Mount Rinjani National Park bans three Australian tourists for five years and imposes fines after they were caught illegally climbing the closed Sembalun hiking trail.
Three foreign tourists from Australia have been blacklisted by Mount Rinjani National Park, West Nusa Tenggara, for illegally climbing the Sembalun hiking trail in early March 2025.
“The three foreign tourists climbed illegally,” said Head of Mount Rinjani National Park Office, Yarman, to the press on Tuesday, the 4th of March.
As a context, climbing Mount Rinjani has been closed from the 1st of January until the 2nd of April. The reason is due to ecosystem recovery and the recent rainy season, which can cause heavy rain and strong winds. Hence, climbing activities to Mount Rinjani are not permitted during the closure period.
Yarman explained that the actions of the three foreign tourists were monitored by CCTV cameras in Plawangan Sembalun from Sunday, the 2nd of March, until Monday, the 3rd of March.
“[Their] activity violated the boundaries that should have been respected during the closure of the Mount Rinjani climbing tourist destination,” he continued.
In addition to being blacklisted, they were also fined Rp2 million each – this amount is five times the normal entrance ticket for foreign nationals, which is Rp400,000. In total, the fine imposed on the three illegal climbers was Rp6 million, according to Government Regulation No. 36 of 2024 concerning PNBP (Non-Tax State Revenue) to the State Treasury Account.
The Mount Rinjani National Park Office underlined that the incident served as a warning about the importance of climbing rules in Indonesia, especially during a mountain’s closure. He urged the public and nature lovers to climb Mount Rinjani wisely and comply with the regulations in place for the safety and comfort of all.
“This case reminds us of the importance of climbing regulations, especially during the period of route closures for ecosystem recovery. Rinjani is not just a mountain, it is home to fragile biodiversity. Every climber has a responsibility to protect it, not just for personal pleasure,” the Mount Rinjani National Park Office wrote on its Instagram page on Tuesday, the 4th of March.