Will there be a volcanic eruption in Bali? An awakened volcano in Bali - how dangerous is it? Active volcanoes in Bali

All new updates are at the end of the article

In Bali, the Agung volcano awoke in September. The highest point of the island and the most revered mountain by the Balinese: for them this volcano is sacred. And this volcano - however, has always been active, so of course it is not entirely accurate to say about it that it has woken up. But it seems like it sounds more significant? :-)

One way or another, the magma inside the volcano is making its way higher and higher, and the area around the volcano is regularly shaking (the other day there was the strongest earthquake, just over 4 according to Richter). And although no one can predict the date of the eruptions (even with an accuracy of up to a month), the activity inside the volcano increases so regularly that anything can happen at any moment. About a week ago, villages living on the slopes of the volcano began to be evacuated. The local Ministry of Emergency Situations declared the area within a radius of 12 km from the volcano dangerous for visiting. (Upd. for December: eruptions have begun, but not large ones, everyone is waiting for larger ones).

News sites around the world have blown this situation out of proportion (almost to headlines like “Agung eruption is the beginning of the end of the world”). Nowadays you can’t even log into Facebook without Agung FM starting there :-)

Until the last moment, I had no intention of writing anything about Agung on the blog (enough with announcements on social networks). But then I realized that it is still very difficult for a normal person to understand all this non-informational confusion. May God grant the 1% adequate information without panic. I myself have understood the topic of volcanoes so much today that just a little more and I can apply to study to become a volcanologist. (Joke)

But jokes aside, in this article I tell you in detail how things are going with the awakened volcano in Bali. Here is everything you need to know about Agung in general and about volcanoes in general. The information is supported by authoritative sources, but by the way, those who read this blog already know about my meticulousness in terms of information :-)

Add new information to the end as soon as it appears. Also at the end there will be official and various other sources whose opinions you can trust. Here we go!

There are more than 100 active volcanoes in Indonesia

For the uninitiated, any mention of the words volcano and eruption in the same sentence automatically means panic. For someone living in Indonesia (and neighboring countries close to the Ring of Fire, that is, the Pacific volcanic ring of fire) volcanoes are almost an ordinary phenomenon. Along the perimeter of the ring there are more than 300 volcanoes (almost half of them in Indonesia), each of which erupts from time to time, causing earthquakes or tsunamis. Scary? Yes, but in moderation.

It was a small piece of history to at least understand how it was then. (By the way, in addition to 1963, there is also evidence that Agung also erupted in the following years: 1843, 1821?, 1808)

Below is a video about how it all looked in 1963. An interesting note is that the majority of people died because, instead of evacuating, they considered it necessary to continue praying to the gods and doing ceremonies, appeasing the spirits of the volcano. In this sad sense #balitakoybali!

A volcanic eruption is not always a one-time attraction

The photo above is of Sinabung Volcano in Sumatra (another island in Indonesia), which has been erupting since 2015, for example. And so he decided to give it away again. The photo is just fresh, literally taken the other day :-) This volcano either subsides or erupts again. Who knows what our Agung will decide to do with you?

The hardest thing about the whole volcano situation (besides the fact that no one knows when it will happen) is that no one knows how long it will all last.

For clarity, I’ll give you this table with world statistics. In the left column is the duration of the eruption, in the right what percentage of eruptions occur during this duration. For example, only 10% of volcanoes “erupted” in a day and calmed down. And a full third of volcanoes erupted within 6 months. I gave an example of how this happens and how processes are extended over time in the case of the eruption of the 60s.

Source: http://www.volcanolive.com

What should tourists do?

First: turn off panic mode and follow official announcements.

Second: use trusted sources of information and watch less TV and read the yellow press. Because those guys’ task is to increase viewing/reading ratings, and not to provide verified information or educate people. I will write more about verified sources below.

Third . The island (and country) is preparing for the possible consequences. Yes, Indonesia is certainly not western world and here everything is a little different from one place, but if there was a real risk of threat to the entire island, tourists would have been evacuated long ago. But they are not evacuated and the local Ministry of Emergency Situations constantly reminds that if you are in the tourist south and do not climb to the volcano itself, then there is no danger. Therefore, if you are already in Bali or just planning to, just finish reading the article to understand all the risks and calmly continue your vacation.

Fourth. On this moment the airport is functioning, planes are flying and arriving. No one closed it in September and October, but UPD closed it for several days in December. For information: there is also a classification for airports in terms of danger in the event of an eruption. (For airplane engines, volcanic ash entering the engine is dangerous.) The aviation hazard classification levels are: green-yellow-orange-red. Now the level is orange (raised on September 26), which, as in the case of a traffic light, means “attention”. Red is when flights are prohibited due to volcanic ash in the air. Now there is no ash, because there is no eruption itself. Therefore, until there is an eruption, flights will not be canceled. And as you understand, since there is no date for the eruption, it means no one has information about whether your flight to Bali, which will take place, say, in 2 weeks, will be canceled (yes, everyone asks each other these questions all the time, but no one has an answer to they cannot exist). What to do? Check the information closer to departure to see what status the airport is in; if it’s in red, it means it’s closed. If you switched to yellow/green again, then you can generally relax. Your airline knows this information for sure; it’s better to find out there.

