Susheel Jain, an Indian yoga entrepreneur nearly missed his flight home from Bali after traffic jams rising due to a shortage in fuel threw his journey into disarray. He called the experience a "nightmare". For any Indian planning a holiday on the Indonesian island, this serves as a reminder that a trip built around temples, beaches and sunset dinners actually depends on something that is far less glamourous, the availibility of petrol.
“Today I'm traveling back to India from Bali and I almost missed my flight. If you're in Bali or if you're traveling to Bali, you should know what is happening right now. It was a nightmare,” Jain said in an Instagram video.
The disruption in fuel had begun in early October after deliveries of tankers were delayed. This coupled with rough seas and issue pertaining to unloading supplied slowed distribution to petrol stations. Panic buying as well as a strong demand for subsidised petrol has worsened these queues, with some motorists reporting several hours of waiting.
Authorities moved swiftly. They increased deliveries, extended operating hours at stations and introduced certain temporary restrictions on purchases based on vehicle number plates (Similar to the odd-even rule imposed by the former AAP Government in Delhi). The government has said that the problem is related to local distribution rather a nationwide shortage. By October 19, Bali's reported fuel reserves increased from 11 days to 15 days, and officials said supplies were improving.
This recent news does not mean that travellers should cancel their Bali vacation. But for those reaching the island in the coming days, it comes a reminder to check local conditions, factoring in extra time for airport transfers among other things. Most importantly, travellers who hire scooters for local commute should plan availability.
Before you book, factor in the journey
Bali's appeal mostly lies in the choice to move between varied experiences. A traveller might spend the morning at a beach while having a lavish fine dine at a restaurant inland. The city has a lot of narrow roads, bottlenecks and heavy traffic is generally meant to change a short journey into a long one.
The current fuel disruption adds another variable. Independent travellers who rely on rented scooters of cabs need to keep some flexibility with their itenaries.
The immediate crisis appears to have eased, and Bali's tourism authorities said the disruption had not caused a sharp fall in visitor arrivals. The island was still recording roughly 22,000 to 24,000 foreign tourist arrivals a day in mid-October, according to its tourism department.
An island where tourism is big business
The stakes extend much beyond how inconvenient this might be for a visitor trying to catch a flight or go through an experience. Tourism is central to Bali's economy and it supports hotels, restaurants, transport operators, tour guides, shops and small businesses whose entire earnings depend on visitors being able to move around the island.
Bali recorded nearly 6.95 million direct foreign tourist arrivals in 2025, up 9.72% from a year ago, according to Statistics Indonesia's Bali office. The government counted around 16.3 million visitor trips overall, including around 9.3 million domestic ones. It estimated tourism-related economic activity at around $10 billion.
Reuters
Motorcyclists queue to refuel at a state-owned Pertamina petrol station amid a fuel supply shortage in Badung, Bali
Indian tourists are a good chunk of these numbers. Bali received around 569,260 Indian visitors in 2025, making the country one of its largest overseas source markets. Across Indonesia, arrivals from India reached 734,490 last year, and the government has set a target of as much as 820,000 visitors in 2026.
The country is actively promoting its destinations to Indian travellers, even as it seeks to spread visitors beyond Bali to other parts of the archipelago.
These factors make the quality and convenience of an international traveller a business concern. A local fuel bottleneck can affect the entire chain, from taxi drivers and rental operators to restaurants and tour companies.
Why Indonesia's oil problem matters
Bali's petrol pump queues also expose the wider challenge the country has been facing. There is a gap between its petroleum consumption and what it produces domestically.
Indonesia consumed around 1.7 million barrels per day of petroleum and other liquids in 2024, while producing around 868,000 barrels per day, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration. It imported approximately 791,000 barrels per day of refined petroleum products and 354,000 barrels per day of crude oil and condensate that year.
The dependence makes fuel avaiability an important policy and economic issue. It is a major turn of fortunes for a country whose oil wealth helped build Shell Plc and propelled it into the ranks of OPEC’s earliest members.
The scooter is part of Bali's identity
Few images would be able to capture Bali's everyday lives as clearly as a stream of scooters weaving through traffic, passing shrine and rice fields before they disappear down narrow lanes towards the coast. For many international travellers, renting a scooter is part of the experience and a way to look beyond the resort or the cafe.
For residents, scooters are beyond a symbol of the island's life. They are practical for commuting, transportation of goods, making deliveries and navigating congested roads. This is not limited to Bali, rather is a characteristic of broader Indonesia. Motorcyles are central to everyday mobility and Bali's tourism economy adds another layer of demand through taxis, rentals and deliveries serving vistors.
Therefore, petrol becomes an invisible part of the holiday experience. The freedom to move between experiences depends on the steady supply of gasoline. When the queues keep extending, the disruption is felt by workers who are trying to get to their places of work as well as tourists trying to reach their next stop.
The fuel crisis has now exposed a vulnerability in the very transport culture that helps make Bali attractive. Two-wheelers offer flexibility in a crowded road, but the petrol dependence means a problem in the supply chain can quickly become a broader issue for residents and visitors alike.
Could electric mobility offer a way forward?
By the end of 2025, Bali had 230 public electric-vehicle charging units across 164 locations. State electricity firm PLN operates 150 of those units. Private businesses operate the other 80. PLN reported a 751% increase in charging transactions during 2025.
The growth in charging activity signals a growing electric-mobility system, though it does not mean that petrol-powered vehicles can be replaced overnight. Charging access remains uneven, and tourists need to be aware if electric rentals are available where they are staying.
Electric scooters do offer a way to reduce exposure to petrol-price movements, and supply issues over time.
The current fuel shock is also the kind that could bring Indonesia’s electric two-wheeler market out of its slump.
Indonesia’s vulnerability stems in part from its reluctance to accelerate the transition away from fuel subsidies. Subsidies for Pertalite, diesel and LPG are expected to cost about $24 billion this year, consuming more than half the fiscal space permitted under the country’s legally mandated budget-deficit ceiling.
Indonesia's wider tourism sector is attracting investment, as well. Realised tourism investment reached 73.56 trillion rupiah in 2025, according to the Tourism Ministry, although this national figure covers the sector as a whole and is not a dedicated allocation for Bali's electric-vehicle infrastructure.
For Indian travellers, the immediate lesson is less ambitious but more useful. Bali's beaches, temples and cafés remain the draw, but a smooth holiday depends on the roads that connect them. Before setting out for paradise, it may be worth checking what is happening at the petrol pump.