Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Here we have some general advice about travelling safely and respectfully in Indonesia. From our experience and observations some of you tourists seem to leave your brains at home.
1. WARNING: Do not get involved with illegal drugs. Possession, trafficking and manufacture of any illegal drugs are serious offences in Indonesia. The Indonesian authorities have a zero-tolerance policy and those caught face lengthy prison sentences or the death penalty. On Gili Trawangan poor quality recreational drugs are on offer due to the fact there are no permanent police on the island. This does not mean the Lombok police don’t come to the island. They do, they operate undercover and with no mercy. You have been warned.
2. METHANOL POISONING: This is a real issue and it happens regularly in Indonesia to locals and tourists alike. You only have to do a Google™ search for “methanol Bali Gili Trawangan” to see how recent and dangerous this can be. We recommend only drinking bottled beer or Smirnoff Ice™ etc. and make sure these drinks are opened in front of you. Other famous brands of spirits are available to buy from some shops at considerably high prices due to Indonesia’s high import tax on foreign alcohol. This is why bootlegged booze is so abundant. The IFSP (International Federation of Spirit Producers) state that over 50% of ALL spirit alcohol in Indonesia is counterfeit. That is a staggering amount of fake vodka, whiskey, gin, rum etc. in circulation. A lot of foreign media have been wrongly reporting this as “drink spiking” where in fact it is actually fake booze being rebottled into brand name and local bottles. Local drinks known as Arak should also be avoided as this is homemade and not tested to see if it contains Methanol (bad) or Ethanol (good-ish).
So we strongly recommend you stick to this rule,
IF YOU CAN’T OPEN IT YOURSELF, DON’T DRINK IT !
IF YOU CAN’T OPEN IT YOURSELF, DON’T DRINK IT !
And, as in Liam’s case, just because it is poured from an imported spirits bottle this doesn’t guarantee it’s authentic.
The business people of Gili Trawangan have also responded by forming an organization called Asosiasi Pengusaha Gili Trawangan (APGT), or the Gili Trawangan Business Association, on 16 February 2013. The purpose of the Association is to control the quality of the drinks sold by the bars, restaurant and hotels on Gili Trawangan. The Association involves island authorities, local residents and businesses in Gili Trawangan who will work with government agencies such as the Department of Tourism, BPOM, and police to control the sales of alcohol and drugs on the island.
Restaurants, bars and hotels which adhere to the rules of the association will display this sticker (below) confirming that the business sells controlled alcohol purchased from authorized suppliers and does not sell drugs, arak or any illegally brewed alcohol.
If you or one of your friends thinks they may have consumed methanol, here are some signs, symptoms and the recommended treatment while you wait for medical services.
Seek medical attention immediately.
Your hangover gradually gets worse, not better. Do not attempt to sleep it off on your own, have someone stay in the room with you who has not been drinking.
Signs of Methanol poisoning include all or some of the following:
.Vomiting
.Diarrhea or abdominal pain (severe)
.Headache (severe)
.Low Blood Pressure
.Dizziness or Disorientation
.Blush-coloured lips & fingernails
.Agitated Behavior
.Blurred Vision or Blindness
.Breathing Difficulties
.Convulsion or Seizures
.Coma
.DEATH !!
Treatment:
Seek medical attention immediately
Tell them you suspect “Methanol Poisoning”
DRINK A GENUINE HIGH QUALITY ALCOHOLIC SPIRIT (YES!! It sounds crazy but it’s true.) The ethanol in the genuine spirit will delay the processing by your body of the methanol already consumed. This will buy you some time before proper medical attention is received.
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3. Always carry a copy of your passport and immigration arrival card with you and keep the original in a safe place. It is illegal not to carry photo I.D. as a foreigner in Indonesia. Do not give your original passport as deposit for anything, a photocopy is enough for a deposit.
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4. Bring your international driving license if you intend to rent a motorcycle/scooter or car. Having an international license also helps to prevent the police from giving you unnecessary and unregulated fines in Bali. When riding a scooter/motorcycle ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!! Yes it’s hot and you will sweat, a lot, it will mess up your hair style but it’s better than facial reconstructive surgery and the resulting heart bypass operation once you see the bill. Nearly all travel insurance is void if you do not wear a helmet.
5. Indonesia is a predominantly a Muslim country and nudity is frowned upon. Please keep your bikinis for the beach. Once you stray from the beach, even to buy food and drink, it is considered very impolite not to cover up. Topless sunbathing is not accepted nor is the G-string style bikini bottoms. Do not walk around the village or back roads of Gili Trawangan in bikinis, you will cause offence to the locals and may attract unwanted attention from the local boys. There are small signs displayed warning you of this, please pay attention to them. Respect the locals and their customs and they will respect you back, it’s that simple.
6. Do not try and swim across the channels between the Gili Islands. The currents are deceptively strong. Even at slack tide there is a lot of water movement due to the shape of the ocean floor 30+ metres deep in these channels. People have died attempting this, do not risk it. If you can’t swim, Gili Trawangan is not the place to try and learn, stick to paddling in shallow water instead.
7. As there are no permanent police on Gili Trawangan, any crime, fighting or disputes are handled by Island Security. A private firm employed by the head of the island. Report any burglaries, sexual harassment or suspicious behavior to them as soon as possible. They have the power to stop all boats leaving the island, search people to recover stolen property and call the Lombok police to get involved. However, they prefer humiliation island style. If a thief is caught on the island the offender/s will be paraded, throughout the day, around the islands main streets wearing a placard around their neck with the particulars of the offence they got caught doing written on it, for all to see. Once they have recovered slightly from the almost certain beating, they will be sent on a boat back to Bali/Lombok and be given a lifetime ban from the Gili Islands.
8. We advise all females to exercise extreme caution when going home at night. Bali is especially dangerous after dark for scantily clad single drunken females to be walking around alone, just as it is in your own home town. If you are walking home or taking a taxi, do so in pairs, sit in the back seats and make a note or take a photo of the driver and number or ID card that must be on display in the cab by law. If there is no driver ID on display, get out of the cab and get another. Even call someone and speak the driver number out loud so the driver knows you are aware of the potential dangers. Do not attempt to ride a motorcycle, drive a car, or ride a bicycle when drunk. Accidents will happen and the medical bills for foreigners in Indonesia are excessive. You will also have to pay over the odds for any damage you caused to the vehicle. Nearly all travel insurance is void if you are drunk in charge of a vehicle.
WE HOPE YOU HAVE A PLEASANT STAY IN THIS FRIENDLY AND BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.
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