I have been to Bali with my children 7-8 times now and, although this strays from my normal Japan content, I’ve had lots of people ask for my Bali run down (especially if they have been enjoying my Japan with kids recommendations.) We have always visited from Australia or from Japan.
Please note that I have never lived in Bali before – these are just the places that we have tried and liked (and I’ve deliberately excluded those that we didn’t find to be repeat worthy.). The extent of detail on my Japan blog vs this Bali info differs as I feel that there isn’t as many “notes” required when it comes to language and cultural pointers along the way.
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
If you like to eat street food etc I don’t think you will love my reccies as we don’t take risks when it comes to Bali belly or unfiltered water etc (we haven’t ever had Bali Belly, thank goodness, and don’t plan to start now.)
What to pack for a family holiday in Bali
Hardcore mosquito repellant
Pain meds like paracetamol
Formula (if using) as it is more expensive in Bali
Sunscreen from home – it is readily available in Bali but more expensive as it is almost always imported
Familiar snacks from home
Whatever else you’d normally pack for a summer holiday anywhere in the world
SEMINYAK
Seminyak is probably my favourite area to stay in Bali. I like all of the food options as well as I’ve found the shopping here to be my favourite. It’s also not so far from the airport either.
Favourite places to eat with kids in Seminyak:
Coffee Cartel for brekkie, brunch or lunch ( the food here is soooo good and lots of burgers and veggies and salad bowls etc)
Kudeta
A little on the fancy side but a great kids menu. The vibe is ” it’s a special birthday dinner!” or “a reason to celebrate.”
If kids can’t sit still at the table I’d probably give this a miss. Even though my kids are bigger now we still bring a few restaurant friendly activities like colouring or a simple board game. The food here is outstanding and so is the view at sunset. It’s all very vibey. My son loves the pizza here (he ate two!) and my daughter loves the steak.
La Plancha Bali
Here, everyone sits on colourful bean bags on the beach and orders food and drinks ( and kids can paddle in the water and sellers come up and ask if you’d like to have kids hair braided etc) can reserve or try your luck with a walk in. Once it becomes dark, beach sellers also sell light up toys. This is great place to come if your kids don’t like to sit still for long. There are lots of families here.
La Luciola
Italian restaurant that feels like a big beautiful treehouse. The restaurant is beautiful and the grounds around the restaurant are all well kept (it’s not far from the beach either.)
Favourite places to stay with kids in Seminyak:
The Samaya
This is definitely a bougee way to stay in Seminyak. This place is soooo lovely though and they were so accommodating with kids. Food is incredible. Only downside (and it’s just me being super fussy) is the pool in the villa had one step then it was deep the whole pool length which made it a bit tricky with little kids.
Peppers Seminyak
This is a very very family friendly hotel (so family-friendly that I def wouldn’t stay here if I didn’t have kids. The food here (apart from breakfast) wasn’t that great though. Kids still had a blast. I definitely recommend asking for a villa where the living area is indoors (not just the bedrooms) if you’re prone to mosquito bites as my daughter got eaten alive. The staff here were so kind, accommodating and flexible.
Favourite beach clubs in the Seminyak area:
Beach clubs mean that you pay for a day bed by a beach club pool and order food and drink to be delivered to that day bed.
Mrs Sippy
This beach club is my favourite. Sooo pretty and so lovely and clean. Need to book ahead of time. We love it here so much. There are a few boards for kids to jump off into the water as well which is well-manned by life guards.
Potato Head Beach Club
Here you can rent a daybed or eat at the restaurant (and still swim at the pool.). We always prepare to rent a daybed.
The cauliflower dish on the menu is amazing. My kids love ordering soft drinks at the swim up bar. It’s lovely but also can get a bit “nightclubby” late at night but it is fun and vibey.
Other ideas for this area:
WaterBom Bali
We really enjoy this water park in Bali. I was worried, before visiting, that it wouldn’t feel safe enough – but was pleasantly surprised how well manned all of the attractions are and there are many many safety rules in place. This place is fun for little toddlers but there are also plenty of thrill-based attractions for teens.
CANGGU (pronounced like “Changgu”)
This area is not much further on from Seminyak (although can take as long as an hour to get there in the traffic, at times, as there is just one main road into town and, with all of the new construction in the area, cars and scooters are competing for travel space along with cement trucks and small cranes etc.)
Favourite places to eat with kids in Canggu: We like to eat at Milk & Madu (there are two branches in Canggu) and we have always ended up at the Berawa option – the menus are the same. There is also a Milk & Madu in Ubud
We love the menu and the cocktails here. There is also often live music in the evenings. You don’t need a reservation here – just walk on in.
UBUD
There is another of our favourites Milk & Madu in Ubud too.
JIMBARAN
Four Seasons Resort Bali At Jimbaran Bay. The customer service here is incredible. It’s such a gorgeous resort.
NUSA DUA
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
