Exploring Bali with the Family: A Dreamy Getaway

OHbaby! Editor, Kristina Rapley and her family spend a dreamy few weeks exploring Bali.

Often referred to as 'Mama Bali' or 'Island of the Gods' in spiritual circles, Bali is far more than just beautiful villas, infinity pools, and incredible hospitality. Anyone whose been, will tell you there’s a certain magic in the air there, a peacefulness and an invitation to slow down and marvel in nature and ritual. My husband Ashton has been there a lot on surfing trips, and we’ve been together just the two of us, but this was our first trip with our four-year-old, Tallulah.

A trip to Indonesia is not for the faint of heart, especially with young children in tow. It’s a long way from home (10 hours from Auckland, direct), and the dreaded Bali Belly is a very real concern, one we didn't escape (more on that later).  All that being said, Booking.com’s Regional Manager of Oceania, Todd Lacey, says Bali has moved up in the most searched for destination list since more flight routes have opened up from NZ. “Our recent Booking.com Travel Confidence Index highlighted Kiwi travellers are becoming savvy spenders, choosing budget-friendly accommodations (42%), travelling during off-peak times (39%), and practising mindful spending (40%) – which Bali is perfect for” he says. “Bali is a beautiful destination offering great cuisine, beaches, wildlife and a rich culture and history. It is a great location for families looking to explore and sightsee on a smaller budget,” he adds.

We had an absolute blast and I would do it all again in a heartbeat... and nothing worth having ever came easy right? Here’s how it all went down…

FIRST STOP, HOTEL KOMUNE RESORT & BEACH CLUB 

Nestled right on the beach of one of Bali’s best surfing waves on the unspoilt east coast of Bali, sits the ultimate family-friendly retreat. We arrived very weary after a full day and half a night in transit, and were led to our room via a sandy path lit up with lanterns and towering palm trees, looking forward to a good sleep. We woke the next morning to the sight and sound of the epic Keramas surf break mere meters from our room. We couldn’t believe it, actual paradise had been found.

We soon fell into a beautifully lazy rhythm for the next four days – coffee in bed, surfing, then breakfast and poolside hangs in either our room pool or the big resort pool for the rest of the day, before enjoying dinner together at the beach club again, where they served a mixture of authentic Balinese dishes as well as Western favourites.

The resort boasts a range of different rooms from 4-star and 5-star beachfront pool rooms, to 1,2 and 3 bedroom villas. There’s also a kids' club with daily activities and a playground. We loved the family movies played on a big screen at the beach every evening. There was a big group there at the same time as us, over from New Zealand too for a wedding. All the young kids would play on the bean bags and watch the movie while mum and dad enjoyed their dinner in peace with their friends; an ideal setup for young families.

There’s also an adults only pool and health hub, with a variety of super healthy meals and juices available. One of my highlights of the whole trip was the ‘Four Hands Massage’ treatment I got at the spa. One hour, two wonderful therapists and truly the most amazing spa experience I’ve ever had! The treatment cost around $60 NZD, so pretty great value. Komune was the perfect place for us to rest after our long journey, and really get into the groove of Bali life. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. And if you surf or you have a surfer in your life, it’s a must visit!

NEXT UP, CANGGU

After four days living the resort life, we were ready for a bit more of a home-away-from-home vibe, and that’s exactly what we got at Sunny Village Berawa. We booked a beautifully-designed two bedroom, two-bathroom villa with private pool and kitchen/living etc, through Booking.com. When travelling to places like Indonesia, it was important to us to book accommodation that has a sustainability focus, to ensure we were respectful to both the environment and local community. Booking.com have a handy sustainability level rating with all of their listings in order to promote a more sustainable travel industry.

Unfortunately, Ashton was out of action with either Bali Belly or some sort of tropical virus (maybe a combination of both), so we laid pretty low for the first couple of days here. We were close to an amazing little supermarket that I walked to for supplies – beautiful local and exotic fruit, fresh veges, ice cream and ice blocks, and thankfully some familiar things that Tallulah likes to eat from home – pasta, fresh bread and yoghurt pouches. 

Once Ashton was feeling better, we hired a scooter and were able to start eating out and exploring the sights and sounds of busy Canggu. It’s a popular base for digital nomads and business owners, and the array of different eateries there is truly outstanding (the shopping is good too!). It’s hectic and loud, but vibrant and alive – a true feast for the senses. After a couple of days of mostly just eating our way around Canggu, we thought we’d better do something fun for Tallulah. We spent a day at Splash Park Bali and had the most fun ever! Admission isn’t cheap, so I would recommend getting there early and hiring a lounger for the whole day to really get your money’s worth. Tallulah is usually a cautious little girl, unsure of new experiences and places, so it was magic to see her being so bold and brave on the slides and play areas. Ashton and I also had a ball going on the bigger hydro slides and it was so much fun to just really let loose and feel like kids again for a day.