By the way, what will happen if the airport is closed? Now (again official information) many other airports in Indonesia will be ready to receive tourists if landing in Bali is impossible. Of course, getting to another Indonesian island rather than Bali is hardly a solution to your vacation problem, but at least you don’t have to worry about landing somewhere :-) Between the islands there is bus service(not the best), and from Lombok you can get there by fast boat. Boats to East Java also take one and a half to two hours. I think there will be options.

Fifth, if you are wondering whether or not to cancel your trip to Bali, then no one here except you will answer this question. If I had tickets in hand and was faced with such a choice, I would not cancel anything. But I am me. I'm not an alarmist and if necessary I'm a bit of a fatalist. And most importantly, I studied enough information to know all the possible risks (and I know that there are not so many of them). But if you understand that you won’t be able to rest peacefully, thinking about the volcano every day and that in Bali you will clutch your heart and drink valerian, then why expose yourself to such stress? Even if you lose money for a non-returned ticket, why torture yourself. I am writing this seriously. Your (nervous) health is more important than any money. Study the information (this article will help you) and act as your intuition tells you. We all know those wonderful situations when for some reason a person missed a plane, and the plane crashed and everyone died. Perhaps your intuition knows better?

Sixth, if you haven’t bought tickets to Bali yet, you might want to wait until the situation is resolved and not buy them. What should you expect? Transferring the status of a volcano (not an airport) to another status. Currently the status is red AWAS/Danger. If they change it to orange, it means the risk of an eruption has been temporarily removed. Yellow and green mean that you can generally relax. Status information can be viewed on the Magma Indonesia website (map) or in the phone application with the same name.

Seventh.

I myself (like many other expats) are now in Bali, we don’t plan to “escape” anywhere and just continue to live a normal life, monitoring the activity of the volcano via a webcam :)

Will we be covered in ash and will we suffocate from gases? Or not? Everyone is afraid of the volcano, but what I’m most afraid of is human stupidity, people’s inability to think in panic mode and, most importantly, the reluctance to go and get acquainted with the information before turning on this very panic. When I write something on social networks on the topic of “stop panicking,” I am usually accused (openly or behind the scenes) of being too frivolous about the situation. But for some reason, no one who considers himself so “serious” went and educated himself about volcanoes. How everything happens, what are the risks, what is dangerous and what is not, how other eruptions occurred. You should read this not on news sites, but on the sites of volcanologists explaining the reasons for the action of volcanoes. On the websites of the Ministry of Emergency Situations(especially countries in the ring of fire area, here these volcanoes occur constantly and emergency procedures have already been developed). But usually, the less a person knows, the more nonsense he continues to share on Facebook, reposting the results of other people’s panic attacks.

For example, the biggest panic attack of expats living in Bali was about what gas mask to buy and at what point to put them on so as not to die from toxic gases. It's not even funny. This is the idiocy of the tenth level. People spent hours on these discussions, but no one went and read about how these gases are a real danger for people located 50 km from the volcano. Even Furthermore. The other day, someone posted a link to an online store where we urgently needed to run to buy special masks, which are the only ones that will save us from death.

I went to the website of the mask manufacturer and read: for occupational hazzards. And I realized that the only people who are worse than people who create panic out of nowhere are people who are not able to learn any language other than their native one, while living abroad :-) So for these people I would like to separately explain that these masks are made for those whose work/profession is related to volcanic activity. That is, those who hang out at the crater of the volcano and monitor its activity, those who will work as rescuers or are simply at risk during / after the eruption, etc. In the instructions for the masks, just in case, it is even highlighted in bold and red that these are not masks for the general public, that is, not for the population. But only for those whose work (=occupation) is associated with danger (=hazzards).

Let me explain. Dying from the toxic exhaust of the Agung volcano while in your villa in Seminyak will be quite difficult. There are more chances of slipping on the side of the pool and hitting your head :-) Because if you are not at the prohibited distance of 12 km from the crater, then toxic gases will not happen to you. And masks are needed for completely different reasons, but more on that below.

The next point I want to draw attention to is that people confuse everything. Lava and flows (pyroclastic) are dangerous, but God forbid they will crawl 5-10 km from the volcano. Above I gave the distances of tourist areas from the Agung crater. We also found out about gases that they won’t go far.

About ashes and masks

The only thing that remains is volcanic ash. Scary scary ash. Which will cover the earth and we will all die. Ash, yes, can fly very far, and the larger the eruption, the more ash. But in order for the ash to be a real inconvenience and danger, you either need to be right next to the volcano, or if a very large explosive eruption occurs and the wind blows in the direction where the tourist south is located.

The most important thing we need to know right now is that ashes are NOT toxic. I’ll tell you even more: volcanic ash contains natural fertilizers (and you think why there is such green and active vegetation around the Agung volcano, all thanks to how it was fertilized in the 60s). And I'm not kidding. Volcanic ash = fertilizer. Yes and much more. If you now go to the site iHerb.com, beloved by many, and type volcanic ash in the search, you will see a lot of products containing something volcanic - face masks, ash soap, etc.

(For those who don’t believe me that ash is not dangerous, here is an official document from New Zealand (they also know a lot about volcanoes), confirming this information.)

