The fluids, local dishes, and simple food sequence that help your gut heal, and what to keep off the menu for now.
The worst is over, your appetite is creeping back, and now you are staring at a menu wondering what is actually safe to eat. Knowing how to recover from Bali Belly is largely about what you drink and eat next. Keep rehydrating, start with plain and easy-to-digest food, avoid anything that irritates your gut, and return to your normal diet step by step rather than all at once.
At a Glance
- Drink first: rehydration salts, water, clear soup and a little coconut water.
- Eat plain: bubur ayam without sambal, plain rice, bananas and clear soto broth.
- Avoid for now: sambal, fried food, dairy, raw salads, alcohol and street food.
- Heal your gut: add fibre slowly and finish any medicine a doctor prescribed.
- Go gradually: let your symptoms, not the calendar, decide when you return to normal food.
Explore options: Bali Belly IV Drip • Mobile IV Drip
Bali Belly in Brief
Bali Belly is traveller’s diarrhoea, usually caused by bacteria such as E. coli, and sometimes by viruses or parasites, from contaminated food, water or ice. If you are still in the early, acute stage, start with our guide on how to get rid of Bali Belly fast. This guide is for the next phase, when you are ready to eat again.
The Best Drinks for Recovery
Even when the diarrhoea eases, your body is still rebuilding its fluid and electrolyte reserves. What you drink matters as much as what you eat.
- Oral rehydration salts: keep going until your urine is pale and your energy returns. Oralit is sold at every apotek.
- Bottled water: sealed, and skip ice unless you know it is made from purified water.
- Clear soups and broth: fluid, salt and a little nourishment in one bowl.
- Coconut water: a pleasant top-up, but not a replacement for rehydration salts.
Skip alcohol, energy drinks and strong coffee for now. Alcohol and caffeine both increase fluid loss, and energy drinks are high in sugar, which can make loose stools worse.
Bland Indonesian Foods That Are Easy on the Stomach
You do not need to hunt for toast and crackers in Bali. Some of the gentlest recovery foods are local staples:
- Bubur ayam: rice porridge with chicken, ordered plain, without sambal, crackers or fried shallots.
- Nasi putih: plain steamed white rice, easy to digest and a reliable source of energy.
- Pisang: bananas are soft, easy on the gut and help replace potassium.
- Soto broth: the clear soup without the sambal or oily extras.
- Simple protein: boiled eggs, plain steamed chicken or steamed tempeh once plain rice sits well.
Eat small portions more often. A few light meals put far less strain on a recovering gut than one large plate.
Foods to Avoid for a Few Days
- Sambal and chilli: spice irritates an inflamed gut lining.
- Fried and oily food: fat is harder to digest and can trigger cramps.
- Dairy: milk, cheese and creamy drinks can be poorly tolerated for a while after diarrhoea.
- Raw salads and unpeeled fruit: a higher risk of picking up another infection.
- Street food and buffets: save them for when you are fully well.
Healing Your Gut After Bali Belly
Once you are eating comfortably, the focus shifts to helping your gut settle back to normal.
- Probiotics: optional, and the evidence is mixed. Yoghurt is best left until dairy sits well again.
- Fibre, gradually: reintroduce vegetables, wholegrains and fruit slowly to avoid triggering cramps.
- Finish your medicine: if a doctor prescribed a course of medication, complete it exactly as directed.
Still dealing with cramps or broken sleep while you recover? Our guide on how to feel better with Bali Belly covers simple ways to relieve the discomfort.
When to Return to Normal Food and Alcohol
There is no fixed schedule. Follow this sequence and move to the next stage only when your symptoms say you are ready:
Stage | What to eat and drink | Move on when |
Early recovery | Rehydration salts, broth, plain rice, bubur, bananas | Fluids stay down and diarrhoea is easing |
Settling | Add eggs, steamed chicken and tempeh in small portions | No cramps after meals |
Rebuilding | Cooked vegetables, more fruit, normal portions | Stools are back to normal |
Back to normal | Spice, dairy, rich food, then alcohol last | You feel fully well |
For how the whole recovery usually unfolds, see our guide on how to cure Bali Belly with a day-by-day recovery timeline.
When Food Will Not Stay Down
See a doctor if you cannot keep fluids down, feel dizzy or faint, run a high fever, notice blood in your stool, have severe or constant pain, or your symptoms are severe or persist beyond a day or two. If someone collapses, becomes confused or is in severe pain, go straight to a hospital emergency department.
If eating and drinking are simply not working yet, our doctor-supervised Bali Belly IV drip can restore what your gut cannot. After a medical assessment, treatment combines IV hydration with electrolytes, medication for nausea, cramps and stomach protection, a vitamin B infusion and a course of oral medication to support gut recovery over the following days.
We provide documentation to support travel insurance claims, including an itemised invoice and medical report. Reimbursement depends on your travel insurance policy.
FAQs
What should I eat to recover from Bali Belly?
Start with plain foods such as rice, bubur, toast and bananas, and keep rehydrating. Avoid dairy, alcohol and spicy food until your gut has settled.
How long does it take to heal from Bali Belly?
It depends on the cause and how severe your symptoms are. If symptoms are severe or persist beyond a day or two, medical treatment may be necessary.
When should I get an IV drip for Bali Belly?
When you cannot keep fluids down, are vomiting repeatedly, feel dizzy or faint, show signs of dehydration, or oral medication is not helping.
Eat Gently, Heal Fully
Recovery happens one plain bowl of bubur at a time: keep sipping, eat simply and let your gut set the pace before the sambal comes back. If fluids and food still will not stay down, there is no need to struggle on. Our team can treat you at our Kuta clinic or bring a villa IV drip in Bali straight to your door. Just message our medical team on WhatsApp with your symptoms and location