Is Palu safe? Indonesia travel risk
Is Palu safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Palu scores 46/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates Indonesia Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 7 Jul 2026); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. CDC travel health notice: Level 2, Zika in Indonesia (7 Aug 2026). No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Palu scores 46/100 (Moderate). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Indonesia (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Palu: nearest emergency and transport facilities, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: security (52/100) and natural hazards (69/100).
A score of 46 is higher than the scores of 60% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Indonesia travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Location & Spatial Data
Found at 0.8950° S, 119.8594° E within Sulawesi Tengah, Palu is situated 1,560.5 km WSW of Jakarta at an altitude of 9 m.
Sulawesi Tengah
0.8950° S, 119.8594° E
9 m
Asia/Makassar
359,350
Transit Links & Medical Facilities
Proximate Regional Communities (Indonesia)
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Palu happened in July (2 of 5 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
5 major seismic events recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M6.7 on 16 Jun 2026 (43 km away) — USGS details
- Most recent: M5.8 on 15 Aug 2026 (127 km away) — USGS details
CDC Traveler Health Notices for Indonesia
- Level 2 - Zika in Indonesia (Level 2, 7 Aug 2026)
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Public Domain).
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Indonesia travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Indonesia entry requirements.
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