Ash poses dangers in entirely different ways that can be partially or completely avoided. For example, in terms of “inhaling” ash, the risk is similar to if you inhale dust. It will be very difficult for asthmatics; everyone else will feel very uncomfortable. Ash is not cleared from the lungs, so masks will be needed to protect the throat from ash (=dust), and not to save yourself from toxic poisoning. Therefore, you don't need a gas mask, you need a good thick mask that will stop ash particles from entering your lungs.

The same with the eyes, imagine you are caught in a dust storm (or at a kitespot, where the wind (and sand along with it) blows 30 m/s and you are lying on the beach sunbathing) - all this will be in your eyes. You need a mask/goggles to protect your eyes.

At the moment (upd. mid-December) none of the emissions from the Agung volcano carried ash either to Ubud or to the tourist south. Those who rushed to buy masks most likely never unpacked them.

That is, it’s a good idea to have a mask and it’s a good idea to consider whether your home is airtight enough if ash does blow in your direction. Well, that is, if you have these ventilation windows in your house, as in all houses in Bali, you should think about what you will use to close them if something happens. Since in the event of heavy ash fall in some areas, it is recommended that at first you simply “lock up” the house and wait until everything at least settles. Again, IF THIS EVEN HAPPENS.

If you're asking yourself what type of mask you need and what it might look like if volcanic ash falls, it's something like this:

Photo from the Internet from the eruption in Chile. NOT FROM BALI :-)

Other risks with ashes. If you are close to a volcano and there is a lot of ash, it will cover everything with an even layer (sometimes very thick), from which, for example, the roof can collapse and drown you. And the roofs will need to be cleaned of ash. But ironically, there are statistics that some of the deaths after a volcanic eruption occur because a person climbed onto the roof to clean it, fell from the roof and broke his neck. That is, you never know where the end awaits you :-)

Don't forget about the wind

In the case of the amount of ash, no one can predict anything. On the positive side: it is now the rainy season and the wind usually blows from the west, which means that all the ashes will not be blown away in Bali, but on the contrary from Bali towards Lombok and the Lombok Strait. But if the wind changes to the one that blows during the dry season, then oh-oh-oh it will be carried from the volcano towards the tourist south.

But no one can tell you now how much ash there will be, how much it will cover you in your particular hotel. If you are not ready to take the risk, it is better not to go to Bali yet.

UPD. Let me clarify once again that as of today, December 14, no ash has been observed or observed in the tourist south at all. And in general, the life of tourists has not changed at all, except that now the ascent to the Agung volcano had to be postponed until better times. But at the same time, the Batur volcano remains, on.

The procedure to follow if a massive eruption occurs and the ash does come to the south, where expats live and tourists vacation:

Here are the instructions from BNPB (Indonesian Ministry of Emergency Situations), translated by Mikhail Tsyganov(our local Indonesia specialist).

It concerns exactly what to do with the ashes that will cover us :-) In a nutshell, it all comes down to the fact that you need to seal your house from ash-dust and, if possible, wait inside the house until the ashes settle. This way there will be less contact with the ashes. At some point, the ashes will settle and then it will be safer to go outside.

1. Immediately close all windows and doors and block ventilation ducts.
2. Turn off the air conditioners, go to enclosed spaces that are located ABOVE the ground.
3. Seal openings in door jambs with damp towels.
4. When going outside, wear long sleeves and long pants, use masks and glasses (not contact lenses)
5. Ash is especially dangerous for those suffering from respiratory diseases and children, so it is better for them to stay indoors at all times.
6. After an explosion, try not to travel to areas of the heaviest ash fall.
7. If necessary, clear ash from house roofs as its weight can cause collapses.
8. Help your friends, neighbors and animals.

I’ll add from myself:

• If you don’t have a mask and ashes are falling out, you can simply soak a rag in water and wrap your face with it. Ashes should not get into the respiratory tract or on the eyes. Skin allergies can also occur.
• Ash poses a danger to all electronic gadgets; they should be covered with film or something else, especially if they are outdoors (for example, an air conditioner or a washing machine).
• In addition, earthquakes are possible; in the event of strong tremors, on the contrary, you should not be indoors (in this case it is better to be in the ashes than to die under a collapsed house). Well, in the event of strong earthquakes, you should unplug all electronics from the sockets.
• Remember about animals, it is better to keep them indoors.

Airport closures are a major inconvenience during an eruption

Apart from the ash, which may or may not blow up the whole of Bali, the most important inconvenience that a volcanic eruption can cause is airport closures or flight restrictions.

For example, at the beginning of December, some flights were initially canceled - towards Australia - since the ash was blowing in the direction where the plane from Bali to Australia was supposed to fly. A little later, the airport was closed altogether for three days. Then they opened it again and flights resumed.

What happens if the airport in Bali is closed? Your airline will either fly you to another airport in Indonesia on the neighboring islands and then take you by land and water to Bali, or offer you to rebook your ticket for other dates or even refund your money. Everything will be at the discretion of your airline, but according to the experience of December, many airlines willingly returned the money and changed the dates or directions of departure (for example, instead of Bali, to go to Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines).

That is, hypothetically, you will not get stuck in Bali itself or on the way to it if the airport is closed. In fact, I will tell you that the last thing you want on your vacation is to take a plane ride to Bali or sit for hours or days at the airport on a layover, waiting for your airline to come up with your option to get to Bali.

At the moment, there are three main airports that will accept Balinese planes if the airport is closed (let me remind you that it is currently open, information from December 14): this is the airport on the island of Lombok and two airports on the island of Java - this is Surabaya ) and Jakarta.

The road trip from Lombok to Bali takes about 8 hours. There may be more as there are sometimes queues for the ferries that run between Lombok and Bali. As a life hack, it is easier to get there by speedboat as it takes 2.5 hours instead of the 5 hours that the ferry takes. Whether these boats will sail or not will need to be found out as they go. By the way, if there is a lot of ash, then most likely Lombok airport will also be closed.

Getting from Java is hell multiplied by ten :-) In normal, non-traffic mode, the journey to Surabaya by car takes 12-13 hours. Based on the experience of the previous closure of the airport in Bali, there were traffic jams + a lot of people wanting to leave, as a result, people spent 15-16 hours on the bus to Surabaya. Jakarta is even further away. It takes a day to get there by car, and I think even longer by bus. In general, both of these travel options will not bring you joy at all. It’s better to wait it out and not fly to/from Bali while the airport is closed.

And most importantly, you need to be prepared for the fact that the airport may be closed again in the coming months. A major eruption has not yet occurred and is about to occur.

Summary. Should I fly or not to Bali?

If you've read this article and still can't decide whether to fly to Bali or not, then I would say don't fly or plan a vacation to Bali in the coming months. Why so categorical? Because, it seems to me, if you are embarrassed by the idea of ​​​​flying to an island with an active volcano, then why force yourself. If you feverishly check the news every day and think that something bad will happen on your trip, and you are also extremely afraid of eruptions and tsunamis, and will jump on the spot from every shock, then you should probably postpone your trip to Bali.

If you have read this article, you already have a ticket and you have the feeling that it is quite safe to fly to Bali, then I will support you on this - if I were you, I would not cancel any trips. Grab yourself a mask, check with your airline that they have not canceled flights and welcome to the island!

If you were thinking of flying to Bali in March-April and want to know whether it will be safe then, then I must upset you: it is unknown when a major eruption will happen. Re-read the history of the 60s. There, eruptions occurred several weeks and months apart.

In general, guys, I have provided you with a huge amount of information about volcanoes and the situation with Agung. But I can't make a decision for you.

And finally. Helping local villages around the volcano

While we all (tourists and expats) are worrying in vain about the ash and toxicity of the volcano’s exhaust, the locals are already experiencing real trouble, who were quickly evacuated from their villages located on the slope of the volcano. Yes, it seems great that they were evacuated and their lives are not in danger. But now they are all in temporary tent camps, many have already been waiting for almost a week. They are waiting for something to happen and it becomes clear what will happen to them next. After all, for now they stupidly cannot return home and how long they will not be able to do so is also unclear.

These people will live in evacuation camps until the volcano erupts or the danger status is lifted. These people have a hard time, so against the backdrop of our problems, “should I cancel my vacation to Bali” - these are really real problems. Imagine, you were pulled out of your apartment, taken far away, given a mattress in the gym among crowds of others just like you said, wait for new orders.

The government and local NGOs are doing their best to collect donations and all kinds of help. From various sources I have seen information that at least people are more or less provided with mattresses and food, but you yourself understand how minimal this is. And how long will it last? We may have to wait a long time for the eruption.

In general, if you want to participate, there are guys like these who collect donations in an organized manner.

Well, or at least show respect for the grief of other people, stop panicking in the “what about my trip to Bali” mode. As I wrote above, if you have tickets in hand, study the information and make your informed decision. If there are no tickets, then perhaps you should wait for the situation to develop. Imagine, if an eruption does happen, the government would rather spend energy and money on the locals than on dealing with the panic of tourists and allocating ships-trains-parades to transport you from one island to another if they close airport.

PR service of BNPB (Ministry of Emergency Situations) on Twitter (constant updates):

In Indonesia, on the island of Bali, the sacred volcano Agung has awakened. The island's airport was temporarily closed and 450 flights were cancelled. Locals consider the volcano sacred and pray when it wakes up.

Volcano Agung on the island of Bali in Indonesia is in its active phase. On June 27, it began throwing ash to a height of 2.5 kilometers within a radius of four kilometers. By June 29, the eruption became stronger, and Indonesian authorities decided to close the main airport. In addition to it, two small air harbors that operated domestic flights in Bali suspended their activities.

“The Ngurah Rai International Airport is closed on June 29 from 03:00 to 19:00 (from 22:00 Moscow time on Thursday to 14:00 Moscow time on Friday) due to the ash of the Agung volcano,” they wrote on official airport Twitter page.

450 flights were canceled in Bali, affecting almost 75 thousand people. A four-kilometer security zone was organized around the volcano. About 300 people were evacuated from the disaster zone. Bali is the most popular island Indonesia among Russians. At the end of 2017 alone, almost 100 thousand of our compatriots visited it.

