Travel Tips

5 Reasons You Should Visit Bali with Kids (with Insider Tips!!)

Bali With Kids: 5 Reasons Our Family Loved Visiting

A friend’s Bali photograph first put the island on our itinerary. After six weeks there with five children, I had plenty of memories to share—from our favorite driver and waterfall outings to food, surf lessons and family time.

Our family’s Bali stay at Grand Mirage · Full film (5 min 30 sec)

▶Watch full film 5 min 30 sec

This companion film focuses on Grand Mirage, family pool time and a conversation about the kids club. The article covers a wider six-week visit. Prices and activities describe our own earlier experience; check current details for your dates.

Want to know why we visited Bali with kids? I saw a friend’s picture on Instagram while she was in Bali and I’d never seen anything like it. That sold me and Bali landed on our itinerary. I didn’t even know where Bali was! We stayed there for six weeks total and learned plenty in our time there! With five kids in tow as we travel full-time, we learn plenty of hacks for travel with kids.

Our Grand Mirage Family Film

Pool Time and Our First Week’s Accommodation

The film moves from the children by the pool to my conversation about arriving in Bali and staying at Grand Mirage for the first week. That is one specific part of our family’s Bali story, rather than a tour of every place mentioned below.

Arriving at Grand Mirage With Our Family · Scene from our film (25 sec)

▶Watch scene from our film 25 sec

Our companion film follows family life at Grand Mirage: pool time, the kids club and adjusting Chris’s work schedule around U.S. business hours. It offers a resort-focused glimpse alongside the six-week Bali memories in this article. Check with the property for current amenities and schedules.

So why should you pick Bali for your next family vacation? Why is Bali a good place to visit with kids?

1. We found a wide range of prices. During our six-week Bali visit, we found options that felt affordable for a family of seven, alongside more expensive choices. The prices and comparisons below describe what we saw then; they are not current quotes.

Lodging: For our six-week stay, we booked an Airbnb well in advance because our family is large and we needed reliable internet. We were there over Christmas and New Year and spent about $1,000 per week on our accommodation. That is a memory from our earlier trip, not a current Bali lodging estimate.

We saw a broad range of accommodation styles during that visit. Current rates and inclusions change, so compare recent listings for your dates and group size.

Food: During our visit, we found some meals that cost only a few dollars per person, alongside a wide range of other options. Any prices we remember are from that trip and should not be used as a current budget estimate. Due to all the tourists, the food is excellent. Seriously. Some of our best food in Asia was in Bali! You can find Italian, Indonesian, Indian, Chinese, pizza, lots and lots of gelato and more. If American comfort food is your thing, no problem! You’ll find that too.

Transportation: We used drivers for longer days out and shorter rides around the island. The rates we paid are historical; confirm current transport arrangements and prices locally.

On our trip, we used Grab for some rides. Availability and services change, so check current options for your destination before relying on an app.

Watch our original related video on YouTube

2. The People We Got to Know

2. We remember the warmth of people we met. During our stay, people we met often greeted us warmly, and at some meals our children were welcomed and entertained. We appreciated those moments; every family and interaction is different, so follow your own comfort level and your children’s cues.

During our stay, we saw daily offerings along sidewalks and around our villa. I found the practice moving and beautiful; this is a memory from our visit, not a description of every person or place on the island.

For a longer outing, decide which places you hope to see and how much time you have. We appreciated learning from the drivers we got to know; transport arrangements and services vary, so check current local options.

For short point-to-point trips, we sometimes used the ride app mentioned in the original post. Our longer outings were different: we found drivers we liked and learned from them as we explored. App availability and local transport arrangements can change, so check current options for your destination.

We cycled through a few in our six weeks and really came to love one in particular. He did end up going home to be with his family in his village and we had to find new drivers for our last couple of weeks. However, he felt like part of the family! Two of our kids threw up in his car, we spent sometimes 8-10 hours with him, he started helping with the kids or holding their hands to cross the street. It was fun. He taught us a ton about the local culture and religion. I think he appreciated our genuine interest as well.

Family Time at the Resort

Alongside the days out with our drivers, the film captures another side of traveling with five children. Chris and I talk about the hotel’s kids club and how happy the children were with it. The wider conversation mentions activities such as LEGO and a foam party. Those are memories of our stay, not a promise about the property’s current program.

Why We Appreciated the Kids Club · Scene from our film (25 sec)

▶Watch scene from our film 25 sec

3. Enjoy living a tropical life. Outdoor showers were one of the details that made our own accommodation feel different. Shower layouts and privacy vary by property, so look at the actual room information if that matters to you.

Note: There are some creepy crawlies. This is going to sound strange, but you’ll just get used to it. In the home where we stayed, we saw geckos at night and occasionally a mouse, a rat on the porch, cockroaches, or a centipede. It took some adjustment for me, but these were details of our accommodation and not a description of every home or neighborhood in Bali. I still loved our time there.

Abundant waterfalls, beaches, jungles and more await you in Bali. On our trip, we combined waterfalls with lunch during a day out. The under-$50 figure in our original account was our estimate at the time, not a current cost; plan for your dates and activities.

4. The natural beauty is incredible. Getting outdoors was a memorable part of our time in Bali. Consider the route, weather and your children’s needs when planning an outing.

In addition to the waterfalls, we enjoyed Bali’s varied landscapes. We did an overnight volcano hike and ate breakfast cooked in the volcano steam. Rice terraces, rafting, surfing and jungle swings were among the outings we considered or enjoyed during that chapter of our travels; check the current arrangements and suitability of any activity for your family.

We also noticed litter and rubbish in some places during our visit, including streets and riverbeds. That was a difficult part of what we saw, alongside the landscapes we loved.

5. We enjoyed learning about Balinese culture. We appreciated the people who shared their knowledge with us. I’d recommend a Kecak dance. See my other post about Things to Do in Bali for Families for more info, but this was such a magical experience. There are several options including in a sacred temple or overlooking an ocean cliff.

Various temples dot the island and many are open to tourists. Constant celebrations and holidays mean you’ll likely catch one while you visit.

Do I think we could live in Bali? You bet! We met many families having a great life there. We even wondered whether we could build a life there and do meaningful work. That was a personal daydream from our trip, not a current property or business recommendation.

Bali gave our family plenty of memories, and it is a destination I’m glad we included in our travels.

However, I don’t feel like it is our place. We both like a little more modern and a little bit less natural disaster risk! The volcanos are active, mudslides are real and earthquakes and tsunamis are no joke. One local told me the Balinese are incredible resilient and they will overcome whatever comes. I can see that. They embrace whatever is given and find their happiness there. It’s a beautiful way to live.

I’d encourage all families to consider Bali for their next vacation with kids. Bali offered our family memorable experiences during that visit. Costs depend on dates, route, and travel style; if you are already traveling in the region, you might also consider whether another destination fits your plans.

Have tips for Bali? Comment below!

Further Reading

For more tips on Bali, check out Billy’s post, a fellow full-time traveler, on what you must do in Bali on your next trip. Billy has been traveling for six years! Amazing!

XOXO,

Leslie