collapsed road to regulate an on-off one-way traffic flow.
It’s not only road collapse that has impacted Kintamani, but landslides also occurred in the Bukit Abang area, burying nearly the entire Kintamani-Terunyan road, specifically the border between Buahan Village and Abang Batudinding Village.
Following the immediate disaster response, the Head of the Bangli Fire and Rescue Agency, I Wayan Wardana, accompanied by the Head of Emergency and Logistics, I Ketut Agus Astapa, BPBD-Bangli Fire and Rescue Agency, explained the situation to reporters.
Wardhana explained, “The results of the rapid assessment by the BPBD TRC together with the Kintamani Military District Command and the Kintamani Police indicate that heavy equipment in the form of a loader is needed, and when this report was made, heavy equipment support from the Public Works Department had begun to be deployed.”
Wardhana has urged both residents and tourists to be extra vigilant while traveling throughout the Kintamani area in the coming weeks, as these kinds of incidents are likely to occur again.
Tourists traveling to Kitnamani are advised to hire a local guide who will be up to speed about which routes are safe. For now, Mount Batur remains a hope to hikers and their guides.
However, it is not uncommon for the trails to be closed to ensure public safety when heavy rains and storms are forecast. Tourists are reminded that they must be accompanied by a licensed local guide to trek any of Bali’s peaks, including Mount Batur.
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