The Federal Tourism Agency reported the eruption of Mount Agung and urged Russians to take this information into account. " Federal agency The Ministry of Tourism recommends that Russian tourists who are in Bali, as well as those planning a trip to the island in the coming days, take into account the information about the temporary closure of Ngurah Rai airport, follow messages from local authorities and confirm departure dates with tour operators,” the Federal Tourism Agency said in a statement. .

The department reported that it is in touch with the situational crisis center of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Indonesia. At the moment, requests from Russian tourists not received.

The airport in Indonesia opened on June 29. “The island authorities recommend that all vacationers pay close attention to official information from hotel management and request the necessary information on airport operations and flight schedules. Tourists whose flights were canceled due to the activity of Mount Agung will be offered special prices to stay in hotels in Bali,” the press service of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism told Interfax.

Uncharacteristic disasters

A local resident and founder of the BaliStalker project AlexStalker told “360” that he is located at a distance of 40-50 kilometers from the Agung volcano. The eruption began on June 28 and is still ongoing, with only some interruptions. “Flights were suspended for some time, but now flights have been restored,” he noted.

Volcanoes erupt almost every day in Indonesia, so you can rest easy

AlexStalker local.

The interlocutor said that periodic activity of the volcano was recorded back in November 2017. But what is happening on the island now cannot be called an eruption. “At the moment there are only emissions of ash and smoke,” said a local resident. He clarified that there is no danger of staying on the island.

“For safety reasons, you should stay no closer than 15 kilometers from the crater itself, from where you can enjoy the wonderful spectacle provided to us by our wonderful planet,” the interlocutor said.

“Agung has awakened in Bali, and it immediately becomes clear why the Balinese revered him as the most important shrine on the island. The true ruler of the island! Manku Jati regarding the Agung eruption said that they prayed all night. On the island everyone is discussing the awakening of the volcano; the airport was closed at night. But, unlike the eruption in November last year, everyone is calm and continues to lead normal lives,” he captioned the photo.

There were no casualties, no panic, everything was quiet and calm, just smoking

Anna Sinyavskayalocal resident.

Bali resident Anna Sinyavskaya told “360” that such disasters occur due to rains that are uncharacteristic for the summer period. “A lot of water got into the crater of the volcano, which is why it started smoking,” she said.

Flights were indeed canceled on the island - passengers could neither fly nor fly to the island. The interlocutor noted that the last time, in November 2017, the eruption was much larger.

Deadly Volcano

At the end of November 2017, the Agung volcano, which locals consider sacred, also showed activity. The danger level was so high that the country's authorities evacuated about 100 thousand people. Then dark smoke and ash rose to a height of 3.4 kilometers above the top of the volcano. In its past activity, the volcano even spewed flames.

Ngurah Rai Airport was also closed in November. Thousands of tourists, 300 of whom were Russians, could not leave the resort. Among them was also Russian producer Maxim Fadeev.

However, the deadliest eruption occurred in 1963. Then the highest point of Bali was the life of 1.6 thousand people, and 220 thousand had to temporarily leave their homes.

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Located in the eastern part of Bali, Volcano Agung is a very revered and significant place for Indonesians. The local population calls Mount Agung sacred and considers it one of the most important attractions in Indonesia. Every year thousands of tourists came to the foot of the volcano to admire the natural beauty and get in touch with the mystery that shrouds this place. This was the case until September 2017, when seismologists recorded strong tremors at the foot of the mountain.

Eruption of Mount Agung

People on duty at the observation post witnessed the release of a steam plume on September 29, 2017. However, no ash clouds were observed. Exactly the same plume of steam was noticed 3 weeks later. At the foot of the mountain at this time, 1052 tremors were recorded.

On November 21, 2017, the Indonesian disaster management agency issued a volcanic warning level four. This level indicated that a volcanic explosion could occur in the very near future. At the same time, at the end of November 2017, none of the experts could confidently name the exact date of the volcanic eruption.

Seismologists recorded the eruption of Mount Agung on November 21. On this day, volcanic ash rose to a height of approximately 700 meters from the crater. On November 27, the eruption repeated. Above sacred mountain The smoke column rose to a height of 4000 meters from the crater. In connection with this, the eruption was assigned a maximum level of danger.

Indonesians living within a 7.5 km radius of Mount Agung were urgently evacuated. People were given special breathing masks. Some villages located in close proximity to the volcano were covered with a layer of ash. Despite the current situation, the authorities were unable to force some local residents to urgently leave their homes. People did not want to leave their pets unattended and evacuate to more safe places for life.

But after the tallest smoke plume was recorded over the Bali volcano on November 27, seismologists have come to the general conclusion that a larger volcanic eruption, which could occur in the very near future, is almost inevitable.

In November 2017, approximately 40,000 Indonesians fled their homes that were in close proximity to the volcano. They set up temporary camps after an exclusion zone was established around the sacred Mount Agung, the length of which, according to various sources, reaches 10-12 km.

Fire flashes over the Agung volcano on the island of Bali were observed at night. The Indonesian Disaster Prevention Agency has made statements that it is very dangerous to be in the exclusion zone. Villages located within a radius of up to 10 km were covered with a dense layer of thick ash, which made visibility very difficult. The evacuation of people continued constantly.

