Bali recommendations for young family

[RK228]

Hi all,

As our Japan trip is looking increasingly unlikely for July, we’ve managed to book a back-up trip using airlines miles that sees us going KL, Bali, Singapore, and then back home.

We’re thinking the Hilton Kuala Lumpur for our few days in KL as it can be conveniently reached by express train.

We don’t know much about Bali, however, and we’re wondering if anyone had any thoughts on accommodation for 11–21 July? We’re two adults and a little guy (4yo).

We’d like to have some beach/pool days, but also some days doing activities/exploring/sightseeing and convenient access to selection of restaurants. Easy travel to and from airport would be nice, but we have no sense of where anything is and how realistic this is. I’m not sure if it makes sense to stay in a couple different places during our time there?

Also, how do people generally get around? Taxi? Hire car? This bit concerns me because we probably won’t be bringing our child seat with us and we’re concerned for our little guy’s safety.

At any rate, this is a long-winded way of asking for family travel advice in Bali. I’d love to hear any thoughts/recommendations.

Thanks!

[Michael C]

My main recommendation would be…go there with the little one and never come back!

For that number of days, I might do 2 centres: Legian/Seminyak, + Ubud. The former is hectic but also full of restaurants + activities/water parl, the latter the rice fields/dances, etc.

Do remember the beaches are not Thailand – think for a 4-yr old the pool will be more fun. We had a great stay at that age at the (Marriott) Stones Hotel. Big pool easy to keep an eye on, pleasant open-air but covered place to eat, and small indoor aircon kids’s club if needed. Bali Padma will turn up on lots of searches: while the place and location were great, the guests there were a complete nightmare.

Car+driver by the half day/day is the best way to travel. If you search “Epo Bali Driver”, they have child seats and you can just plan your own routes.

Whatever you do, it’ll be fantastic!

[Jon]

If you’re there for 10 days I’d definitely move around and stay in two (or even three) places – eg maybe Seminyak for the beach, Ubud for culture and nature, and perhaps either Candi Dasa (the Alila is nice) or Uluwatu. You could even build in a few days in Lombok on your way back, perhaps. Uma Sapna villas in Seminyak was lovely when I stayed, albeit many years ago, and walking distance to the shops and cafes etc. Alila Ubud is very nice if you get a villa (the standard rooms are a bit small and dark, as I recall), and if you stay at both Alilas they may still do a free transfer between. Or Sri Rathi Cottages was a little gem within walking distance of Ubud centre and very good for the price, I thought. Also loved Kamandalu Ubud. One area I wouldn’t bother with is Nusa Dua – might as well stay in Europe and avoid the long journey 😉 I can’t comment on the child-suitability of those but hopefully it might give you a starting point for Googling…

[SamG]

I’d do Seminyak way (great restaurant options, beach is nicer) and a couple of days in Ubud. Possibly contriversial but I wouldn’t rule out Westin or Luxury Collection at Nusa Dua at the end as they would be perfect for a few easy days with a 4 year old, very child friendly pools etc.

Depending on budget if you want a cheaper option for Seminyak then I’ve stayed at Maison At C Boutique Hotel a few times

I wouldn’t do Lombok, the fast boats aren’t really ideal for a kid and flying will add a lot of time and it wasn’t lifechanging there TBH!

Have a look on Klook for driver options – you hire one per day. I imagine there are some better options there who can bring a car seat

[BuildBackBetter]

Don’t drive. Roads are narrow and traffic horrendous. Easy to find a driver and cheap.

Ubud for temples, culture etc. don’t bother with beaches in Bali as Thailand beaches are far superior. Marriott has a nice property in Ubud. I’d spend more time in Ubud or other interior places as that’s what makes Bali unique.

[RK228]

@Michael-C, @Jon, @SamG, and @BuildBackBetter

Wow, thanks to you all for the advice. This has been really helpful. I’ve just been doing some furious Googling of all the places and hotels you’ve mentioned.

I’m quite liking the look of the sites and accommodation around Ubud, in particular, from what I’ve seen so far.

My wife has been doing some of her own research too and she seems keen on Sanur for a few days. Any thoughts on this and how it compares to Seminyak?

