Kelowna family stranded in Bali is finally on the way home

A vacation that turned into a nightmare is finally coming to an end for the Kelowna family stranded in Bali, Indonesia.

Brandon Olson, Mackenzie Peslova and their 14-month-old daughter traveled to Bali earlier in November for a family vacation when the island’s Mount Agung volcano suddenly erupted causing the airport to completely cancel all flights.

Mount Agung in Bali erupts with volcanic activity. Resorts engulfed with ash, flights cancelled.........😒 pic.twitter.com/WKIa0D9NuD

— ARUN (@ManhasArun) November 26, 2017

Stranded at the airport, the family was forced to scramble for accommodation and even had to spend an evening in a sketchy $16 a night hotel with their 14-month old daughter.

But the family was finally able to catch a flight this morning and is beginning the long journey back to Kelowna.

“The last few days have been an emotional rollercoaster for them,” said Olsen’s mother Jennifer Hobbs. “After being stranded at the airport and spending a rough night in a bad hotel they were contacted by an Australian man who was offering his properties in Bali to families affected by the airport’s closure.”

bali flights
Ash cloud over Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport. Latest News & Updates available at https://t.co/8HhJLakgEO pic.twitter.com/iIsVqCQBlc

— packuptakeoff (@packuptakeoff) November 28, 2017

Hobbes says her son was fairly concerned about the generous offer at first but decided to take a leap of faith and was glad he did.

“They were in tears and just kept saying ‘wow good people do exist’” said Hobbs. “The accommodation they were given was amazing, luxury level, so the family finally got some rest after some stressful days.”

The family boarded a plane off of Bali around 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning and are expected to arrive back in Canada on Friday.

“In the end it was the kindness of strangers from other countries that made the difference.”