The sky above the volcano was covered with clouds of ash. Ash thrown into the air is known to cause damage to aircraft engines. Due to the current conditions, dozens of flights were canceled every day.

The chronology of events taking place on the island of Bali has been compiled from September 2017 to the present:

1. Late September 2017: a deep crack, about 80 m long, was formed in the crater of the volcano. Experts calculated that there may be about 15 million m³ of magma inside the volcano, which moves towards the crater, but cannot find a way out.
2. Early October 2017: for 2 weeks, earthquakes regularly occur near the volcano, which indicate that magma cannot escape, breaking through the interfering solidified lava.
3. November 27, 2017: seismologists set danger level 4; a magma eruption is expected any day now. Ngurah Rai Airport is closed due to the current situation. The volcano smokes and releases huge columns of ash. Lava eruptions are observed at night.
4. November 30, 2017: a column of light gray ash appeared above the crater. In the afternoon, the amount of ash emissions decreased significantly. The airport has resumed its operations.
5. Early December 2017: there are no visual signs of volcanic activity; transparent water vapor periodically appears, spreading over a distance of up to 1.5 km.
6. Mid-December 2017: experts noted a sharp reduction in harmful emissions, the height of the ash column decreased to 500-1000 m. Seismologists reduced the danger level to two.
7. End of December 2017 – mid-January 2018: most At the time of day, the volcano is in a calm state, but sometimes ash columns are released, 2-3 thousand meters high.
8. Mid-February 2018: the situation continues to remain calm, and therefore local authorities allowed Indonesians to return to their homes.
9. March 2018: after a relative calm that lasted several months, the volcano began to be active again.

Agung's last eruption occurred in 1963. The natural disaster claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people.

Actual news

On March 15, the following news came from the island of Bali: at the moment, the Indonesian Disaster Prevention Agency has again recorded a small eruption of Mount Agung. Grayish smoke appeared from the crater of the volcano; the maximum height of the smoke column was approximately 700 m.

Authorities urge local residents not to lose calm and not succumb to general panic. The exclusion zone currently reaches 6-7.5 km.

According to Indonesia's chief seismologist, there are many examples in which the peak of volcanic activity lasted for 6 years. A large-scale eruption, destroying everything in its path, may ultimately not exist at all. At the expiration of specified period the activity of tremors gradually begins to subside.

Is it possible to fly on vacation?

Due to latest news The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a special warning for tourists who are currently in Bali. According to this warning, if ash clouds appear from the crater of a volcano, before leaving for the airport, the tourist must coordinate departure from the country with his travel agent or airline representatives.

Russian citizens are urged to temporarily refrain from traveling to Bali Russian embassy in Indonesia.

Volcano Batur

The highest point of another famous volcano in Bali, called Batur, is located at an altitude of 1717 m above sea level. Batur has three craters that periodically emit small bursts of grayish smoke and ash, and tremors can be felt at the base of the volcano. The top of the volcano is covered with dark spots. These are traces of solidified lava that remained after destructive volcanic eruptions that date back to 1917, 1926-1929, 1947 and 2000.

In 2000, the smoke column rose 300 m above the crater. There was no serious damage, but the Indonesians were very alarmed by the activity of the volcano, because until that moment no eruptions had been observed for half a century. Seismic activity was recorded by specialists in the fall of 2009. For several months, there was an increase in volcanic activity, but by the summer of 2010, seismologists made a statement that an eruption of the Batur volcano was not expected in the near future.

Indonesians use numerous rituals to appease the spirits of Mount Batur. The territory in which it is located is very revered by local residents. No wonder they built along its perimeter a large number of temples. To avoid volcanic activity, Indonesians held a special ceremony. The people sewed a large sarong and wrapped it around Mount Batur. They prayed at the foot of the volcano and came to him with offerings.

Climbing volcanoes

Does not require any specific preparation. However, it is not recommended to climb to heights on your own. Before you start climbing, you need to find an experienced guide. You can climb the Batur volcano within two hours, making several stops along the way for a short rest and a snack.

Guides accompanying tourists to the volcano crater must have a walkie-talkie with them in order to signal for help if necessary. These people are well versed in the area and know how to reach the volcano crater in the shortest possible way.

The main experience for which people strive to get to the top of the volcano is the sunrise. The sunrise seen in the crater of the volcano will remain in the memory for a long time, and the magnificent photographs taken in this place will leave the best memories of your trip to Bali.

The situation with the Agung volcano in Bali and is it safe on the island now?

The situation with the Agung volcano in Bali and is it safe on the island now?

You won't believe it, but I am grateful to the eruption of Mount Agung for cleansing the island! It became so deserted and atmospheric, the hellish traffic jams on narrow roads disappeared, hotels and car rentals dropped sharply. For example, in the east of Bali, in the Amed area, we lived next to the sea in a villa with a pool for 12 euros with breakfast for two. The photo shows a view from the terrace of our Bayu Cottages hotel overlooking the volcano. Maybe the Balinese themselves, in pursuit of money, will remember the spiritual, the most important thing, since Agung gave them such a pause. Now is the time to feel the pulsation of the island, its atmosphere, as in the pre-tourist era.

