Greetings.

Our family will be visiting Bali for a month this Dec-Jan for the first time. We have two boys, ages 6 and 10. I would like some advice concerning the planning of our itinerary with regard to the following points:

1) Suggestions for ethical accommodations bookings given a budget of $50 (or preferably much less) / night.
2) Great destinations for families.
3) What to look for / avoid when booking accommodations for families.
4) Where/how we might be able to connect with local Balinese.
5) Whether or not to include Lombok / Gili islands as part of our trip. Also, whether to be concerned about Malaria if visiting Lombok.
6) The best place to spend our first couple of days considering we'll need a couple of days to rid ourselves of jet lag upon arrival.

All/any recommendations appreciated!

When you land, Puri Bambu Jimbaran is nice. Tegal Sari in Ubud is about as good as it gets. Amed and Pemuteran are IMHO the best areas of Bali to get Balinese value and avoid the hoards.

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Thanks so much for your input!

As you have children, I would take Pemuteran over Amed, as many local kids play on Pemuteran beach.

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There are two categories of travellers, those that experience a country and those that take their home with them wherever they go.

Be warned, as with any forum, picking a fight with the admin guy is not recommended!

I think you will find some very helpful information on this website.Bali for families

Hope the link works, otherwise just google it.

As far as accommodation is concerned and depending on what you find on the Bali for Families website you might also like to look at Suri Wathi, a losmen in Jl. Menuh, Legian or Garden View Hotel/Cottages in Jl Padma Utara, Legian. Both places are budget priced, well located and comfortable. You could google both of these places for details.

For your first time in Bali, organized tours of ancient sites and temples would be very worthwhile and include trips to the Bird Park and the Reptile Park, the Bali Zoo and the Elephant Park, the children will love these. Sometimes if you package these "Park" visits you will get a better deal.

The Elephant Park is north of Ubud so that would be good to think about when staying in that area. Tegal Sari is located at Pengosokan, a lovely area just out of the immediate Ubud village and the walking is lovely around here. There is accommodation everywhere so no danger of being without a place to stay.

I must rush off, but will reply further over the next few days.

Catherine

Thank you for your reply, Catherine. You suggest that we won't need to book ahead due to the multitude of places to stay, but we were advised that from mid-Dec to Jan 4, most accommodations will be over-booked on Bali. Is this true in your experience, or would we be overly cautious to pre-book all accommodations on the internet beforehand? I'd prefer to check things out when we arrive rather than committing to places sight unseen, but I don't want to end up scrambling for a mere roof over our heads if it is indeed so busy during high season.

Thanks again for your input!

My apologies for taking so long to reply....too much going on and too much to do, groan!

I would definitely book your accommodation, particularly for the first week. Not all choices may be available and although there is little chance of being left without a bed for the night you want to make sure it's where you want to be not where you have to be. I would also hate to arrive with two young children and then start searching for a room. Perhaps you should consider staying in the Legian area, or surrounds, for the first week to settle in, take some tours and plan the rest of your trip. As Bali is relatively small many places can be comfortably accessed from here and there is plenty to enjoy in the immediate vicinity.

In regard to malaria, prevention is better than cure so a supply of personal insect repellant that contains deet is a must. Mosquitos are worst at dawn and dusk. Long pants, long sleeves and a dose of repellant should do the trick. Mosquitos are also attracted to dark colours and perfume. Mosquito repellant is available in Bali from Supermarkets and convenience strores.

Hope this is helpful. I'm on the march again now however I'll keep watching for a further post from you if there is anything else you need.

All the best.

Catherine

Thanks so much for your kind reply, Catherine. A friend of a friend who happens to be in Bali has taken it upon himself to book our stays on our behalf. Turns out we'll be staying in Legian for our first week, so your advice gave me further peace of mind. We're leaving Jan 3-13 unbooked and expect to have the lay of the land by then. I think this is also in keeping with your recommendations. Thanks again!

Perfect! Hope all goes smoothly, I know you'll just love it and so good to have someone there to sort it out. All you need to do is get on the plane and off at the other end, ha!

There are several money changers at the airport and the rate is quite ok for an initial exchange. They are located inside close to the luggage check area. I like to have some rupiah in my pocket from the beginning and it saves you having to find the nearest legitimate money changer as soon as you check into your hotel. Buying rupiah out of Indonesia is expensive (i.e. the exchange rate is abysmal). The currency site Oanda will give you the current rates so you have some idea what you should be getting.

You may know all this already, however if this is new to you it would be good to familiarise yourself with the difference between legitimate money changers and the rip off people. If you would like some information please post a message. Your friend in Bali will most certainly be able to tell you too.

All the best

Catherine