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[aseftel]

Have you considered Penang instead of Bali? That would hit the brief of ‘beach/pool/sightseeing/activities/restaurants’ with less travelling and no international borders to cross.

The Hilton is a good choice for KL.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[RK228]

aseftel wrote:

Have you considered Penang instead of Bali? That would hit the brief of ‘beach/pool/sightseeing/activities/restaurants’ with less travelling and no international borders to cross.

Yes, Penang and/or Langkawi was what we were originally thinking.

With Indonesia just announcing the lifting of testing requirements though, my wife was quite keen on Bali as we’ve never been to Indonesia and the flight options/availability (from KL using Avios and then to SIN using KLM Flying Blue Miles) worked well with this. We’d also read that July was the best time in terms of weather for visiting Bali.

If it looks like there will be issues with crossing international borders, we’re planning on only booking flights/hotels that can be cancelled, so we can look to fall back on the Penang/Langkawi option.

[chrisw1983]

A few years back we stayed at the Alila UBud which was wonderful for a few nights then a week in the Laguna hotel in Nusa Dua which had swim out rooms and would be brilliant with a little one.

[RK228]

chrisw1983 wrote:

A few years back we stayed at the Alila UBud which was wonderful for a few nights then a week in the Laguna hotel in Nusa Dua which had swim out rooms and would be brilliant with a little one.

Thanks. Will take a look at this.

[Mirp]

I stayed at the Regent Sanur (may be called Fairmont now) 6 years ago and it was very nice and calm. Lots of children and places you could walk to for evening meal. We also took speedboat one of the islands to go diving — which was a rough ride but by partner enjoyed the diving and we liked the little island as the the hotel we stayed at I generally had the pool to myself with my child. We then moved to the W Bali which we didn’t love although there were lots of Australian children there — too much of a party scene for us.

[SamG]

Mirp wrote:

I stayed at the Regent Sanur (may be called Fairmont now) 6 years ago and it was very nice and calm. Lots of children and places you could walk to for evening meal. We also took speedboat one of the islands to go diving — which was a rough ride but by partner enjoyed the diving and we liked the little island as the the hotel we stayed at I generally had the pool to myself with my child. We then moved to the W Bali which we didn’t love although there were lots of Australian children there — too much of a party scene for us.

I’ve never been to Sanur but this aligns to what I heard, older resorts which bigger pools and a more chilled vibe. I know a lot of the boats do leave from there so not sure how that impacts the beach?

I wouldn’t take my kids to the W, not my scene at all. But we do enjoy a few days around the restaurants and shops there (La Lucciola on the beach is a family favourite!)

[Aston100]

Mirp wrote:

I stayed at the Regent Sanur (may be called Fairmont now) 6 years ago and it was very nice and calm. Lots of children and places you could walk to for evening meal.

Looks like an Intercontinental and a Holiday Inn next door.

[IPC]

We went to Bali for Xmas / New Year 2018. Beach front Hotels in Seminyak were 2-3 times the price of Sanur so we took an average and split it 5 nights in each. Seminyak Beach Resort / Hyatt Regency Sanur. I enjoyed both resorts, Seminyak wins on the Beach and the Sunsets but the Hyatt Regency was really good value (The new Andaz Hotel next door looks nice)

Mandarin Oriental when in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for me.

[Keely]

Morning just hijacking this thread please. Have 241 flights to Singapore in Jan and was planning to go into Thailand. However a friend has suggested Bali instead – but I note it’s rainy season in January . Does anyone have any experience of Bali in January please? We can cope with Florida- type downfalls of an hour a day etc but obviously any more might spoil things as do want some beach time too. (I do realise this is a how long is a piece of string question …just looking for general experiences please). Thanks

[BBbetter]

https://www.selectiveasia.com/weather/january

Keely wrote:

Morning just hijacking this thread please. Have 241 flights to Singapore in Jan and was planning to go into Thailand. However a friend has suggested Bali instead – but I note it’s rainy season in January . Does anyone have any experience of Bali in January please? We can cope with Florida- type downfalls of an hour a day etc but obviously any more might spoil things as do want some beach time too. (I do realise this is a how long is a piece of string question …just looking for general experiences please). Thanks

[Keely]

@bbbetter – thanks. I had seen that but was more looking for actual experiences . E.g I’ve been to Florida 6-7 times in supposed hurricane season but wouldn’t hesitate to go again at that time as generally you just get one very heavy downpour a day and then it’s all cleared up again whereas others might read it and be put off.

