In the fall of 2019 we spent a month in Bali. We had never been and picked an Airbnb that was in a fairly touristy location, between Kuta and Legian beach. Whilst this brought many benefits with many restaurant options, all sorts of tourism companies, surf classes shops, grocery stores, etc. However, Legian street (the main touristy street) was not very pleasant: imagine drunk obnoxious tourists, stores selling cheap and tackystuff from China, overpriced restaurants selling soggy fish & chips and luke warm beer… however, we found that a couple of streets east was a area where locals went to eat and buy their groceries. Here we found amazing authentic restaurants, fresh produce and home made tempeh! It was perfect!

Our kids are now 12, 9 and 4 years old. They play well together and, generally enjoy the same activities, but sometimes their age difference makes it difficult to please everyone when we pick a day trip or an activity. These are the top activities we all enjoyed;

• Baby turtle release: I discovered this when I saw a release while running on the beach and started searching for more information. The Bali Sea Turtle Society collects the eggs that are laid on the busy local beaches and waits for the turtles to hatch in safe place, they then organize the baby turtle release at Kuta beach. Egg hatching occurs from May - October and happens 3 - 4 times per week. (They announce the turtle release by 1pm on the day of the release on their Instagram page) We arrived at 3:45 to collect tokens (1 token per turtle) and make a donation. The facility is next to the beach and we played there before returning at 4:30 to collect our baby turtles! The release is well organized and we observed in amazement all the small turtles (some fast, some very slow) make their way to the vast ocean! The whole experience took 2 hours but was definitely worth it and we all loved the experience! Thumbs up from everyone!

  TIP: Arrive no later then 3:45 as the line got pretty long around 4 and some people did not get a token! (No token, no baby turtle)

• Garuda Wisnu Kencana cultural center: on our first day at Kuta beach we saw a statue in the distance (about 10 miles away) and it was BIG! We were intrigued and wanted to see it up close! We took a Grab to the cultural center (45 mins from Kuta Beach) and were impressed by the entire experience. The park is devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu and his mystical bird, Garuda. There are also other interesting and majestic statues throughout the park, as well as an amphitheater with cultural shows that run all day, every hour. Our kids loved the traditional Balanese dance and the Barong Keket dance.

  TIP: after exploring GWK center, go to the southern part of Jimbaran beach, watch the sunset and have dinner at one of the many restaurants right on the beach!

• Jimbaran beach/fish market: we took a Grab to Jimbaran beach (30 mins from Kuta) and were mesmerized by the difference in color of sand (much whiter and thinner) and the color of the beach (turquoise blue) compared to Kuta beach, which is just a few miles north. We stumbled into a small and low shed full of fisherman selling their catch of the day! From gorgeous napoleon fish to oysters, tuna, squid, shrimp, clams, lobster and green lipped mussels, it was a feast to the eyes! We purchased some items, walked 10 meters to the local beach shack/restaurant and had them grill it to perfection for us at US$1/kg. I can truly say it was one of the best meals I have ever had and it cost us US$13! We left satisfied and licking our fingers! We then wandered to the beach, paid $2 for some chairs and a sun umbrella and enjoyed an empty beach until sunset!

  TIP: Decide what you want to eat and walk around and ask for prices from the different vendors, they vary quite a bit. (Ex. we wanted squid and purchased it for almost half of the price from the price one vendor gave) They know you are a tourist and some vendors might try and take advantage of it. Everything we saw was extremely fresh, so that is not an issue!

• Bom water park: The park was walking distance from where we were staying and we had heard many positive feedback. It was pricey but I knew the kids would love it. (And appreciate a break from the beach!) I can honestly say it was one of the cleanest, entertaining and organized water parks we have been to. The staff was friendly, helpful and kind! For example, I was super nervous when getting ready for the free fall ride, the staff on the top took the time to chat with me and calm my nerves…. I still screamed all the way down thought ;-) They have many rides for different ages and the lazy river was the best and longest we have ever seen! The food options are abundant and diverse (from pizza to popcorn, doughnuts, local foods and bbq, they had options for all tastes and budgets!).

  TIP: Buy your tickets online. As of Sept 2019 they had an online promotion with 15% discount if purchased in advance (You have 90 days to use the tickets), it was cheaper then the excursion stalls in the touristy area. Also, the doughnuts are delicious!

• Surf class: the kids took 3 surf classes with a local surfer. They were able to stand on the longboard on their first day and had a blast. One of the hardest part of surfing is paddling back to catch a new wave, and having a local surfer to help them get back every time they caught a wave was priceless.

  TIP: there are many surfer instructors at the beach and you can “shop” around. First, see how they interact with the kids while you talk to them and pick someone you feel will ‘click’ with your kids. Secondly, if you are planning to take more then one class, negotiate! After the huge enthusiasm of the kids at the end of their first class, I locked in a reduced rate for the following 2 classes. We also rented boogie boards for fun on other days we were at the beach, you can get them with the same surfers that are on the beach!

