Heavy rain, a dark road and no street lights. That was all that stood between one driver and a collapsed section of road in Bangli late on Sunday night.
A road in Pulasari village, Tembuku district, in Bangli Regency, caved in and was cut off completely after heavy rain. The road, known locally as Jalan Pulasari Kawan, is an alternative route to the Kintamani tourist area and to the hiking route up Mount Abang. Police said the road was impassable by about 11 p.m. local time (Wita) on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026.
A close call in the dark
Wayan Janu Adi Saputra, a Pulasari resident, was driving south along the road when he reached the break. He said there were no street lights, and the downpour left him relying on his headlights alone.
“It was pouring and there were no lights. Just my headlights. Right at the edge of the broken road, I hit the brakes hard,” he said.
He stopped a few meters short of the gap. “Since Sunday at 23.00 Wita, the road has been cut off,” he told reporters at the site on Monday, Nov. 2.
Detours and the school run
Since the collapse, vehicles can no longer pass. Residents say the detour runs through neighboring Karangasem or Buleleng regencies.
By 7 a.m. on Monday, more people had gathered at the site, Janu said, including parents taking children to SMPN 2 Peninjoan, a junior high school in the area.
Bangli Police spokesperson Iptu Putu Gede Gumiliarta said there were no casualties and no material losses.
What it means for visitors
Kintamani, in the highlands of Bangli, is one of the most visited areas in the north-central part of Bali. This road is not the only way to reach it, but drivers who use it as a shortcut will now need to detour. Travelers heading to Kintamani or planning a Mount Abang hike would be wise to check route conditions before setting off.
The collapse also fits a wider pattern of the past few days. Heavy rain has been reported across several parts of Bali, and police said a landslide hit a riverside glamping site in Pelaga, in Badung Regency, around the same time on Sunday night. Two guests there remained missing on Monday.
For the Bangli road, no repair date has been announced. “Residents are urged to use alternative routes because repairs cannot yet be carried out,” Gumiliarta said.