Holiday in Bali with Kids: top tips for families visiting Bali

We love UK and Ireland holidays and have ventured to France with the kids but I’m starting to think a little more further afield and where we might like to save up to and travel to with kids and Bali is a holiday destination that I’d love to go as a family. Partly I am tempted by Bali’s beautiful beaches and the unique culture but I’ve also heard that Bali is a perfect destination to head to with kids because it’s inexpensive and very friendly. So, I’ve been researching the best places in Bali to travel with families and the best way to have a holiday in Bali with kids. For the cheapest flights, try onetravel.com.

Once you experience the beauty of Bali you may be tempted to pack your family and start another exciting journey in a far-off island with plenty of excitement to offer for both adults and kids. There are a few places that come to mind that fit this description and Galapagos islands are one of them. For your next trip, you can check out Galapagos cruise deals and book you ideal adventure. 

Best Destination in Bali for Families

A great destination to base  your holiday in Bali with kids is Seminyak, it’s a really family friendly location and has its own pretty beaches. It’s not as crowded at some parts of Bali and there is a feeling of more space which is perfect for families with small children. Seminyak beach is also good for surfing and you can also rent a board here and ride the waves or just stick to swimming or sunbathing. There are lots of cafes and bars and there is some nightlife but it tends to be tamer making it a good choice for families.

Family Accommodation in Bali

There are a great number of hotels in Seminyak but for a more luxurious and unique experience, try a Villa from Villa Bali.com. They have beautiful handpicked villas, all come with a swimming pool and all are perfect for visiting with children. They have plenty of villas big enough for two families to holiday together or with enough space for your extended family. If you book through villa finder, you’ll be given your own villa consultant to help you find the perfect villa (all which are regularly inspected) from the 100 or so they have available. You’ll also be given a concierge service to arrange airport pick ups, any day trips and anything else you might need. I think this Villa in Seminyak would be my favourite destination. A beautiful place to relax but also close enough to visit everything.

Things to do in Bali with Kids

There’s so much to do in Bali with families. Much of the hotel accommodation has onsite kids entertainment but there’s lots of fun things to do ranging from nature activities, animal parks and safaris, fun splashing water parks and if you’re feeling a little bit more adventurous you could try rafting up in the valleys and water sports down by the coastline. There are also some more unique indoor additions such as trick-eye art galleries loaded with awesome unusual artworks. Here is a quick round up of some of the fun things you can do as a family in Bali…..

Waterbom

Waterbom is a water slide park that is a great day for the entire family, it is considered among the best in Southeast Asia. The water park now has 17 exciting waterslides and water games for all ages, spread throughout 3.8 hectares of tropical gardens and pools. Food isn’t as cheap as other places but be prepared to stay a whole day to enjoy everything as it’s so large!

Bali Safari and Marine Park

Bali has a lot of animal parks. The largest is the Bali Safari & Marine Park in Gianyar which is also the most-visited animal theme park on Bali and has over 400 specimens from three regions – Indonesia, India and Africa, including spotted deers, Himalayan bears, African hippos, zebras, camels, ostriches, baboons, blue wildebeests, and lions. The most epic on display are the legendary Indian white tigers. Remember to bring a change of clothes, towel and swimwear if you want to take a dip and have fun at the onsite water park.

Kemenuh Butterfly Park

Lots of beautiful large butterflies can be seen at this butterfly park and kids will love that you can see and even hold the butterflies as well as other large insects including beetles and stick bugs.

Watch the Kecak Dance at Uluwatu Temple

This is a traditional fire dance which will enthrall children.

Superhero Factory

If you fancy some indoor entertainment, try SuperHero Factory in Seminyak. You’ll need tons of energy and an adventurous spirit for this attraction, as you navigate through a glow-in-the-dark obstacle course, overcome hurdles or attempt a 5-metre high jump.

Culture in Bali with Kids

If you want to immerse yourself in Bali’s arts and culture try a visit to Ubed. There are plenty of museums – Agung Rai Museum of Art, Neka Art Museum and Puri Lukisan Museum are home to a well-curated collection of artworks by renowned local and international artists. Or you could try visiting one of the town’s mystical temples, like the Gunung Lebah Temple or Sarawasti Temple.

