Bali is a wonderful place to bring the family for a holiday. I travelled when my kids were 12, 8 and 4, and we spent 7 days there.
Itinerary
Here is the itinerary that I put together that is suitable for families with young children. Click the links for details.
Check-in at Komea Villa and enjoy its private pool. In the evening, enjoy a sunset dinner on Seminyak Beach at Breezes.
A full-day tour starting with a Barong and Kris Dance, followed by Ubud‘s batik, wood carving and silver factory. Head out to Kintamani to see Mount Batur volcano and a coffee plantation with a chance to try Kopi Luwak. Stop by the famous Rice Padi Terraces at Tegalalang before returning to Ubud for a Balinese dance performance at the Water Palace.
DAY 3: ULUN DANU AND TANAH LOT SUNSET
On this Bedugul full-day tour, visit the Royal Temple before heading high above ground to Pura Ulun Danu. Have lunch overlooking a rice terrace at Pacung. Watch a stunning sunset at Tanah Lot while sipping on fresh coconut.
Depart in the late afternoon for Uluwatu to see the Kecak Fire Dance at sunset, followed by a seafood dinner on the beach at Jimbaran Bay.
DAY 5: BALI SAFARI AND MARINE LIFE PARK
Check-out of the villa and visit Bali Safari and Marine Life Park. (Check for discounted tickets) Watch an excellent balinese theatrical show at Bali Agung in the park. Check-in at the Hard Rock Hotel in Kuta.
Fun at Kuta Beach and the giant sand-based swimming pool at the Hard Rock Hotel. Explore the shops and restaurants in the area.
Day 7: Goodbye
Say goodbye to Bali
Planning a Trip to Bali
Transportation
The best way to get around is to hire a car with a driver. It costs about 500,000 Rp (about USD44, or SGD 55) for a 10-hour full day tour, and 350,000 Rp (about USD30 or SGD 38) for about 5-6 hours. We got a driver from www.balidiscoveryexperience.com based on my sis’ recommendation. The owner of the website assigned me his brother, I Ketut Suwendra, who also happened to have his own website (www.discoverbalidriver.blogspot.com) and email ([email protected]). We got a good 6-seater car with a decent car boot space that could fit all of our bags. You may also want to check for discounts for English-speaking tours on Voyagin (Bali tours).
Accommodations
These are the four popular locations in Bali to consider:
- Kuta – A popular tourist location which tends to be crowded. It has one of the best beaches, with a fantastic view of the sunset. There are also plenty of shops and eateries within walking distance.
- Seminyak and Canggu – A quieter area north of Kuta with a variety of villas. Has several good beaches.
- Ubud – Away from the beach, in central Bali. Tend to be cooler as it is on higher ground. Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali with lots of artist workshops and galleries. There are a number of balinese performances in the evening.
- Sanur – On the opposite coast where you can watch a sunrise in front of the beach.
We stayed in two different accommodations:
- Komea Villa – a beautiful Balinese Villa with a private pool located in the Balinese countryside away from the touristy area. I chose it because the design was authentic and not just a typical modern bungalow. Plus, it was amongst the more affordable villas in Bali at the time of booking. I booked it through Booking.com (Komea Villa).
- Hard Rock Hotel Bali in Kuta. It had a Loft room that could accommodate the 5 of us comfortably. While most rooms are available for booking on Booking.com (Hard Rock Hotel Bali), I could only book the Loft room directly from the Hard Rock Hotel Bali website.
Read more about our stay at the Komea Villa and Hard Rock Hotel.
Attractions in Bali for the family
Other than Kintamani, Ubud, Bedugul, Uluwatu and Jimbaran Bay covered in my itinerary, there were other attractions that we considered:
- Lovina Tour overnight 2-day tour – it includes watching dolphins and snorkelling at Lovina Beach, Banjar hot spring and Gigit water fall
- Submarine cruise – Go into a real submarine cruise and see the corals (www.odysseybali.com)
- Bali Marine Walk – Literally walk on the ocean bed and admire the undersea world (www.bali-marinewalk.com)
- Nusa Dua beach – for water sports
- Waterbom Bali – a water park in Kuta. Search for discounted tickets
- Besakih Tour – Bat Cave and mother temple
- Bali Bird Park (www.bali-bird-park.com). Search for discounted tickets
- Bali Treetop Adventure (www.balitreetop.com). Search for discounted tickets
- Other adventures like Elephant ride and Scuba Diving
Discounted Tours/Tickets
If you do not want to go for a private tour, you can also find a lot of group tours in Bali. Here are some with discounts:
- Bali Sunset Tour: Uluwatu and Tanah Lot
- Full Day tour: Kintamani Volcano and Ubud’s Village
- Bali Safari and Marine Park
- Snorkelling in Nusa Lembongan
