Bali Belly: symptoms, what to do and care where you are staying
The acute stomach upset travellers in Bali run into more than any other. Below you will find a symptom checklist, the signs that mean you should not wait it out, and the services for travellers that HealthBali can help arrange.
What do you need?
Two services for Bali Belly. They are ordered separately – different facilities provide them.
Symptom checklist
Tick whatever is bothering you – the block will pull together a short summary and point to the service that fits.
What is bothering you
How long it has lasted
Tick separately if any of these apply
Tick the items above
The summary builds itself as soon as you tick at least one item.
This checklist is for general information only. It does not diagnose and does not replace an examination. Only a medical professional can assess your condition and decide on treatment.
What Bali Belly is
“Bali Belly” is the everyday name for acute gastroenteritis, which visitors to the island run into often. It is an infection of the digestive tract, picked up through water, food or surfaces.
Viruses
norovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus and others
Bacteria
salmonella, shigella, campylobacter, E. coli
Parasites
giardia, amoebae, cryptosporidium
When symptoms start
Most often 2–4 hours after exposure, though it can be anywhere from 30 minutes to a full day.
Main symptoms
When people see a doctor
Signs where waiting for things to settle on their own is not advised:
- A child under 3, a pregnant woman or an elderly person has fallen ill
- Diarrhoea more than 10 times a day
- Relentless vomiting, fluids will not stay down
- Growing weakness and signs of dehydration
- No improvement after 24–48 hours
- High fever
- Blood in stool
- Symptoms that feel unusual or severe
If the situation is not an emergency but you need a doctor, an IV drip or lab tests – send a request and HealthBali will help arrange a visit to your address.
What you can do yourself
General supportive measures. Not a prescription, and not a substitute for being examined.
Sip fluids often
Vomiting and diarrhoea drain a lot of fluid. Still water, weak tea or broth all work – a little at a time, often.
Rehydration salts
Oral rehydration salts (ORS) are sold in pharmacies across Bali: Oralit, Pharolit, Ramolit. Mix them as written on the sachet.
Light food once your appetite returns
Broth, rice, toast, crackers, bananas. Caffeine, fatty, spicy, dairy and sugary food are usually tolerated worse.
Hygiene
Washing your hands often lowers the risk of passing the infection on and of catching it again.
Keep watching
If there is no improvement after 24–48 hours, or any of the signs above appear, it is time to see a doctor.
Medication for food poisoning and gut infections – anti-diarrhoeals, fever reducers, adsorbents and antibiotics among them – is prescribed by a medical professional after assessing you. Picking it yourself can mask the picture and do harm.
Care at your accommodation for gut infections
Supportive intravenous therapy for vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration: replacing fluids and electrolytes, settling nausea, easing cramps. Carried out at your villa or hotel by a medical professional from a licensed partner facility.
What the price covers
The infusion is put together according to your condition. All indications and contraindications for intravenous infusion are decided by the doctor.
From
1,490,000 IDR
Gastrointestinal Infection Panel
When an upset will not clear, or keeps coming back, it matters to know the cause. The QIAstat-Dx PCR panel detects 24 pathogens in a single test – viruses, bacteria and parasites. The sample is collected at your villa or hotel and the result is ready within a day.
What the panel detects
Viruses 6
Norovirus GI and GII, Rotavirus A, Adenovirus F40/F41, Astrovirus, Sapovirus
Bacteria 14
Salmonella spp., Shigella / enteroinvasive E. coli, Campylobacter spp., Clostridium difficile (toxin A/B), enteroaggregative, enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic E. coli, STEC (stx1/stx2) and STEC O157:H7, Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, Plesiomonas shigelloides, Yersinia enterocolitica
Parasites 4
Cryptosporidium spp., Cyclospora cayetanensis, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia
Included
The test is performed by a licensed partner laboratory. This is a separate request: care at your accommodation and the laboratory panel come from different facilities and are ordered one at a time.
What HealthBali clients say
I’d like to share my feedback. Thank you for your quick response! I’m very satisfied with the staff – true professionals. Very friendly and attentive. Thank you for the prompt help ❤️
Thank you so much for everything! This is not the first time we’ve contacted you – it’s always top-level service! The doctors are neat, and all medications and equipment are sterile. Thanks again!
I had an IV drip done at my hotel. The nurse took care of me the whole time. I felt much better afterwards, and by the next morning the illness was completely gone.
Thank you! I’m really glad there is such a service in Bali for health-related needs. I don’t know if it’s the same manager or different ones, but the communication is always polite, clear, and detailed.
Your service is excellent! We’ve contacted you several times, and everything has always been done very professionally and quickly. Thank you so much – I recommend you to everyone.
Thank you very much! The nurse was amazing – she took my blood so gently that I didn’t feel anything at all. A very skilled specialist.
Useful information
Can I get help for Bali Belly around the clock?
Yes. Requests are accepted 24/7, and the island has round-the-clock clinics and mobile medical teams. If vomiting, diarrhoea or weakness is troubling you, you can send a request at any hour.
Can a visit be arranged to my villa or hotel?
Yes. The visit is arranged at your address in Bali – a villa, a hotel or an apartment. The address and time are confirmed before anyone sets off, and the price is agreed beforehand.
How is the gastrointestinal infection panel different from an ordinary test?
It is a PCR test that checks for 24 pathogens at once: viruses, bacteria and parasites. The result is ready within a day, and the sample is collected where you are – no trip to the laboratory.
Can I order the IV drip and the panel together?
They are two separate requests. Care at your accommodation and the laboratory panel are provided by different licensed facilities, so each is booked on its own. HealthBali coordinates both.
Why book with HealthBali?
We work only with licensed facilities and medical professionals authorised to provide services in Indonesia. We help pick the option that suits your situation, budget and location, give you a cost estimate before booking, arrange the visit or the clinic appointment, and stay in touch until the service is complete. All clinical decisions are made by medical professionals.
Is this covered by insurance?
That depends on the terms of your policy. You receive an official receipt after payment, and a medical report when a doctor attends. We do not prepare separate paperwork for insurers and cannot guarantee that costs will be reimbursed. If you plan to claim, check your cover with your insurer in advance.
What if I need urgent care?
A visit to your accommodation is not an emergency service. If someone is unconscious, deteriorating quickly or needs resuscitation, call the emergency services straight away – 112 (+62 361 112) or 118 (+62 361 118) – or go to the nearest hospital.
Indications and contraindications for intravenous infusion are determined by a doctor. The service provider reserves the right to change the programme composition and its price. The home service is not an emergency service.
By sending the request you agree to the processing of personal data and the terms of service.
HealthBali Booking is an electronic system operated by PT Strategic Healthcare Indonesia (NIB 1703230014773) for booking requests and coordination with licensed partner facilities. HealthBali is a travel services provider in medical tourism; its product is the HealthBali Traveler Package.
HealthBali does not provide medical services. All medical services are performed by licensed medical facilities, which are solely responsible for their content, quality and outcomes. Information on this site is general in nature and is not medical advice.
Prices are indicative and apply only as part of a HealthBali Traveler Package. Prices at the clinic may differ when booking directly. The final price is confirmed before booking.
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