A woman with a passion for travel has opened up about how she had to seek medical attention after making a tiny yet dangerous error during a trip to Bali.
Shakira Coldwell, 30, headed to Bali in December 2022, with the intention of spending three months there before continuing her travels around the world. Unfortunately, it wasn't the trip she'd hoped for.
Tour guides had warned the student to avoid drinking the local water, however, she ended up consuming some ice, which quickly led to her feeling dizzy and nauseous.
Despite experiencing these early symptoms, Shakira pressed on with her trip, heading on over to Gili Island off the coast of Bali. At this point, Shakira's condition worsened, and feeling sick, dehydrated, and faint, she ended up taking herself to a nearby medical centre.
When she arrived at the centre, the doctor immediately lay Shakira down, giving her an IV drip while he ran some tests. The results showed she'd contracted salmonella poisoning, a type of diarrheal infection caused by a bacteria known as salmonella.
Shakira, from Brisbane, Australia, said: "It is a common conception to always ask for your drinks without ice. I was in Bali for about three and a half weeks and was sick for about half of it.
"They told me that I was very sick and dehydrated, and they also said I had salmonella poisoning. I couldn't even focus on what he was saying before I was in pain and the room was spinning.
"I looked very dehydrated and did not look well. There is no hospital on the Gili islands so it was just a tiny medical centre with doctors."
After being given IV fluids and medication, Shakira was eventually discharged after spending five hours in the medical centre, and says she began to feel better after three hours. All in all, her treatment set her back £184.32 ($346AUD).
Shakira has since opened up about her experiences via TikTok, warning others not to repeat her mistake in a video that has clocked up more than 27.9 million views and 2.6 million likes.
The clip, which Shakira entitled "Don't forget pls" has since prompted others to come forward with their own similar experiences.
One person commented: "I HAD BALLI BELLY - IT IS NOT FUN!!!! But I still love Bali all the same".
Another wrote: "I don't get ice anywhere EVER because restaurants don't clean their ice machine and serve black mould cubes instead of ice."
A third recalled: "I literally had the worst time of my life in Bali. I have never been so sick in my entire life."
Despite her experiences, Shakira still hopes to return to Bali one day, revealing: "This has happened to many people. I was just glad I bought health insurance beforehand!
"But I definitely do not want this to make people think that Bali is a bad place. I am definitely returning - I love the atmosphere, the locals and the food."
Do you have a story to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
