Kids ages: big sister 8y5m, twins 5y10m
Flights: direct on CX (booked 4 out of 5 tickets on points) about 10 months ahead.
Booked through: myself / directly
My husband had no desire to go to Bali at all (mind you, he has been, several times)! Bali to him was Nusa Dua, Kuta and Ubud. My husband now knows that Bali has way more to offer than just that. Via the Tripadvisor forums I got some lovely advice from a fellow Dutch (coincidentally) about some "off the beaten track" plans for Bali with children. Since time was limited to only a week of fall break, plus the fact that we were travelling on miles allowing us only a 6 night stay we, well I, decided on 3 different destinations based on the advice I got, the time we had available and a few hours of Tripadvisor and internet searching.
Let me start by saying the welcome to Bali is far less than inviting. We spend 1 1/2 hours standing in line to get through immigration is not the welcome we had envisioned, although we were warned. Fast track is available, though not legally, for US$25 per person (including kids) on top of the visa fees (also US$25). However, the kids were fantastic though and the only good thing was that our bags had already arrived ... of course. First stop was Balam Bali Villa in Mengwi (about 30 minutes west of Ubud) in the middle of the rice paddies. A quiet 5-room bed and breakfast rated number 1 in Tripadvisor owned by French who moved from Tahiti a few years before. Mengwi is about 25 minutes west of Ubud. The Villa is located on a quiet road surrounded by rice paddies. There is a temple a short ride away which is worth visiting and we had arranged a driver for a trip to Ubud.
Next, we organized a driver to bring us to Munduk, up north in the mountain with views over the Balian Sea. We had booked a family package at Munduk Moding Plantation, a coffee plantation in a beautiful setting. The package include a few trips including one to the lakes, Munduk waterfall, horse riding for the kids and a massage for the parents. The kids loved going to the horses, wondering through the coffee plantations and see the vegetables grow in the garden and picking a few strawberries while they were at it. Fantastic views with a great room for families (a family suite on top of the restaurant with 2 rooms connected via the balcony and each their own bath room). Food was lovely, people so friendly and it was just really relaxing breathing in the clean air and enjoying the view.
The last stop of our trip would go to Bali Eco Stay in the heart of Tabanan ... our only "hotel", as the kids would call it, without a pool! Which was kind of a worry for them. What were they going to do? Where were they going to swim? Getting there was the biggest adventure, 10 km of unpaved road and 30 minutes later, we arrived. The most beautiful green rice paddies, silence and a small 4 bungalow accommodation We booked the 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom Rice Water Bungalow and it was absolutely fantastic. Yes, it's a little damp, dark and noisy with the animals so close to you. And you'll get dirty but the views are amazing, the food was fantastic and the kids still think as of today it was the best "hotel" ever. They played in the river, walked through the paddies, played with the owner's son, the dog, visited the waterfall on site. It was excellent. Very different but a great experience for all of us.
When going back to the airport, and driving past Canggu, Seminyak and Kuta, I was grateful ... grateful for having had this amazing opportunity to see a snapshot of what Bali really has to offer. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and almost want to scream on the top of my lungs, get out there, go west, go north, go east, run away from the crowds, it's simply gorgeous, and so worth visiting!
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