Mount Agung Volcano FAQ

What is the latest situation with the volcano?
3 weeks ago two small magmatic eruptions occurred and a few days before a smaller phragmatic eruption occurred.  Since then there has been nothing but some steam clouds coming from the volcano.
 
How will a large eruption affect MovingVentures programs?
We run our programs in Ubud, over 30km away, and in Menjangan, over 60km away from the volcano.  At the moment it is estimated that a large eruption would cover ash in the surrounding 10km from the summit of the volcano, leaving us at closest point 20km away from any real danger.  See the illustration below.  Mimpi Resort is on the furthest North-Westerly point, not quite shown on this map.

 Will it close the airport?
This all depends on how large an eruption it is and which way the wind is blowing.  The airport was recently closed for 2 days following the smaller eruptions, though did not cause much disruption.
Services are in place to get a boat across to either Java or Lombok, Bali’s neighbor Islands to, airports there.  Whilst this is a little more hassle, the worst case scenario is that you will still be able to get home from a neighboring airport.
 
Is MovingVentures prepared to help me if I have any trouble resulting from a volcanic eruption?
ABSOLUTELY!  We’re not going to leave you stranded and we know all there is to know about what to do in such a situation.  We have drivers at the ready who will be able to take you to the nearest available airport in the situation that Denpasar is closed. 
 
What are the chances there will be an eruption?
At this stage, nobody can tell.  Even the best seismologists can’t actually predict the date/time it will go off, or even tell us how likely it is to go off.  All we know, is to be prepared.

When do you expect this will all be over?
Nobody really knows.  We expect that after a large eruption the pressure will be released, and its state will likely return to as before.  That said, we’re not seismologists, and the seismologists can’t exactly answer this either.
 
Should we follow the news for the latest information?
I am writing this from Bali.  I look out each morning at the volcano from my window, I talk with local Balinese and Indonesians, many of whom have families living in or around the affected area closer to the volcano. 
Whilst a large portion of what the mainstream media says about what is happening is true, the way in which the story is told, feels like a huge manipulation of the truth.
 
If the program is cancelled will I get my money back?
All registrants to MV programs are to agree with our policies as laid out on this page: www.movingventures.org/policies.
 
As an overview:

• We return all monies less the deposit if we must cancel the program within 30 days prior to the program start.
  
  
• We never plan to completely cancel a program, especially if we already have many applicants.  We prefer to postpone to a later date.  In this event all monies may be carried forward to the new date or all monies less the deposit can be returned.
  
  
• Travel to and from the program is not MovingVentures responsibility.  However we require that you have travel insurance.  We require this because:
  
  

1. It may cover any necessary changes in flights in the event of postponement/cancellation.
2. It may cover you for any possible injuries or sickness.
3. In some cases it even covers the costs of payment for the event.

 
Most travel insurers have a range of different suitable policies which are worth investing in.  Some offer a “Cancel for any reason plan” which covers you even in the event, you just change your mind for no good reason!
 
We don’t want anyone to lose their time or money due to unforeseen circumstances, and that includes us.  Even if a program doesn’t go ahead we still bear the time and cost in planning and promoting it.  Travel Insurance secures the both of us from any feeling of loss.