We all hear a lot of stories about "Bali Belly". The advent of purified bottled water has taken the Island by storm. You can buy the water at many of the small supermarket shops around the place and it relatively cheap. Use it for drinking and brushing your teeth and avoid tap water at all costs. If you buy at the roadside or in smaller shops always check that the plastic seal has not been tampered with ....

Some people swear by red cordial to avoid Bali Belly, here are a few quotes:

"Sounds crazy but yes red cordial is the best thing to avoid bali belly. Drink a medium glass mixed with water at room temperature in the morning and you shouldnt have any probs. I have been to bali 3 times now and going a=gain in 7 weeks and would never go without the cordial. Oh and by the way anchor seems to be the best. Good luck Jenny"

"A recent recommendation with solid (no pun intended) support as a preventative is Raspberry juice cordial – with at least 30%, preferably more, real juice in the cordial. Mix it strong – 25% cordial: 75% bottled water. Some people have a neat swig every morning before breakfast. In Oz, Coles stock Sunraysia Premium Raspberry Delight – 80% - A$7.99 for 375 ml. Also available from many supermarkets in Bali."

"Many people have all different ways they say that work, until they get it. Alot of people take a bottle of red cordial with them but in the end it really just comes down to luck. Take a packet of imodium with you and if you get bali belly take a couple of tablets and this should block you up for a few days. When you are there just keep a look out at what you are putting into your stomach, drink bottle water and a lot of it. Food wise most people say to eat from the big restraunts but in fact i find these the worse especially in kuta, the best thing to eat is what the locals eat like Nasi goreng etc this is what they know what to cook and it taste very nice. If you like going out for a drink the jungle juice and the jam jars at the sari and paddy's aren't really a good idea. When travelling in bali especially kuta i've meet heaps of people that won't have ice in there drinks because they think it is made from the tap water well this is a myth it is made by a government ice company and deliveried every day to the restraunts if your up early enough out late enough you might see the delivery truck. Have a good holiday and don't let your worries about getting bali belly spoil your holiday and if you do get just don't go to far from your hotel at least running distance away" Steve (10/2001)

Anchor Raspberry Cordial.....Been to Bali 6 times and used it everytime I get a Stomach Bug....Fixes it good. Mike (9/2001)

Most of the good restaurants use it to prepare food and use ice made with purified water in drinks. On our travels we have eaten salads, consumed drinks with ice and all managed to avoid "Bali Belly". As with most trips use good hygiene and common sense and you will be OK.

There is also a huge range of fruit available in Bali and it is easy to overindulge and become "a bit loose ". This shouldn't be confused with Bali Belly. Speaking of fruit, our kids really enjoyed eating Rambutans and Mangosteens. Rambutans are red in colour, about the size of a golf ball and are spiky looking. To eat these peel off the outer red skin and enjoy the sweet flesh. Mangosteens are a purply- brown colour, slightly bigger than a golf ball. You break open the outer skin which is reasonably thick and eat the white segments inside. Be careful not to get the skin sap on your clothes as it does

stain. We were able to buy both of these fruits at a local market for 6000 Rp per kilogram. There is a wide range of other tropical fruit available including Salak (snakefruit), Mango, Papaya, Pineapple, Durian and Banana.

WARNING When buying bottled water always check the seal is intact and purchase a recognised brand of water.

Picture...Rambutans on sale at a roadside stall 

You must carry toilet paper with you in Bali even if you don't have Bali Belly. The chance of you finding a good, clean, flush toilet when you're out-and-about in Bali is low. The chances of you finding toilet paper away from your hotel, even in reasonable restaurants, is almost zero!