Another highlight was the day we spent at Atlas Beach Club, the world’s biggest beach and night club, right on Atlas beach. We secured ourselves some loungers right by the family pool, and Tallulah had a blast swimming, people watching and dragging her dad up and down the slide about a hundred times. We had rounds of cocktails and tasty treats delivered all afternoon and had the most relaxing time. We left just on sunset as the party goers started to arrive for the night’s festivities and I was just a tad jealous we weren’t staying on to party the night away.

BEAUTIFUL BINGIN

From the hustle and bustle of Canggu we headed next for the pristine coastline of Bukit Peninsula, home to a twinkling aqua ocean and legendary waves at Bingin Beach. Crystal clear water and sandy nooks for sunbathing are dotted along this beach, as well as some truly spectacular places to stay. Frequented mostly by hipsters, surf bums and intrepid traveller-types, the accommodation is more ‘barefoot boutique’ than 5-star hotel, but we found ourselves in the pick of the bunch at Legends Beachfront Resort, which we found and booked through booking.com. Just a few steps away from the beach, with panoramic views of two famous surf breaks (Impossibles and Bingin), we were literally pinching ourselves to have found such a gem. It’s important to note, there is no transport down the cliff to the beach and beachfront accommodation. You get dropped off at the top and have to venture down the steep steps (most places will have staff bring your bags down for you though.). This was honestly not a big deal at all, and Tallulah navigated the steps absolutely fine. We didn’t see many young families there, I suspect the steps put a lot of people off, but if you’re keen to get off the beaten track a little and experience something a bit more laid back, this spot is complete perfection.

We settled into a deliciously slow daily routine of coffee, surf, and swims, book reading (and Peppa Pig watching) and eating. Bingin Beach is one of those places that you think, 'I could live here' a million times a day. The local warungs (small restaurants serving traditional food) are very cheap to eat at, and there is a nightly beach BBQ serving local seafood caught that day, with rice and condiments, which is absolutely incredible. We ate most of our meals at Lucky Fish Lounge next door, who run the beach BBQ but also serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. A word to the wise, if peace and quiet is essential for you on holiday, Bingin may not be the place. There are parties with music at night, and also a bit of construction noise from the building work going on in the area – neither bothered us in the slightest, but worth mentioning.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST…

Last on the itinerary was Ayana Estate, just along the coast on the clifftops overlooking Jimbaran Bay. As their tagline suggests, it’s a destination all of its own. This sprawling 222-acre compound houses 78 luxury stand-alone villas, and three huge resorts (Ayana, Segara and Rimba). There are an impressive 21 restaurants, 14 swimming pools, a golf course, unique cultural experiences, a world class spa and wellness centre, and well, you get the idea – it's pretty incredible.

Not at all used to that level of luxury, it took us a couple of days to find our groove in this new world. It was like stepping into an alternate universe – there were ginormous flowers and tropical fruits growing on trees I’d never seen before, families of monkeys playing on the roadside, butterflies fluttering overhead and absolutely pristine grounds. It was like some kind of utopia you couldn’t even dream up in your mind. I couldn’t help but think of the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep up that level of perfection, and we felt very lucky indeed to be able to experience it. We ate at some amazing restaurants, Tallulah played on the playground (there is also a kids club available and nannies/babysitters you can book) and we spent hours splashing about at the pools. I enjoyed a massage at the spa, and perhaps the highlight was learning a bit more about Balinese cultural history at Kampoeng Bali Restaurant which is a cultural village with performances and traditional food. The 1 bedroom clifftop villa with pool and sea views we stayed in was about twice the size of our house back home, so safe to say we had an extremely comfortable stay. Did I mention our room came with a 24/7 available butler? Yep, wild.

BALI WITH KIDS 

A good place to start when researching if Bali is for you, is balibuddies.com and balibaby.com. There you’ll find lots of information like how to prevent and treat Bali Belly, hiring safety equipment like pool fences and baby gates, and also car seats and trusted babysitting services. We didn’t take anything with us but we did see some families travelling with checked on oversized luggage such as capsules, car seats and prams for younger children and babies. It’s important not to drink or even brush your teeth with the tap water there, so bottled water for everything is a must. Even if you’re careful it seems most people can’t escape Bali Belly, which to be honest really knocked us all around for a couple of days each, which is a real bummer on holiday. There is a local charcoal tablet called NORIT which is available in most pharmacies over there which is supposed to be amazing for both preventing and helping symptoms.

SHOUT-OUT

Hotel Komune Resort & Beach Club komuneresorts.com

Booking.com booking.com

Ayana Estate ayana.com/bali

For more photos and videos of Kristina's family holiday, check out her Bali story highlight and reels, @krissyrap on Instagram.