Indonesia Volcanoes: Flight, Hotel & Train Travel Guide

Indonesia is a great place for a holiday because it has many nature attractions and beautiful islands but do you know that Indonesia is a home to around 130 active volcanoes,so volcanic eruptions are something that travellers may encounter when visiting the country.

Most of the eruptions do not affect major tourist areas but a larger eruption can quickly disrupt flights, airports, trains, ferries, hotels and sightseeing plans.

This is a guide on how to travel to the active volcanic country.

Indonesia's Active Volcanoes

The challenges of the travellers to travel at the active volcanic country is usually not the lava itself but the volcanic ash can spread over a wide area and affect the aircraft operations, roads and daily activities, sometimes can be hundreds of kilometres from the volcano.

Because of the Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire and has many of the active volcanoes which some are popular for hiking and sightseeing destinations, while other still in remote areas.

How Do Indonesian Volcanoes Affect Flights?

Flights are usually a part of a trip that most seriously affected by a major eruption.

For example of the recent news was the eruption of the Mount Anak Krakatau where volcanic ash affected airports across western Indonesia, causing thousands of fllght cancellations and delays so the travellers are looking for another alternative routes such as by trains and ferry.

During the Anak Krakatau eruption, ash spread across parts of Java and Sumatra where eight airport are temporarily suspended operations, while more than 1500 flights were affected at the height of the disruption.

If a volcanic eruption affects your flight, airlines may offer different options or alternative depends on the situation but do remember to do not immediately booking another expensive flight tickets before knowing what airlines will offer.

Why does volcanic ash affect planes?

The volcanic ash and particles are different from the ordinary dust where it contains a tiny particles of rock and minerals that are dangerous to aircraft engnes.

Flying through a significant ash cloud can also reduce the visibility and potentially damage the aircraft systems so the airlines may cancel, delay or divert flights when the volcano is far from the airport.

Flights may also be delayed after the airport reopens

If the airport reopening, it is not necessarily mean that your flight will immediately operate which the aircraft may have been stranded at other airport, while airlines need time to reorganise aircraft, crews and schedules.

For instance, when Anak Krakatau disruption, airport has been reopened after ash has cleared but authorities still need to inspect aircraft that has been grounded.

Airlines also has warned that delays should continue as operations returned to normal.

Can You Still Travel by Train?

Sometimes, yes you can and it will be an important alternative for travelling between Indonesian cities, especially on Java.

However, trains are not always an easy backup when thousands of passengers may suddenly look for another way to travel, so train tickets can be sold out quickly.

If you need to use a train after a flight cancellation:

• Check train availability immediately.
• Look at different departure stations.
• Consider connecting trains.
• Leave extra time for transfers.
• Check ferry schedules if travelling between islands.
• Do not assume the fastest route will still have seats.

But, sometimes the train can be affected too when volcanic ash can affecr the railway visibility, track conditions, train operations and many more.

What About Ferries?

Ferries also can be another alternative when flights are disrupted, particularly between Indonesian islands.

For example that travellers between Bali and Java can use the Glimanuk-Ketapang ferry route.

However, ferry services can be also affected by:

• Poor visibility
• Strong winds
• Rough seas
• Volcanic activity
• Port closures
• Safety restrictions

How Do Volcanoes Affect Hotels?

A volcanic eruption does not automatically means that hotels are close but in many cases, hotels may continue operating normally if they are outside the affected area.

However, your hotel plans may be affecting:

You may arrive later than planned

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you may miss your original check-in time.

Contact the hotel as soon as possible if you know you will arrive late.

You may need an extra night

If you are stranded because of a cancelled flight, you may need to extend your hotel stay.

During a major disruption, nearby hotels can fill up quickly.

You may need to change hotels

If your original destination becomes difficult to reach, you may decide to stay near another airport or train station.

For example, instead of continuing to your original destination, you may stay overnight in Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta or another major transport hub, depending on where you can find transport.

Hotel prices may increase

When large numbers of travellers are stranded, hotel demand can increase around alternative airports and transport hubs.

This means cheaper rooms may disappear quickly.

What About Buses and Roads?

Road travel can also be affected by volcanic ash when the heavy ashfall may be reduce visibility, make roads slippery, affect the motorcycles and vehicles. may cause breathing problems outdoors and many more.

Furthermore, authorities may restrict access to areas close to an erupting volcano and if you are driving, avoid entering restricted areas even if the road may appears open on your map.

Can Tourist Attractions Close?

Yes, tourist attractions may close temporary for safety reasons including volcano hiking trails, national parks, temples, beaches and many more.

You may check the latest local restrictions and announcement as the tour operator will have changes of plans.

What Happens to Bali Travel During a Volcano Eruption?

Bali is the one of the popular destinations among international tourists but they have to often worry about the Mount Agung and other volcanic activity in the region.

But a volcanic eruption does not automatically mean that the whole of Bali is unsafe or closed but the actual impact depends on which volcano is erupting, wind direction, ash cloud height, distance from Bali, airport conditions and government safety restrictions.

Hence, even when a eruption occurs outside Bali, volcanic ash can still affect the Bali airspace or flight at Bali airport.

So, if you are travelling to Bali during an eruption or elsewhere in Indonesia, you should check flight status rather than assume that your Bali trip is unaffected.

What Happens to Jakarta Flights?

Jakarta is the most regions that affect of volcanic eruption because Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is one of the Indonesia's main aviation hubs.

When the eruption affects Jakarta airspace, the disruption can spread beyond Jakarta because many domestic and international flights connect through the airport.

This can create a knock on effect:

What Should Travellers Do During a Volcanic Eruption?

If you are already in Indonesia, the best thing is to stay informed rather than panic.

Before your trip

• Check the latest volcano warnings.
• Check your airline's flight status.
• Check your hotel cancellation policy.
• Keep important bookings in your phone.
• Have travel insurance details available.
• Consider flexible transport bookings.
• Save alternative airports and train stations.
• Keep some extra cash for unexpected transport costs.

At the airport

If volcanic ash is affecting flights:

• Check the airline's official notification.
• Do not leave the airport until you understand your rebooking options.
• Ask about alternative flights.
• Check nearby airports if the airline permits alternative routing.
• Keep receipts for reasonable additional expenses.
• Check your hotel booking if you will arrive late.

If there is ashfall

• Follow local authority instructions. Indonesian authorities have advised people affected by ash to reduce outdoor exposure and use masks and eye protection.
• You can check the official volcano status and geological hazard updates in Indonesia through the Portal Mitigasi Geologi Indonesia runs by Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).

Indonesia Volcano Travel: What Travellers Should Remember

A volcanic eruption can be affect much more than the area around the volcano.

Flights are usually the first mjor transport that will be affected, then will be spread to trains, ferries, hotels, buses and outdoor tourist attractions.

But, you still may travel to other regions of Indonesia as the volcanic eruption does not mean the entire country is affected, if your destination is far from the affected volcano and transport services are operating normally, you may continue your holiday as your planned.

However, if you are travelling through an airport close to the affected area, keep your itinerary flexible.

The biggest lesson from the recent disruptions is to have a backup plan as sometimes passengers might faced airport closures or sold out other transportation tickets and hotels may be expensive.

Most importantly, don't assume that an eruption near one Indonesian island will only affect that island. Volcanic ash can travel across large areas and disrupt aviation well beyond the volcano itself.