Dream Museum Zone

For something a little different try Dream Museum Zone in Seminyak which is a fun and interactive art gallery featuring a vast collection of three-dimensional, life-size murals for visitors to pose and play with.

Eating out with Kids in Bali

Do not worry about taking your kids out to eat in Bali! There are lots of family friendly restaurants, the food is reasonably priced and there’s lots of options for fussier palettes including lots of western options too. If you are eating locally, nasi goreng (fried rice) and mee goreng (fried noodle), can be a good option for kids. Lots of the restaurants below have parks or play equipment on site, making them perfect for a relaxing family meal.

Some of the favourite kid-friendly restaurants in Bali are:

La Casita

La Casita has a lovely garden, rustic décor, and delicious Peruvian menu and an outdoor playground for your little ones! It even has cooking classes on Wednesdays!

Berawa’s Kitchen

Berawa’s kitchen has a lovely private playground for kids and there’s also live music. Berawa’s kitchen serves a variety of different tastes including burgers and chicken. Although I’d be hoping the kids would try some more of the chicken and Indonesian salad options!

The Joglo

The Joglo holds Friday Night Kids Movie Club. So you can pop them on multiple bean bags for an ultimate outdoor cinema experience with popcorn and fruit punch at an affordable price while you tuck into your Indonesian cuisine! They also have a great children’s menu.

Alam De Ubud

Alam De Ubud is a really colourful restaurant that does fantastic sandwiches and where families can spend the whole day relaxing in the sun, on the coloruful beanbags, swimming (yes, they even have a pool!) and drinking fresh juices.

Warung Rekreasi Bedugul

This restaurant has stunning views of the mountain and the lake. The grilled chicken and betutu is meant to be amazing and the views are one of a kind – a photographers dreamland!

 The Pirate’s Bay

If you’re after a unique experience for your kids, The Pirates Bay is located off the Nusa Dua beach, and is a once-in-a-lifetime experience of eating in a treehouse and being a pirate for a day. They have amazing fish dishes as well as fried bananas and burgers but the real experience is in the climbing and adventuring activities.

Health and Safety with Kids in Bali

Bali enjoys a tropical climate. May-September are normally considered the best months to visit. The dry season runs from May to October, but even in the wet season conditions can be pleasant with dry days and sunshine. Nevertheless, a mosquito repellent is an essential in Bali.

Kuta and Legian areas are meant to be slightly less safe with more crowded streets and more pickpockets reported.

Many medicines requiring a prescription in the West are available over the counter in Indonesia, including antibiotics but it’s worth taking any medication you need with you. There is a private medical centre in Bali but just check that your insurance covers it.

Things to take for a family holiday in Bali

Bali always has warm – hot weather so packing clothes is pretty easy! If you are wondering what to wear in Bali then most things are fine. Casual wear is what you will see most other tourists wearing. For kids, lightweight clothes that give good coverage for sun protection are the best idea. You only need to have shoulders covered and longer items if you are visiting temples.

If you are travelling with babies nappies are readily available but other baby equipment such as travel seats for cars are not easily hired and will not be an option if you are travelling by car. You can hire baby equipment once you get to Bali. This is very easy to do and you can hire basically anything you could need – pushchairs, high chairs, cots, car seats, monitors, safety gates. Bali Bubs is one service that allows you to order baby equipment online.

Make sure you have mosquito repellent and sunblock with you and mosquito nets are a good idea but not essential. Anti bacterial hand gel is also useful along with wet wipes.

Obviously, in most countries there is a risk of food poisoning so be careful with street food (although enjoy the experience too). Water in many Southeast Asian countries can make you sick, so only drink and brush your teeth with bottled water and avoid ice cubes in your drinks. Try to stick to fruit that you can peel yourself and avoid uncooked vegetables and salads that may have been rinsed in tap water.

With travelling around Bali, stick to licensed taxis on your Bali family holiday and let an experienced local do the driving as if you have an accident, you are liable as a foreign citizen even if it’s not your fault.

If you like what you see and fancy taking a family holiday to Bali, hope this post gives you lots of tips and tricks to plan your trip!

For further tips and pointers, the Rough Guide to Bali is a good book to buy alongside Bali with Kids which tells you everything you need to know taking a family holiday in Bali.

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