Indonesia : Bali travel guide | Family travel
Loading article…
During our stay in Bali, we were able to stay with our two children at several Marriott hotels. Here’s a brief presentation of these and our travel itinerary.
To sum up, Bali was a surprising discovery for us. There are many little treasures to discover, the food is good, and you’re quickly won over by the lush green surroundings.
However, the island is increasingly visited, and traffic is heavy in some places, which can spoil the view. So if possible, choose a slightly slower period to make the most of it.
Our team has also put together a complete general guide to Bali, including itineraries and must-sees, to complement this article and help you plan your trip to Bali.
Enjoy your reading!
Our accommodations in Bali
The Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa
Be sure to check out our full report on the Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa, it was one of our favorites. An airy lobby overlooking nature and the Indian Ocean. Like us, you’ll appreciate the relaxing ambience on arrival.
The Kids Club was on two floors. Original activities included pottery, masquerade costume and traditional dance classes, water balloon games and even taking them to enjoy the pool (my only regret, it was a bit dark indoors). Alexandra found it hard to leave, having really enjoyed Padma.
Offering a day-care service at a cost of $10/hour for up to 2 children – our youngest being under 4, the age at which the Kids Club is free – we took advantage of the opportunity to visit the south of the island with a driver over a 4-hour period.
Four points by Sheraton Bali – Kuta
Benefits
- Friendly and polite staff.
- A perfect hotel location in the center of Kuta with free underground parking available.
- A lovely open lobby, a restaurant serving a full breakfast and another pool on the roof of the hotel, much smaller but cosy with an adjoining bar.
- Finally, the Kids Club was beautiful and well-stocked with games, with a children’s pool right next door.
Cons
- The central pool on the first floor is interesting at first glance. However, it’s not the most practical: few deckchairs are available on the central platform, and towels are given away at the other end of the hotel in exchange for cards.
- The rooms face each other, and because they’re so close, you can see your neighbor across the street, especially if you’re at the pool. Rather special.
Bali Element Hotel Ubud
When we arrived, the children were each given a stuffed animal, the hotel’s mascot. An excellent attention that will immediately delight Alexandra. See our review here.
The hotel also had a games room. Not having seen this detail at the time of booking, it was a nice surprise. Small but functional.
Jean-Maximilien managed to get us a lovely suite (with his famous negotiation in the Marriott chat application). And even though we were 4 in the same bed (in a king but still tight), the pools, the atmosphere, and the suite made us stay two nights.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600$100 deferred bonus, excluded from the first-year estimate and not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
The Westin in Ubud, Bali
Another hotel we visited was the Westin in Ubud, a hotel that opened in early January 2020 and transported you into the jungle.
Discovery of the island of Bali
Visit the South of Bali Island
The distances are small, but the streets are narrow. It took us 4 hours to check out the various southern beaches and the temple, or at least the shores of Uluwatu (the temple being closed).
The west coast is more frequented by surfers, intense waves and rocky beaches. Pandawa beach is one of the most beautiful and easily accessible beaches. Like many other beaches and temples, access is subject to a fee.
Jean-Maximilien will have the opportunity to take some great shots with his drone.
It soon becomes clear that the southern part of Bali is in full swing, building to the rhythm of tourism. New resorts will soon be springing up in certain parts of the coast, to be continued!
The Balinese temples and sculptures are everywhere, and I almost wanted to photograph everything because I was so impressed by the statues and the black volcanic rock.
We headed for the country’s tallest erected statue (and 17th in the world), Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park in Uluwatu, Bali.
A very recent park, inaugurated just in September 2018 and featuring 3 Hindu statues mainly, the tallest of which, can be seen from Kuta. Once at the bottom of the tallest statue, it doesn’t look all that impressive.
The entrance is not given, but several performances are offered every day. We did not have the chance to attend, unfortunately, having to join the children, but it seems that they are worth the detour.
In conclusion, a few things interested us about the southern part of the island of Bali. The interest of going there really lies in the fact of staying in a resort to rest.
Some streets are vivacious such as the beach of Pantai Padang Padang, towards Uluwatu Beach.
Car Rental
After seeing the local driving, and weighing up the pros and cons of taking on the services of a driver/guide, we finally decided to rent a car(the current Amex offer helping!) as we like to be independent.