I was here exactly a year ago, in December 2016 - there were a lot of tourists, although it seemed to be out of season due to periodic rains... In tourist places there is a riotous lifestyle, money flows like a river, discos and carousing until the morning. In 2017, the picture changed dramatically... I have been on the island since November 30, and for two weeks it seemed to be extinct... The media did their job - they exaggerated the danger as best they could, they lied about the evacuation of tourists, that everyone here was covered with ashes, and will soon be covered with lava 🌋


Flying from Montenegro to Bali, I knew that the plane to Denpasar would be canceled due to ash, as the wind was blowing towards the airport. During the flight to Jakarta on board the Turkish, I learned that it was finally opening. This was a sign over 0 everything will be fine! The next morning we landed on the Paradise Island, .


Do you know why I didn’t trust the media? Since I myself live in tourist Montenegro, I’m tired of their lies... For example, because of joining NATO, Montenegrins suddenly fell out of love with Russians, they show hostility, that visas will soon be introduced and it is unclear what will happen to their real estate. Absolutely nothing has changed! You need to turn on your brain, and not watch TV, or read me, I immediately write a post on all current topics. The second theme of summer 2017 is fires in Montenegro. Allegedly the whole country is on fire, tourists have been evacuated, it’s dangerous to rest - that’s what they said Russian media. Can you imagine the flow of questions and panic from tourists I endured every day? Yes, the Lustica peninsula really burned for 2 months due to 40-degree heat and winds, as did in some places the district of Bar and northern regions. But not the resorts of the country!


Therefore, my reaction to the panic of my friends before our flight to Bali ranged from laughter to nerves. All the 17 days that I have been here and will be 13 more, the air is clean, I have not been covered in ash, the sea and ocean are warm, food and housing are cheap. The volcano no longer exhibits aggressive eruptions. And only Agung knows what will happen to him next. Anyone interested in the topic of volcanoes in Indonesia, namely they created the country and there are about a hundred active here, should read Mikhail Tsygankov, here. And even a volcanologist won’t tell you whether everything has gone downhill or vice versa. For example, at night there was an earthquake off the ocean coast and in West Java - 7.3 and 6.9 on the Richter scale. This is a huge neighboring island, incomparable to Bali. Our volcano Agung reacted a little and there were even small earthquakes in the evening, but I didn’t feel it, although I live in this area. You can see the ring of fire with volcanoes and tremors. Photo of Agung at sunset is alien, our days, after the eruptions in November, part of the top broke off and fell into the crater

I advise you to relax and live a normal life, as the Balinese do


They fish, sow rice, collect mangoes and rambutans

If you are going to new year holidays to Bali, you don’t know whether to fly or return tickets - I would fly. By the way, for last days I saw a sharp increase in tourists in Ubud, which means the panic has passed. The Indonesian authorities assure that it is now safe to vacation in Bali, especially in the south of the country, where the main resorts and large hotels are, and the distance from Agung is at least 70 km.


Only local residents were evacuated for 12 km, building tent cities. It's not far from mountain village Besakih, who was evacuated. I took a photo the other day


The map shows the northeast of Bali and the area around the volcano, which is now in the danger zone, where the color is red - people have been evacuated. I rested in the south in Canggu, in Ubud in the center of the island (they are not on the map), then - to the right of yellow color, now on the left. Indeed, there are abandoned villages, a feeling of Balinese Chernobyl, but this is temporary, and this is not a mass tourism area, why should you worry?

There are signs where there is a danger zone in Bali. But entry is free


We went to a similar place - to the Besakih temple at an altitude of 1 km on the southern side of Agung - to the most important and largest in Bali. This magical place, shrouded in gray clouds, greeted us with a downpour. But we calmly leave our comfort zone, having fun everywhere. The atmosphere here is indescribable, you can feel the place being prayed for, although I am not a fan of other people’s religious buildings, but Besakih made an impression


By the way, during the last eruptions of Agung in 1963-1964, the temple remained undamaged and the lava passed a few meters from the buildings. The Balinese considered it a miracle! And when visiting any temples, men and women need to wear a sarong; you can buy it everywhere. Or tie the pareo around your waist.


Since this is an evacuation zone, there were only a few people there - and those locals were trying to make money by renting an umbrella, selling coffee, water, and even extorted an entrance fee, although they were not ticket takers 😉 But we are callous, we don’t respect extortionists... Feel the atmosphere of the place in the video

By the way, now the entrance to Besakih is really free, so do not give in to the provocations of the locals, and this is the only temple open to believers of any caste, of any social affiliation

The second temple overlooking the volcano is Pura Penataran Agung Lempuyang. It is part of the huge Pura Lempuyang temple; if you wish, you can walk from the lower temple to the upper one through the jungle and more than 1,700 steps (the trail is described) is one of the canonical 6 most important temples in Bali. I advise you to go here early in the morning, we were there at 7, since we lived nearby Lipah beach. And then the volcano is shrouded in clouds...


