View from Moonlite Kitchen and Bar in Seminyak, Bali.
Camera IconView from Moonlite Kitchen and Bar in Seminyak, Bali. Credit: Supplied/Tyler Brown

Opinion: Bali volcano eruption may offer unexpected extended holiday, but it’s out of our control

Tyler BrownWanneroo Times

Community News journalist Tyler Brown is one of thousands of holiday makers stranded on Bali following the ongoing eruption of Mt Agung. She penned this account of what it is like to know you can’t come home as planned

WALKING the streets of Seminyak in Bali, you would have no idea of the travel chaos that is going on.

The locals are certainly not worried and many tourists just seem to be getting on with it.

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We flew in on Thursday evening, just two nights after the threat of the Mt Agung volcano changed.

Though we were aware of possible delays, I don’t think we expected it to be quite this bad.

After we saw the news of the airport being closed yesterday, we were straight online to find updates.

Despite reports otherwise, I feel we have been kept well up to date and information has been easy to find.

Our flight home tonight has been cancelled and though we were offered a new flight for one week’s time – that was more than 24 hours in transit, stopping over in Singapore – we have since been rebooked on a direct flight to Perth on December 6.

We have been assured if the conditions change and flights can resume earlier, more flights will be added and we can try for an earlier flight at no extra cost.

While I understand it would be very frustrating for many, there is nothing we can do to change the process.

And while many others would say an unexpected extended holiday in Bali sounds like paradise, there are some things already cropping up that we would not have considered.

Budgets are being stretched, accommodation is being extended and paid for on a day-by-day basis and we now need to do laundry and find a doctor to get more supplies of daily medications.

We have also had to extend our travel insurance (which unfortunately for us, doesn’t cover the volcano activity) and those of us who fly for work will also need to reschedule additional flights.

There are definitely knock-on effects to not being able to fly home.

But to those saying they are annoyed and their holiday has been ruined, I remind you that this is just nature and it is out of our control.

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