Solo female travel in Indonesia: arrivals, rides, drinks, dress and help

What the UK, German and French advice says about women

The UK Foreign Office (FCDO), whose advice was updated on 18 September 2026, says reported cases of rape and sexual assault are high in Bali and Lombok, and asks travellers to be alert when out at night and to avoid poorly lit areas. Tourists have also been assaulted or robbed after taking visitors to their hotel rooms.

In Jakarta, Germany's Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) sees a risk of being mugged, especially for women travelling alone, and France Diplomatie reports a rise in snatch thefts in tourist places such as Bali, Lombok and Jakarta.

None of the three governments' advise-against lines covers Bali, Lombok or the Gili Islands: they apply to provinces of Papua and, for France, to waters at risk of piracy (our health and safety guide has the details).

Arriving in Bali at night, Lombok or Jakarta

At Bali's Ngurah Rai airport, Ngurah Rai Airport Taxi is the only taxi with a service counter allowed to offer rides out of the airport. The counter is outside the arrivals hall, to the right as you exit; ask the fare there, take the slip of paper and pay the driver on arrival. Bluebird has an official counter in arrivals too and runs 24/7 in Bali; in its MyBluebird app you can book a pick-up at a set time, and the Fixed Price option shows the fare before you book. Grab's app shows the cost before you book (excluding tolls and surcharges) and lets you schedule an airport ride. Those app prices are the way to know the fare before you leave: compare them with the fare quoted at the counter. Bluebird gives the drive as around 15 to 20 minutes to Kuta in normal traffic, usually around 30 to 45 minutes or longer to Seminyak, and typically 1 to 1.5 hours to Ubud, longer in heavy traffic.

Trans Metro Dewata buses also serve the airport, and the Ministry of Tourism's airport page gives the public bus to central Denpasar as running daily from 05:00 to 21:00, from the left corner of the international arrivals terminal where the airport taxis park. After 21:00, use the counter taxi or an app booking, and turn down anyone offering a ride in the arrivals hall: the FCDO warns of drivers who claim to work for an app and pick up passengers on the street. Choose a first night with a 24-hour reception. Most foreign visitors also pay Bali's IDR 150,000 tourist levy, once per trip; the provincial government recommends paying online through Love Bali before you fly, and otherwise you pay by card at the BRI counters at the airport.

Lombok International Airport is about 30 minutes' flight from Bali, not too far from Mandalika, the tourism zone on the south coast near Kuta beach, and about 30 km, or an hour's drive, south-east of Mataram. Use only registered taxi companies and check the driver's identity, as the FCDO advises; Bluebird lists Lombok among the areas of its metered regular taxis, though vehicle availability varies by city. For the Gilis, the Ministry of Tourism suggests a taxi to Senggigi, or the DAMRI bus to Mataram and then a taxi; from Senggigi a speedboat takes some 20 minutes, and from Bangsal harbour, further north, the public boat costs IDR 20,000 to 30,000. Leave the airport early enough to cross in daylight.

At Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport, follow the signs to the official Bluebird Group counter in the arrivals area of Terminal 1, 2 or 3, and turn down people who offer you transport. Bluebird also takes bookings by phone on 021-7917 1234 or 021-794 1234 and by WhatsApp. Our transport guide covers the airport trains.

Prices and times checked 8 November 2026

App rides, scooters, women-only cars and boats

Ride-hailing apps are the easiest way home after dark, with two FCDO checks: the driver must be the person shown on the app, and share your journey with a friend through the app. Grab's Indonesian service also has an emergency button that alerts the authorities or your emergency contacts, and Gojek's GoCar has Share Your Trip and an Emergency Button in the app; both show the fare before you book. On Bali, licensed app-car drivers must display a supervision card (Kartu Pengawasan) where passengers can see it.

Book a car, not a motorbike: France advises avoiding two-wheelers, and Germany advises against renting motorbikes or scooters and against overland journeys at night. For treks, volcano climbs such as Rinjani and dives, Germany advises going with local guides, and France says treks must be done with accredited guides, in particular on mountains and volcanoes, as Indonesian law requires; it recommends guides from well-identified organisations, in particular for anyone travelling alone in regions with few or no tourists.

In Greater Jakarta, KAI said in April 2025 that the LRT Jabodebek runs a women-only car, the rearmost car of every train, during all operating hours on weekdays, as it has since December 2024.

In Yogyakarta, Bluebird also runs its metered regular taxis (vehicle availability varies by city): book one in the MyBluebird app, or an app car, to get back after dark rather than riding on the back of a motorbike, and run the same driver checks.

For the islands, the FCDO advises against travelling by boat after dark unless you are satisfied the vessel is suitably equipped, so plan crossings that arrive in daylight; our Gili Islands guide has the timetables.

