Travellers stuck in Bali due to the erupting Mount Agung volcano are negotiating with airlines in a desperate bid to get home.
Among those stuck in Bali is CEO of ANA Pictures and Independent Media Solutions (IMS) Amit Makan, who said: "The situation is calm, tourists here are safe and unaffected by the Mount Agung volcanic eruption about 70km away, except to the extent that the airport has been closed since Sunday and flights are delayed indefinitely."
Makan was messaging from Nusa Dua, a popular beach resort in Bali where he has been on holiday for the past week. Makan was due to fly back on Tuesday.
Some 400 flights have been cancelled, leaving up to 60 000 travellers stranded.
He said as far as he knows, according to local reports in Bali, the eruptions are "ongoing and getting worse" and that he hasn't received any information on when Ngurah Rai International Airport will be open again.
"Local communities around Mount Agung have also been asked to evacuate their homes," Makan said.
According to Makan, several people are stranded that were due to fly back but have been unable to as airport officials stressed the dangers associated with the high-density ash cloud and smoke in the atmosphere.
Makan said the volcano is "shooting up to 3km into the sky" and the ash on the runway makes it impossible for air traffic in or out.
Eager to head home, travellers in Bali are in negotiations with airlines trying to find any other alternatives like getting them to nearby regional airports so that they are able to get home.
"We and a few other South Africans have negotiated with our airline Cathay Pacific to depart from a regional airport, Juanda International Airport near Surabaya, which is about a 10-hour bus and ferry ride from Bali, to make our connecting flight back to Johannesburg, South Africa, via Hong Kong," said Makan.
He said if all goes well, he and other stranded South Africans will be due to return to Cape Town on Saturday December 2.