When planning a holiday in Bali with children, there are a few things to consider. While adults can safely spend weeks exploring the exciting culture and beautiful landscape, the interests of the younger generation may be quite different. Although most children are enchanted by the special atmosphere in Bali, they still enjoy a bit of variety and exciting excursions. Therefore, we present some potential excursion destinations below. We also have some additional tips, for example, on what to watch out for when eating in Bali.
Eating with children in Bali
In most cases, it should be easy to find child-friendly food in Bali. Balinese dishes are often very spicy, which is not necessarily suitable for children. However, there are also many mild dishes and the request to avoid hot spices is usually accommodated.
In the tourist centres of Bali, there are also plenty of restaurants offering Western dishes. Children are sure to enjoy a pasta or pizza. Children will also rarely be able to resist a portion of delicious fruit for dessert.
Places to visit in Bali
Bali offers numerous options for great excursions. However, while exploring the temples or the beautiful landscape is never boring for adults, it can be quite different for children. Of course, Bali also has excursion destinations that make children’s hearts beat faster. These range from child-friendly beaches to water parks with large slides and animal attractions. The following is a brief overview of beautiful destinations for excursions with children.
Beach trips
When visiting a beach, it is important to know where the sea is calm. Some beaches in Bali have strong waves, so children should not go into the water unattended everywhere. The following places or beaches are particularly suitable for children:
- Sanur. The beach at Sanur is considered one of the best beaches for children. The sea here is relatively shallow and the waves are largely absorbed by the offshore reef.
- Nusa Dua. There are several beautiful beaches around the tourist centre of Nusa Dua. The beaches have yellow-white sand and are usually kept very clean due to the large number of tourists.
- Jimbaran. Jimbaran on the west coast of Bali is another beautiful sandy beach that is suitable for children. The seabed slopes down very slowly, keeping the sea quite shallow and making it a great place for children to swim. There are many beach cafes along the coast where you can get refreshments.
- Pandawa. Pandawa Beach is located at the southernmost tip of the Bukit Peninsula. The waves here are small and shallow. The beach is also kept very clean and well maintained.
- Amed. In the less touristy region around Amed in the northeast of the island, the sea is usually calm and without high waves. This is a wonderful place to go swimming with children. However, the dark sand can heat up considerably in strong sunlight, so it is better to wear bathing shoes here.
Swimming pools and water parks
If you are travelling with children in Bali, you may want to consider one of the water parks. These are often swimming pools or fun pools with many slides and water features. The facilities differ greatly in terms of size, attractions and also entrance fees. The water parks are not only in the touristy south, but also in the quieter north. The largest and most famous water park, the Waterbom Bali, can be found in Kuta.
Monkey forests
In Bali, there are several places where humans and monkeys can come face to face. However, the animals in these monkey forests are not caged in, but live there voluntarily. And for good reason: they are fed there and do not have to go in search of food themselves. As a visitor, you can walk through the monkey forests on beautifully laid out paths and watch the monkeys go about their normal daily routine. You can usually buy bananas at the entrances to the forests, which you can use to feed the monkeys yourself, which can be great fun, especially for children. We recommend the Ubud Monkey Forest and the Sangeh Monkey Forest.
Bali Bird Park
Just outside the capital, Denpasar, is a large bird park – the Bali Bird Park.
In this beautifully and very green designed area with many tall trees and dense shrubs, children can discover more than 250 different species of birds. The colourful birds, most of which are native to Indonesia, are beautiful to look at. Who will be the first to find the Bali starling, which only occurs in Bali, or the rare bird of paradise? More information about the Bali Bird Park can be found here.
Bali Reptile Park
Right next to the Bird Park is the Reptile Park, the next animal attraction. Here you will find reptiles from more than 80 different species. Children can discover not only turtles but also snakes and lizards. Especially the dangerous-looking crocodiles, the huge Komodo dragons or the large and poisonous inhabitants of the snake cave provide plenty of excitement for the younger ones. Further information about the Bali Reptile Park can be found here.
Conclusion: Holidays in Bali are no problem with children
When travelling with children, a little planning is always required. Apart from the long journey to Bali, the Island of the Gods is perfect for a holiday with children. While Bali has a lot to offer in terms of culture, nature and landscape, there are also many attractions and excursion destinations that children in particular will enjoy. In addition, in most places on the island you can be sure of keeping children happy when it comes to food. All in all, Bali is a wonderful destination for a holiday with children.