The split gate of Chandi Bentar symbolizes the balance of forces in the universe, nature, life 🙏🌍 One half is good, the other is evil, they are the founders of the energy of the Universe 🗺 We didn’t walk around the multi-level temple, there was no time. And this shot was not easy for us - persistent guys were waiting at the parking lot, extorting a “donation” without offering a ticket in return, trying to physically not let us in, ruining the whole impression of the spiritual place and the Balinese people😐 They threatened us with the police, chased us, pulled my hands, but Andrei’s broad back quickly put the impudent man in his place 😂 Despite the momentary scandal, we quickly found this gate and this scoundrel did not touch the car either. I believe that the donation should be brought to the temple itself, and not to the extortionists on the corner 🙏 At 7 am there were already several tourists here, the girl even drew the temple gates, everyone took pictures of her notebook against the backdrop of the real Chandi Bentaryu. Volcano Agung opens up in all its splendor from here, and it’s not at all scary to look at it or be close, even when it spits a little 🌋

By the way, if a house in Bali is built according to local Feng Shui, then the bed in the bedroom will definitely have its head facing towards Agung. True, in our hotels it was not like this everywhere... Only now, when writing a post in a fishing village in the north of the island ✌ Thus, at night, among all the people sleeping correctly, the effect of group meditation is created 😇 That is, even those who do not even suspect it meditate 🤯 So At night, the general field of the island, your aura, is cleansed, and the vibration also increases - again the islands and your personal one.

To me, Agung with a light smoke on top seems a fascinating sight. It was the first time I lived with a view of a volcano, which frightened the whole world. One interesting fact— Balinese believe that Agung volcano is feminine😉 ⠀

Insurance in Bali - which is better?

If this is your first time flying to the island, the question will undoubtedly arise - Is insurance required in Bali? Of course, no one will check her at the airport; her health is your personal responsibility. But with a sudden change in climate, you may feel unwell, become allergic to some foods, do not forget that the water and food here are completely different, and this means stomach upsets. I was in Bali twice with friends, and everyone suffered from this problem... Indonesia is a country with natural disasters, volcanoes periodically erupt here, and we have arrived at this historical moment. If you want to travel around Bali on a bike, remember that the roads are terrible traffic, driving on the left and non-compliance with traffic rules. But the biggest danger is Dengue fever, you can play it safe by constantly protecting yourself from mosquito bites, but during the rainy season they can bite where you don’t expect it - in a restaurant or in a spa.

I would recommend buying insurance for Bali from a company. Their assistance in Russia is the company Mondial, the most reliable in the insurance industry, the main office is in Paris, it recently renamed Allianz Global Assistance. This is the only assistance with an “AA” rating by Standard & Poor’s, and it is the one that will save you on the island in insurance cases, as well as pay for your treatment. You can check the price of insurance in Bali in this form by entering the flight dates and the country of Indonesia.

During our 1-month vacation in Bali, our friend went to the Ubud hospital twice - either she fell off her bike, or her dog bit her 😫 Medicine in Bali is at a good level, they give all medications, write instructions for use, and accept them for free (at the expense of the insurance).

Video of Mount Agung erupting in Bali

Its height is 3142 m, and when it erupted at the end of November, the height of the ash and smoke was 4 km above it. I'll show you a couple of amateur videos from Russian guys who caught the spectacle

Someone even decided to go to the crater of the volcano, watch the video, it’s from December 13. Many who live on the island, and not on the other side of the TV screen, believe that the eruption of Agung is a beautiful, mysterious and terrifying event at the same time. I honestly really enjoy being in Bali at this historical moment and I don't feel anxious or in danger. Only sea, sun, fruits, travel! I wish the same for you!

Airplane ticket Moscow — Bali, price

The peak season in Bali is summer and New Year's holidays, then the price of air tickets is the highest. The best time to relax here is in spring and autumn; there is little rain, and there are fewer tourists than usual. As you can see from the prices for air tickets to Bali, prices are also lower at this time

In contact with

It is of great importance to local residents

Agung, the highest stratovolcano on the Indonesian island of Bali, ejected a column of ash and gas that rose to a height of two kilometers. The eruption has been assigned the third of four danger levels, and authorities are carrying out evacuations and prohibiting people from approaching the eruption site.

It is believed that Alung, unlike others located in this territory, erupted much less frequently during the time people lived in its vicinity. At the same time, it has a significant impact on the island - including its climate.

According to some reports, the legends of the island of Bali say that Alung is a copy of Meru - a sacred mountain in the cosmology of Hinduism and Buddhism, which is considered as the center of all material universes. In this regard, Alung itself is also perceived by the inhabitants of the island as sacred mountain. This is probably due to the fact that from the outside the volcano resembles a cone of an “ideal” shape. Its height is almost three kilometers, which makes it highest point islands.

The current eruption represents a manifestation of volcanic activity that has been observed since 2017. Previously, the volcano erupted in 1843, and then in 1963-1964, and the eruption recorded in 1963 is considered one of the most powerful in the history of Indonesia. The 2017 eruption was accompanied by tremors. The new episode, which sent a large amount of smoke and volcanic dust into the air, was captured on video. Due to the eruption international Airport Bali has canceled all incoming and outgoing flights, and authorities have banned both local residents, and tourists should approach the volcano closer than four kilometers.

A month ago, the Popocatepetl volcano erupted in Mexico, the appearance of which was dedicated to the Aztec legends.