In cases where diarrhoea persists for several days it may be due to parasites or linked to a viral infection, the department notes.<\/p>\n
Symptoms vary between patients, and also include cramps, bloating, nausea and vomiting, said Dr Mahardhika.<\/p>\n
Other colloquial names for traveller’s diarrhoea include “Delhi belly” and the “Rangoon runs” used by tourists to Myanmar and surrounding areas.<\/p>\n
Dr Mahardhika said eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water was one of the main causes.<\/p>\n
“Always choose freshly cooked food from restaurants and avoid food that’s been sitting out on the display or in the streets,” she said.<\/p>\n
Debby Sartika Mahardhika says during peak holiday season her clinics treat hundreds of international tourists for Bali belly. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Dr Mahardhika said it was also important to note that Indonesia had a different climate to most parts of Australia.<\/p>\n
“Be cautious when you have leftovers or takeaway, don’t let [the food] sit out for too long.”<\/p>\n
Dr Mahardhika said Australian tourists often forgot that tap water in Bali, and in Indonesia more broadly, wasn’t safe to drink.<\/p>\n
She said it was always better to stick to bottled water and even use it when brushing and rinsing your teeth.<\/p>\n
“And avoid iced drinks sold on the street. It’s better to choose cold drinks from the fridge.”<\/p>\n
Personal hygiene also played a significant role, Dr Mahardhika said, so it is crucial to wash your hands before meals and after using the toilet.<\/p>\n
Other things like accidentally swallowing contaminated water while swimming or rafting could also make you sick, she said.<\/p>\n
Dr Mahardhika runs three medical clinics in the tourist hotspots of Sanur, Canggu and Seminyak.<\/p>\n
She told the ABC that during peak tourist seasons each of her clinics treated more than 100 international tourists with Bali belly.<\/p>\n
Bali might not seem complete without iced drinks, but it’s safer to choose cold drinks from a fridge. (Reuters: Nyimas Laula)<\/p>\n
“The first thing to do when you have Bali belly is to make sure you don’t become dehydrated. You can also take anti-diarrhoea medication,” she said.<\/p>\n
“If you’re going to toilet more than six times a day, can’t take any food or drink, vomit, or develop a fever, you have to visit a doctor.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What about having spicy food?<\/p>\n
If you are recovering from Bali belly Dr Mahardhika said tourists should avoid foods that can cause an upset stomach, like those “with too many spices”.<\/p>\n
“It’s also a good idea to consume probiotics to help fight bad bacteria in your gut,” she added.<\/p>\n
She explained that if a tourist was getting diarrhoea after eating spicy Balinese food it could be due to a person’s “food tolerance”.<\/p>\n
“Our stomach is accustomed to our usual habit, so any sudden changes can cause digestive upset, such as acid reflux,” she said.<\/p>\n
“When your stomach is used to mild or lightly seasoned food and [you] suddenly eat something very spicy it can upset it and cause diarrhoea.”<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/87edd12bc8860e56abf28f9ba7dc5b2b\")
<\/p>\n
Bali belly is a colloquial name for traveller’s diarrhoea. (ABC News Graphic: Jarrod Fankhauser)<\/p>\n
What else is there to consider?<\/p>\n
You might think that traveller’s diarrhoea only happens when you visit developing countries.<\/p>\n
But that’s not the case, Dr Mahardhika said.<\/p>\n
“When we travel to places, not only to Bali, we’re constantly on the move, doing different activities, so our bodies can become fatigued,” Dr Mahardhika said.<\/p>\n
“That tiredness can weaken our immune system,” she said, explaining that made a person more likely to get sick.<\/p>\n
Dr Mahardhika said it could be beneficial for the immune system to get a good amount of rest, and potentially supplementing nutritional gaps with vitamins.<\/p>\n
She also said it was a good idea to bring a supply of your own basic medications to treat things like digestive issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bali offers unforgettable experiences for travellers thanks to its year-round warm weather, affordable resorts and cheap drinks. But…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":443821,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2],"tags":[4740,99054,10002,204412,39267,9223,19756,11090,9996,1184,50,91112,4450,2039,1164,204413],"class_list":["post-443820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-australia","tag-avoid","tag-bali","tag-bali-belly","tag-causes","tag-doctor","tag-food-poisoning","tag-holiday","tag-indonesia","tag-medicine","tag-news","tag-prevent","tag-sickness","tag-symptoms","tag-travel","tag-travellers-diarrhoea"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115710533541628682","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443820\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/443821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}