Bali in summer with a child: risk of illness?

Hi, We’ve planned a 3-week trip to Bali this summer with our 7-year-old daughter. The itinerary includes Sanur, Nusa Lembongan, Sidemen, Amed, and Ubud. The more time passes, the more we read about people getting sick—some with mild to severe traveler’s diarrhea, and many ending up in the hospital. We, as parents, have been through it in Egypt with pretty bad cases, but we’d really like to avoid that for our daughter. Even though there’s no zero risk, and we’ll be careful, can any of you reassure me? Not everyone got sick, right? I’d love to hear positive feedback from parents, but not just them 😊. Thanks in advance!

Hi there, While the local nickname for this issue—"belly"—includes the island’s name, that doesn’t mean Bali has a higher risk of it than other places/countries. So stop reading those alarmist testimonials, which, though likely well-intentioned, must be infinitely fewer than the millions of travelers who haven’t faced the problem. You’re no more (or less) likely to catch traveler’s diarrhea in Bali than anywhere else. Just stick to the usual precautions for trips to faraway places with different food cultures, and you’ll be fine. Personally, I’ve stayed in Bali for varying lengths of time five times, always with a companion, making it 10 experiences where no one got sick.

How about telling us more about your plans in detail (if you’re open to feedback)?

Hi there,

Honestly, there’s no more risk of getting sick in Bali than anywhere else in the world. I stayed for 3 weeks and had no issues at all (and I only ate at local restaurants). The only advice I’d give is, obviously, don’t drink tap water and stick to bottled water. 🙂