Bali News｜September 13, 2026

🚨 Australian Female Tourist Dies After Falling from Kelingking Beach Cliff! Took a Dangerous Route While Traveling Alone

A serious accident occurred yesterday at Nusa Penida’s famous Kelingking Beach.

A 29-year-old Australian woman, Brianna Lani Cronin, arrived at Kelingking Beach around 8 a.m. on September 12. She then ventured alone to a cliffside area that was not the official path to the beach.

Local SAR officials stated that the route to the beach is equipped with safety ropes, but this tourist took a different path leading directly to the cliff edge, an area sometimes visited by tourists for photos.

She then slipped and fell, ultimately landing on the beach area.

Due to Kelingking’s extremely steep terrain, it took SAR about 1.5 hours to complete the evacuation of her body.

⚠️ Important Reminder for Travelers

The most noteworthy aspect of this incident isn’t just that ‘Kelingking is dangerous,’ but rather:

Don’t leave the official trail just to take photos.

The cliff views at Kelingking are indeed stunning, but many spots that look like ‘just a few more steps away’ actually have no safety barriers at all.

Especially:

Taking photos on a cliff edge + slippery ground + strong winds

is an extremely dangerous combination.

Is Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida Safe? Hidden Risks and Precautions for the Stunning T-Rex Cliff

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🚗 Ubud’s Traffic Overhaul Still a Work in Progress! One-Way System Caused Over 4-Hour Gridlock

Ubud’s recent traffic reforms remain noteworthy for travelers.

Starting September 8, the Gianyar transportation department has implemented the third phase of traffic adjustments, including converting some roads to one-way traffic.

But on the first day of implementation, severe traffic issues arose, with areas around Jalan Monkey Forest, Jalan Hanoman, Jalan Raya Ubud, and the Arjuna statue experiencing over 4 hours of heavy congestion.

Local drivers also reported that due to increased traffic time, some ride-hailing fares have noticeably risen.

The current traffic plan is still in the adjustment and adaptation phase.

Practical Impact for Travelers

If you have plans like:

Ubud Palace → Monkey Forest → Ubud Market → Tegalalang

Don’t estimate travel time based on usual conditions.

Especially during the morning entry into Ubud and afternoon departure from Ubud periods, it’s best to allow extra time.

This is exactly why I always advise against packing your Bali itinerary too tightly—the travel times on Google Maps in Bali, when multiplied by 1.5, are sometimes just idealistic numbers.

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🏗️ Badung Allocates 59.23% of Budget to Improve Tourism Infrastructure! Kuta Set for Major Overhaul

The Badung Regency government has announced that in 2026, 59.23% of local government spending will be directed toward infrastructure development, with a significant portion dedicated to improving tourist areas.

Badung Regent I Wayan Adi Arnawa stated that these investments are a response to various complaints from tourists regarding roads, public spaces, and the overall tourism environment.

Kuta has already begun tidying up certain areas, including:

Sidewalk improvements, underground/consolidation of cables, and public infrastructure such as roads.

▲ Kuta’s roadsides are now free of messy power cables

The government hopes to revitalize Kuta’s tourism image through these efforts.

This is indeed a noteworthy change.

Kuta was once the most iconic tourist area in Bali, but in recent years it has faced issues such as aging roads, messy power cables, traffic congestion, and declining quality of public spaces.

If this wave of renovations actually comes to fruition, it will be a good thing for travelers.

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🏨 Indonesian Government: Bali Tourism Remains Stable, No Significant Decline

According to the latest statement from Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism, despite ongoing uncertainties in the global travel market and economic environment, Bali’s overall tourism situation remains stable.

The government continues to emphasize Bali’s important position in the international tourism market and hopes to maintain its competitiveness by improving tourism quality, investment, and destination management.

This news isn’t exactly ‘breaking news,’ but it’s valuable to include in a daily news roundup.

Because over the past week, Bali has seen a series of incidents:

Volcanic ash, flight cancellations, controversies in Nusa Penida, foreigner violations, and traffic issues

This can easily give overseas travelers the impression that ‘something’s wrong with Bali lately.’

According to the official tourism authorities, there has been no significant downturn in the travel market.

So for travelers planning a trip to Bali, there is no need to cancel your itinerary based on a few recent breaking news stories.

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🏝️ Nusa Penida Remains Popular, but the Government Begins to Reassess Transportation and Accommodation Issues

Beyond recent safety incidents at attractions, transportation and tourism management on Nusa Penida continue to draw local government attention.

Authorities in Gianyar and Klungkung are discussing ways to adjust transportation to Nusa Penida, including the possibility of restricting certain ferry schedules to prevent large crowds from arriving or departing all at once.

On the other hand, the local government also hopes to boost accommodation occupancy rates on Nusa Penida through these transportation adjustments.

Because many travelers still opt for:

Depart from Sanur in the morning → Spend a day on Nusa Penida → Return to Bali in the evening

As a result, the attractions are bustling, but the number of overnight visitors hasn’t increased proportionally.

This issue has actually become a major challenge for the tourism development of Nusa Penida.

If the government does adjust the ferry schedules in the future, the impact on day-trippers will likely be more noticeable than on those staying overnight.

Nusa Penida Travel Guide

• 🏝️ Nusa Penida Attractions Guide
• 🍽️ Nusa Penida Dining with a View Guide
• 🤿 Nusa Penida Snorkeling Spot Guide
• 🏨 Nusa Penida Accommodation Guide
• 💸 Nusa Penida Attractions Now Fully Charged