[forensic]

Firstly, this is my go to site for climate https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/indonesia/bali

We’ve not been in January but I can offer the experience in mid-February. Basically as described above, occasional rain in the mornings and usually a torrential downpour in the late afternoon. These lasted about an hour or so and did not really impact the holiday. Certainly we had plenty of beach time. Looking at the stats February is not too different to January but as we are seeing at the moment the climate is rather unpredictable. Basically, irrespective of any what I or any site may say YMMV for good or bad!

[SamG]

It’s unpredictable but I’ve been quite a few times that time of year and you can easily get days on end of grey and rain. Whereas you’d be quite unlucky to get that in Thailand- any rain there will be more like Florida- an hr and gone

[Keely]

SamG wrote:

It’s unpredictable but I’ve been quite a few times that time of year and you can easily get days on end of grey and rain. Whereas you’d be quite unlucky to get that in Thailand- any rain there will be more like Florida- an hr and gone

@SamG and &forensic thanks – that’s made my mind up- back to plan A and Thailand . Will save Bali for another time .

[Michael C]

Possibly for slightly older kids: we’ve just come back from the
Bali Hard Rock Resort! As the name suggests, it’s not a romantic hideaway ;o)…..
but for our 9-yr old, it was just perfect. One of the best pools I’ve seen anywhere: massive,
divided into different parts, with an artificial beach, splash park, beach volleyball,
water-basketball, etc. etc., as well as organised activities every afternoon that loads of
kids took part in.

The VIP section was great, with it’s own (quiet!) pool and own bar, with an excellent
free happy hour included.

It’s obviously for a specific demographic, but we had a blast, then did daytrips out with a dar & driver.

[polly]

@Michael C

Good to hear your feedback re Hard Rock. Have looked at it but went for Bintang instead. Seemed quite noisy, but seems perfect for the 9yo. Glad you had a great time. Planning with our lot, including a 6yo for Nov 24 ( told them l will pay the school fine to add an extra week off to half term ) naughty l know, but we only live once!

Would still recommend Bintang Bali Resort to anyone with kids. Lots to do around there. And my 1 hr massages every day on the beach there at £6 an hour, unbeatable anywhere in the world! Plus, a bit easier on the pocket than Hard Rock…

We are back there in November for 2 weeks after the SYDNEY wedding, can’t wait as usual… our local fisherman at corner cafe going out at 5pm to get us our fresh snapper, unreal… fishes to order, literally. And such a great charity worker. Fed his whole community through Covid, with his daily fishing. Fabulous.

[Michael C]

polly wrote:

@Michael C

Good to hear your feedback re Hard Rock. Have looked at it but went for Bintang instead. Seemed quite noisy, but seems perfect for the 9yo. Glad you had a great time. Planning with our lot, including a 6yo for Nov 24 ( told them l will pay the school fine to add an extra week off to half term ) naughty l know, but we only live once!

Would still recommend Bintang Bali Resort to anyone with kids. Lots to do around there. And my 1 hr massages every day on the beach there at £6 an hour, unbeatable anywhere in the world! Plus, a bit easier on the pocket than Hard Rock…

We are back there in November for 2 weeks after the SYDNEY wedding, can’t wait as usual… our local fisherman at corner cafe going out at 5pm to get us our fresh snapper, unreal… fishes to order, literally. And such a great charity worker. Fed his whole community through Covid, with his daily fishing. Fabulous.

Love that, @Polly, sounds fabulous. Sure our next trip when he’s a bit bigger will be slightly different: he did love the gamelan performances/dances in Ubud, etc.Some of the pricing has also gone haywire, so I’d also stick to your beloved Bintang!! Oh, one thing we didn’t get to do but looked great for families was cooking course with “Chef Bagus” (quick search turns it up: great fun to eat at in the evening, too!)