Indonesia travel advice

On 25 October, a powerful 7.5 earthquake hit the Mentawai islands off the coast of Sumatra resulting in a tsunami which killed over 100 people. There have since been a series of powerful aftershocks in the area and difficult weather conditions are affecting the rescue effort.  You are advised to avoid the area.

Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta, started to erupt on 26 October. The mountain is now closed to climbers and people living within a six mile radius have been evacuated. There have been a number of fatalities. On 25 October the authorities raised the alert status to the highest level after increased activity over the last few days. You are advised to avoid the area. Flights to Yogyakarta and Solo are currently not affected by the eruption.

There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Indonesia. Terrorist groups continue to plan attacks and have the capacity and intent to carry out these attacks at any time and any where in the country. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

Terrorist attacks in Jakarta on 17 July 2009, and in Bali in October 2005 and October 2002, killed and injured a number of British nationals.

Caution is advised when travelling to Aceh, Central Sulawesi Province (especially Palu, Poso and Tentena), Maluku Province (especially Ambon) and Papua Province. On 24 January 2010 a number of people were injured in an armed attack on a vehicle travelling between Timika and Tembagapura in Papua. You should be alert to the potential for politically motivated violence.

With the exception of Garuda Airlines, Mandala Airlines, Airfast and Ekspres Transportasi Antarbenua (operating as PremiAir), all Indonesian airlines are refused permission to operate services to the EU because Indonesia is unable to ensure that other airlines meet international safety standards. It is recommended that you avoid flying with Indonesian carriers subject to the EU operating ban.

Indonesia sits along a volatile seismic strip called the 'Ring of Fire' and volcanic eruptions, earthquakes occur regularly and tsunamis are possible.

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale occurred off West Sumatra Province, 48km (30 miles) offshore from the city of Padang on 30 September 2009. On 1 October 2009 an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale occurred in Jambi Province. There has been substantial damage to infrastructure in the Padang area including government buildings, hotels, hospitals and telephone links.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice.

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel