The REAL story behind Bali's 'Mummy Man' - as an urgent warning is issued to Aussies heading to the island

A tourist seen walking along the streets of Bali covered head to toe in bandages after falling off a motorbike had been on an action-packed trip around Asia at the time.

James Marsland, a marine engineer, had been riding in the Indonesian holiday hotspot when his phone fell out of his pocket.

He instinctively reached down to grab it, lost control of the motorbike and crashed onto the asphalt.

A video of Mr Marsland walking along the streets of Canggu went viral last week, showing the young man with bandages covering his feet, knees, arms and face.

The owner of the Instagram account that shared the video said he'd spoken to Mr Marsland who managed to avoid any serious injuries.

'He was going slow and was wearing a helmet, once you go on a bike the danger percentage is higher no matter what,' they said.

'It was an accident. Nothing dangerous or stupid, he just went straight to the asphalt.

'Perhaps it's a funny way to remind people how dangerous driving a bike can be and to always be very, very careful with eyes on the street.' 

Mr Marsland, understood to be from the UK, had been posting snaps from an adventure-packed holiday around Asia in the lead up to the accident.

In May he travelled to Thailand and completed an advanced scuba diving course.

He shared several photos from the experience including underwater shots of himself with fellow divers.

He also shared photos from the night markets and island-hopping around the country. 

Mr Marsland had also enjoyed time in the Maldives in March where he snorkelled with nurse sharks and wakeboarded.

When footage of the Brit covered in bandages first circulated, many joked Mr Marsland looked like a 'mummy'.

'Bali kiss next-level. The mummy. Luckily, still in one piece. Unbelievable!' one commented.

'Bali kiss' is the term given when a tourist falls off their scooter or motorbike on the holiday island.

'If you've been to Bali, this is funny, because you see a bunch of white people with bandages all over and you know it's from scooter accidents,' one commented.

Another quipped: 'That's more than a kiss, that's at least second base.'

'Think he was actually on his way to audition for the new Mummy movie,' one said.

Mr Marsland was seen walking gingerly through the streets following the accident.

His arms were completely covered in bandages while he also suffered injuries to his chin, nose and left eyebrow.

His hands and fingers were also bandaged.