• Bike tour: we organized a fun bike tour with the Jegeg Bali cycling tour company. (Kaio wrote a post about our experience) They were very responsive and answered many of my questions before we booked with them. They tailored the trip for us (we had already done the rice terraces and Jason had to go to Ubud afterwards). I highly recommend this company as they were very cordial, spoke good English, were safety oriented and we had a blast. These are the activities we covered:

  • Coffee farm: I love coffee but when I heard about a special Balinese coffee “made” by a special marsupial (Kopi Luwak) that eats the coffee beans, poops them out, which then are cleaned, sorted, roasted and grinded into coffee, I was not sure I was eager to have a cuppa. The Coffee farm experience was very interesting. Before you even get to the coffee tasting, our guide showed us the many typical plants (like the giant passion fruit, the snake skin fruit, ginger, cocoa, etc) which followed by getting a peak at the Kopi Luwak (who were sleeping as they are nocturnal animals) and finally the tasting of some delicious coffee and local teas! Although it was a fun experience, I did not fork out a small fortune for the marsupial poop coffee!

  • Active volcano, Batur: we drove to Kintamani to see the view of the volcano and lake Batur. The last eruption of volcano Batur was in 2000. You can still see the damage on the local fields. The view is beautiful. TIP: if you have the time and energy, there are many tours that offer the sunrise hike up the mountain.

  • Bike tour around the local villages: we biked a total of 11.5 miles, luckily this was mainly downhill and with several stops where our guide would explain certain activities or point out local landmarks. We saw many locals working the rice paddies and small villages going about their normal day. Our kids loved it! There were many local kids running besides our bike and greeting and waving at us! The bike ride ended at the Tibumana waterfalls

  • Tibumana waterfalls: we took a short walk to the waterfall. The kids changed into their bathing suits and explore the lake and small river around the waterfall. It was a great way to cool off after the bike ride!

  • Typical Balinese lunch: we were driven to a typical Balinese household (our guide, the owner and several other family members run the tour company and this was a ‘family complex’ where most lived). They offered us a delicious local homemade meal which included fried tofu and tempe, satay, nasi goreng, tempe manis and sayur urab.

• Private tour: On one of our first days in Bali we hired a driver who took us on a route of the places we wanted to see. Hiring a private driver is a common practice and very affordable to see many places in a day. (Sept 2019 we paid 500,000 IDR, aprox. US$35 for almost 10 hours in an air conditioned and spacious car). Public transportation is non existent and we did not feel comfortable in hiring scooters with the 3 kids!

  TIP: Traffic in Bali is horrible, busy and crazy, all times of day, and a couple of miles can take 3 x the expected time due to traffic! Bring snacks, water and books/entertainment for the kids to stay busy during the long drives! And start early! We left at 9 and should’ve left at 8 to avoid some of the traffic getting to our first stop.

  These are the places we visited with our driver:

  • Rice terraces: On of the most famous balinese rice field is just outside of Ubud, Tegallalang rice terrace. It is very touristy and there are many nagging vendors selling everything from trinkets and local art to a ride on the famous swings, which are perfect for some amazing pictures! We had a delicious lunch overlooking the terraces and walked around for a bit. Although it was a nice experience, the rice terraces are everywhere in Bali and we saw some beautiful, active terraces on our bike tour that had nobody nearby taking selfies or trampling everywhere!

    TIP: the restaurants around the Tegallalang rice terraces are touristy but check out the menu and you can eat some good food or drink a fresh juice for just a little bit more! The views are worth it!

  • Tanalah temple: this place is BUSY! We came here in the morning, which is the least busy time of day. I can’t even imagine how busy it gets in the afternoon/evening, as it is well known for their sunset. The main temple is out on an island and is impressive but unfortunately the tide was high and we could not get to it. As it was the first temple we saw, it was beautiful and we were mesmerized but the crowds were a downer/annoying. (taking selfies, pushing kid around, entire bus groups, etc)

  • Goa Gajah: The elephant cave. The grounds are nice and there are many parts to this complex. The most impressive were the huge trees with immense branches and roots. It was “Ok” and after a day of seeing other temples and sights, this was maybe one we would skip.

  • Taman Ayun temple: Very impressive grounds with beautiful temples as well as some exhibits on the history and art projects. We wondered around and found a beautiful forest to explore. The kids loved running on the paths and seeing the beautiful fauna and flora. We really liked this temple!

There are many other activities and places we didn’t explore, such as Ubud (we just drove through it), Penida Island, the northern part of Bali, rafting, snorkeling, Pandawa beach, etc, however, we had a great month in Bali and loved the slow pace of the day to day life on the island! The food is good, people are friendly, most people speak English (or try to communicate with your anyways), they love kids, it’s affordable (aka cheap!) and the weather and beach are amazing. We stayed in Kuta beach near Legian street, maybe next time we would stay in a place less touristy but we were able to get a good taste of Bali and we liked it!