Prices and times checked 8 November 2026

Nights out: spiked drinks, methanol, Lombok and the Gilis

The FCDO reports drink spiking linked to sexual assault in Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands. Watch your drinks being prepared, do not leave them unattended and do not accept drinks from strangers at clubs or parties. Rape drugs also work in coffee and tea and normally cannot be detected: if you feel strange, sick or drunk after only a small amount, tell a trusted friend, who should take you somewhere safe, or phone the local police. Arrange your transport home before you go out and note the address of where you are staying.

Methanol is the second risk. The FCDO says poisoning cases have come from drinks bought in licensed bars, shops and hotels in tourist areas, that methanol cannot be identified by taste or smell, and that even small amounts can kill. Choose branded drinks in sealed bottles and cans, and avoid free cocktails or shots, unlabelled bottles and unusually cheap drinks sold as brand-name alcohol. If you or a friend show signs of poisoning, get urgent medical help: treatment works best within 10 to 30 hours, so do not try to sleep it off.

Gili Trawangan has no motorised vehicles, so the way back to your room is by bicycle or cidomo, a horse-drawn carriage: agree it before you go out.

What to wear at Bali's temples, in Java and in Aceh

France says dress rules are interpreted less strictly in Jakarta and Bali, except where religious practices or ceremonies are involved. Outside Bali, Germany asks women in particular to follow the rules of conduct usual in Islamic countries, especially in rural areas. Modest clothing is expected at the Kraton, the Yogyakarta Palace, and during Ramadan, clothing that does not meet local dress codes may cause more offence (see our Ramadan guide). Aceh, the only province that enforces Sharia law, applies it to non-Muslims too, and France recommends covering arms and legs there.

Bali's rules for tourists, announced on 24 March 2025, ask for modest and respectful clothing at temples, tourist attractions and public spaces. Only worshippers in traditional Balinese dress may enter a temple's sacred inner areas, and menstruating women may not enter them at all. Each temple sets its own entrance rules:

• Pura Uluwatu: wear a scarf and a sarong, usually provided at the entrance.
• Pura Besakih: all visitors must wear a sarong (kamen) and a sash, which you can rent at the entrance.
• Pura Tirta Empul: you can rent a sarong and shawl for around IDR 10,000 to 15,000.

Prices and times checked 8 November 2026

Female-only dorms, your room and your valuables

Some Bali hostels keep women apart from men. Whichever you choose, look for a dorm labelled female-only, lockers or safety boxes and a reception open 24 hours. Kos One Hostel in Canggu, for example, has a women-only floor and social area with an eight-bed dorm, plus two four-bed female dorms; the female dorms have private safety boxes and reception is open 24 hours a day. Our where-to-stay guide for Bali compares the areas.

Two rules matter for whoever shares your room. Under the criminal code in force since early January 2026, sex outside marriage (punishable by up to one year in prison) and cohabitation can be penalised, but only on a complaint from certain close family members. And you must always carry your passport or stay permit; our entry guide covers the visa.

Bag-snatching is often reported in Bali, so conceal your bag and do not carry all your papers and money in one bag. Keep your card in sight when you pay, and agree the fee in advance at spas, nail salons and tattoo parlours in Bali, where scams are rising. Our money and payments guide covers cards and ATMs.

If something happens: help, hospitals and the numbers to save

After a sexual assault, the FCDO's guide for victims advises seeking medical attention and reporting to the police as soon as possible, ideally within 72 hours, at a police station with a Women and Children Protection Unit (Unit Perlindungan Perempuan dan Anak); smaller towns may not have one. You may ask for an officer of a particular gender, but this is not guaranteed. UPTD PPA, the Integrated Service Centre for the Protection of Women and Children, offers support and counselling and can accompany you throughout. The FCDO guide also lists support organisations, such as the Bali Women Crisis Centre and, in Yogyakarta, Rifka Annisa, which both support women affected by violence.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) must be taken within 72 hours and is not readily available, especially in remote areas: try Prof I.G.N.G. Ngoerah hospital (formerly Sanglah) or BIMC hospitals in Bali, Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital (RSCM) in Jakarta and the General Hospital of West Nusa Tenggara (RSUD NTB) in Lombok. Emergency contraception is available at main general hospitals only, and the emergency services may not speak English. Save these numbers:

• 112: general emergencies from a mobile phone.
• 110: the police.
• 118 or 119: ambulance.
• 129: the victim-support service of the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, as listed in the UK Foreign Office's guide for victims.
• Your embassy: British Embassy Jakarta +62 21 2356 5200. Other nationalities: find your embassy's Jakarta number on your own government's travel advice page and save it before you fly.