KUTA, Bali – Public order officers in Bali helped an Australian tourist find a traditional guesthouse after he declined to stay in a hotel and spent the night at a neighbourhood security post while searching for accommodation.

The incident took place near Pura Desa in Kuta, where local residents noticed the man, identified only by the initials MF, staying at a security post.

Officers from Kuta’s Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) responded after receiving the report and found that the tourist was not experiencing financial difficulties. Instead, he told authorities he specifically wanted to stay in a traditional Indonesian guesthouse, or losmen, rather than a hotel.

“He has money. He just didn’t want to stay in a hotel. He only wanted a guesthouse. He said he had been looking for one but couldn’t find it,” said I Wayan Suantara, commander of the Kuta Satpol PP unit.

With assistance from Made Astika Jaya, Head of Operations at Badung Satpol PP, officers helped locate a suitable guesthouse and escorted the tourist to the property.

The Australian expressed his appreciation for the officers’ assistance, referring to Astika as his “Good Father” while thanking him in English.

MF said he had been travelling around Indonesia for about a month before arriving in Bali three days earlier. His itinerary included Yogyakarta, Solo, Blitar and Kediri, and he plans to return to Australia on 9 August after completing his solo holiday.

He admitted that his preference for staying in traditional guesthouses had led him to spend the night at the security post while continuing his search for accommodation.

Authorities said the matter was resolved peacefully once suitable lodging was found, highlighting what they described as a humanitarian approach in assisting visitors who encounter unexpected situations during their stay in Bali.