We returned to the airport to get the car, where we had to wait for an AVIS agent. He led us to our car parked in the parking lot: a Toyota Avanza, a car we know well since we had the same one in South Africa!
With children, getting from one place to another, and stopping when we wanted to, was paramount. As the heat and humidity were quite difficult to bear, we preferred to spare them the temple visits and winding roads and take babysitters from the hotel from time to time.
Driving here is no small matter. Forget the wide, straight lines of Quebec. Driving on the left isn’t the problem: it’s the countless scooters popping out all over the place and the narrow streets that demand constant vigilance!
The car is good. On the other hand, it is not always easy to find a place where as a scooter will always see and be able to circulate much more, in the villages or the lanes. Onetime, we did not know where to park or found ourselves blocked in the middle of the rice fields.
Ubud and surroundings
From Kuta, it takes about 1h30 to get to Ubud. Ubud is a busy, bustling town where tourists are constantly crossing paths, rather like Kuta after all. But it’s much more interesting culturally.
We liked the atmosphere, the little restaurants, the little stores open to the outside world.
Along the way to Bali’s Element by Westin, artisans display their work in their workshops or roadside stores: wood, stone or glass sculptures, fabric stores, dresses or even crochet swings. It is to be lost but fabulous to observe this work. I would have brought back a lot if it had been possible.
Higher up, we reach the rice fields of Tegallalang, for example. Many Instagrammers come here to find the perfect photo on the swings.
The attraction is so popular that, as we drove on, craftsmen were working on new benches, seats and swings to keep tourists happy. Many attractions of this type have opened, but nothing to do with Bali.
We preferred to get lost in the jungle of Bali or to look for the rice fields less popular with tourists.
The monkey forest of Bali is a must-see. The forest is a jungle, in fact, pleasant and shaded by the place where we find (besides monkeys) numerous statues.
The monkeys wander, climb, leap from vine to vine and easily come to you, always with the idea of taking something from you.
The children were not very reassured but still enjoyed watching them.
And by chance Marie Hélène, a Quebecer on a trip around the world, recognized us and called out to us! A wonderful encounter in the middle of the forest! She travels alone and, like us, plans her journeys as she goes, according to her whims. Have a good trip if you read us and enjoy discovering Cambodia!
The bird park is on the road to Ubud. When choosing an attraction for children, we wanted to pick a honest centre.
It was a stunning discovery. Species we’d never seen before, a Komodo, and even some owls!
The park has the advantage of a shady restaurant with a play area for children, perfect for a break.
Kuta
A word about Kuta, one of the big beach resorts. People go to parties, go shopping, get a massage or watch the sunset on the beach. There was a crowd as we passed. We’re in low season, so imagine high season!
Not necessarily the kind of city where one likes to stay for a long time. For those who know Phuket, it looks like Patong.
Our son was amazed to see the last rays of sunlight disappear into the ocean…
The temples in Bali
There are everywhere on the island. Not all of them are referenced because there are too many. In fact, as you wander through the lanes of various villages, behind the volcanic rock walls, magnificent Balinese family temples stand.
Of course, you can’t photograph everything, and the locals certainly don’t want to be photographed, but we had a great time getting lost in the narrow streets.
The temples being numerous, we visited some of them. It’s a bit like Thailand or Cambodia, there are so many that you can’t visit them all. But it is an absolute pleasure to walk through them.
The Tirta Empul temple is one of the most known, the faithful meet there for a ceremony of purification and to carry out their offerings and rituals.
The Balinese live to the rhythm of prayers, rituals and offerings to the deities they worship. The offerings consist of small baskets in which incense and flowers are placed in a defined order or baskets of fruit. Everything is precise. The inhabitants proudly wear their traditional clothes and are always smiling and peaceful.
Religious ceremonies occur regularly, and we were lucky enough to come across one.
Bottom Line
It’s easy to see why so many people come here for yoga and health retreats! The Balinese are absolutely friendly, ready to help you, and love to chat, asking where you’re from, what you’ve seen on the island or what you’ll be visiting soon.
We came at the height of the rainy season (and low tourist season), and luckily didn’t get a drop!
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $255
- Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Continue reading with Aline’s article on Bali and discover the must-see temples:
Here are our different reports of hotels in Bali: