One of the things that surprised me most when I was living in Bali was how frequently the earth shook under my feet. (Not counting mornings after Mexicola, of course). I still remember my first earthquake on the island in 2016. I had just moved into my villa and was woken to my bed shaking and the doors rattling. I didn’t get much sleep that night. The powerful 6.9 Lombok earthquake of August 2018 was a different story. The ground became jelly. While Chrissy Teigen famously live-tweeted her own experience upon swaying stilts from Como Shambhala in Ubud, our pool sloshed around like a stormy ocean. My housemate and I were so shaken that we jumped on our scooters and drove to higher ground. For a long time, the atmosphere was one of uncertainty and people were alert and on edge. While earthquakes are usually nothing to worry about in Bali, it’s good to be prepared. Here’s what to do if you’re in Bali and there’s a tremor. This story originally appeared on escape.com.au, by Jenny Hewett. It has been reproduced here with permission.

Don’t panic

Indonesia is located on the Ring of Fire and is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Frequent movement is normal and to be expected. In fact, if you download Earthquake app, you’ll see that earthquakes occur throughout the day all over the globe, but most of the time they’re too small to feel. Last month, there was a 4.9 magnitude earthquake in East Bali, followed by a series of aftershocks. While earthquakes are commonly felt on the island and can be a shock to travellers, most of the time they tend to be minor tremors and pose no threat.

Join a Bali Facebook community group

Often the most difficult thing in Indonesia can be getting real-time information in English. There are a handful of traveller and expat groups on Facebook (Canggu Community, Bali Expats, Bali Bogans) that are good resources, as people share their own experiences in real-time. Here, Balinese and Indonesians often relay information or offer advice in English and it’s a good way to get a grasp on what’s going on.

Be safe

Getting caught up in a natural disaster while on holiday is no one’s idea of a good time. If you find yourself in Bali during a period of seismic activity, be smart. If you’re outside during an earthquake, get into an open area away from buildings and power poles. If you’re inside, hide under a solid object, such as a bed or desk and away from glass. Avoid multi-level venues, such as nightclubs, restaurants or hotels, that don’t seem structurally sound. Trust your gut.

Download warning apps

Earthquake app collates worldwide earthquake data and allows you to filter events by country, continent and magnitude. It’s not the most user-friendly system, but tsunami alerts can be found on the public bulletin section of the Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System, which evaluates seismic events in the Indian Ocean.

Travel safe

If you’re staying in a hotel, listen to the advice of staff. Always keep in touch with family and friends back home to tell them about your whereabouts and buy travel insurance that covers earthquakes. It depends on the insurer, but in the case of an ‘unknown natural disaster’, you’re generally covered for medical costs, evacuation and cancellations before you’ve left or during your trip. Typically, you won’t be covered if you travel to a destination despite of government travel warnings or if the event is already ‘known’, which might mean big tremors have begun or a volcano has erupted.