Filming a regular music video at Lake Buyan turned into a scandal for a local blogger. Only once he arrived did he find out that flying a drone or using a professional camera in Bali’s protected areas now comes with a fee comparable to the price of a second-hand scooter.
Popular Indonesian blogger Jem Tattoo came to the Lake Buyan pier with a 12-person crew. As expected, the group paid for parking and entrance tickets of 15,000 rupiah per person (the local rate). However, they never got to film. Staff from the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) quickly spotted the professional equipment and stopped the shoot. They banned filming the video without a special permit and an additional payment.
For launching the drone alone, the blogger was asked to pay 2 million rupiah. Outraged, the creator took the dispute to social media. On his Facebook page, he published a post that quickly went viral. Jem Tattoo insisted that he and his team were ordinary visitors who had paid the entrance fee and simply wanted to capture some nice aerial shots. He publicly asked since when the conservation agency (BKSDA) had the authority to act like a tax collector and demand such sums. In his view, these rules stifle creativity and discourage people from visiting Bali’s natural attractions.
In response, the head of the agency, Ratna Hendratmoko, issued an official statement clearly distinguishing between tourism and content production. She explained that any commercial activity in the island’s protected areas requires a SIMAKSI document. This is an official permit for researchers, journalists, and filmmakers, and it must be arranged in advance at the agency’s office. Without it, creators with professional equipment will be asked to leave even if they have paid the standard entrance fee.
The permit is not free. Here are the official rates for creative work and leisure in Bali’s protected areas:
1. Professional video filming (product and service advertising, music videos, feature films, series, TV shows, and reality TV)
- Foreigners: 20,000,000 rupiah per project.
- Indonesians: 10,000,000 rupiah per project.
2. Professional photography (for tour packages, magazines, product and service advertising)
- Foreigners: 5,000,000 rupiah.
- Indonesians: 2,000,000 rupiah.
3. Wedding content
- Foreigners: 3,000,000 rupiah.
- Indonesians: 1,000,000 rupiah.
4. Using a drone
A single rate for everyone: 2,000,000 rupiah per take-off. This applies in national parks, nature parks, and game and wildlife reserves.
5. Standard entrance tickets (per person)
- Foreigners: 100,000 rupiah (fixed price).
- Indonesians: 10,000 rupiah on weekdays and 15,000 rupiah on public holidays.
The system of fines and fees is based on Government Regulation No. 36 of 2024. Officials urge people not to confuse regular tourism with commercial content production. If you’re just walking around with a phone, you pay the standard 100,000 rupiah entrance fee. But if you have a professional stabiliser or a drone, be prepared to pay.
BKSDA officers oversee an area of more than 6,000 hectares. This includes Lakes Buyan and Tamblingan, the forests around Mount Batur, and the conservation areas of Batukau (Batukau), Sangeh (Sangeh), and Penelokan (Penelokan). All revenue from the fees goes directly to the state treasury. The authorities promise that the permit process will soon become simpler and move fully online.
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