Bali News

April 9, 2026

Home Category Bali Update Bali News

Bali News

Breaking news, local developments, and community stories from across the island.

Landscape photo of Labuan Bajo Marina Pier from the top of the hill. (Hey Bali/ IST)

National (Indonesia)

Labuan Bajo’s Tourism Fleet Resumes Sailing After Two-Week Suspension

January 9, 2026

The Komodo National Park gateway reopens for business, ending a costly pause triggered by weather and a fatal shipwreck, as...

Photo of the body of one of Valencia's coach's children being transferred from a speedboat to a Basarnas ship before being taken back to Labuan Bajo. January 6, 2026 (Hey Bali)

Global Impacts

As Komodo Search Ends, a Maritime Tragedy’s Most Painful Question Remains

January 9, 2026

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — After fourteen days of searching without results, Indonesian rescue teams are preparing to conclude operations for...

Photo of the Captain of the Putri Sakinah ship when being questioned by investigators from the West Manggarai Police before finally being named a suspect, January 8, 2026 (Doc: West Manggarai Police)

Global Impacts

Captain and Crew Member Named Suspects in Fatal Komodo National Park Shipwreck

January 9, 2026

Following public outcry and a halted tourism sector, East Nusa Tenggara Police take the first legal steps in the investigation...

Photo: Demonstrators in Labuan Bajo demanding the immediate removal of the Head of the KSOP and the indictment of the suspect, as he is considered primarily responsible for the sinking of the Putri Sakinah. January 8, 2026

Global Impacts

After Valencia Coach Tragedy at Sea, Labuan Bajo Erupts in Protest Over Port Authority

As the search for victims of the KM Putri Sakinah tragedy stalls, local businesses and activists have staged a dramatic...

Safety for Sale? Labuan Bajo’s Fury After a Fatal Shipwreck Exposes Tourism’s Dark Undercurrent.

The sinking of the KM Putri Sakinah, which left three dead and a child missing, has ignited fury in the...

Collage photo of the wife of coach Valencia crying at the Labuan Bajo pier knowing that her husband was found and a photo of the wife lighting candles with thousands of Labuan Bajo residents.

Third Victim of Putri Sakinah Sinking Brought to Bali, Cremated as Search for Final Child Continues

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — The body of the third victim recovered from the sinking of the tourist vessel KM Putri...

Video screenshot of the family asking for an extension so that the remains of one of the victims, the son of the Valencia coach, can be found (Hey Bali / IST)

Video: A Family’s Final Plea as Komodo Search Nears Its End

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — The video begins without spectacle. No raised voices, no accusations. Just a man standing in the...

A family of six, including Fernando Martín Carreras, his wife, and their four children, posing happily on the wooden deck of the traditional pinisi schooner KM Putri Sakinah. They are smiling against the backdrop of the arid, rolling hills of Labuan Bajo and a clear blue sky on December 26, 2025.

Hope Against the Horizon: Search for Valencia Coach’s Son Extended Amid Pleas and Storms

by Giostanovlatto

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — The search boats have become the metronome of this town. Their departures mark the mornings, their...

Spanish Deputy Ambassador Fernando at the search post for shipwrecked victims at Labuan Bajo Marina Harbor on Monday evening (December 29, 2025). (Doc: RRI)

A Diplomatic Plea in Komodo: Spanish Ambassador Urges Extended Search for Valencia Coach’s Son