Late June and July are when Bali fills up with families. Indonesian schools break at the end of their school year, Australian winter holidays fall around the same weeks (exact dates vary by state), and the European summer starts in July. Pool days are easy to fill. The harder part is finding something that holds a child’s attention for longer than the drive to get there.
Two days with one night away hits a useful middle: it feels like an expedition to a seven-year-old, but nobody has to pack for a week. Below are five of our journeys that suit children, and the practical details parents ask about. For how the format works in general, see what a 2 Days 1 Night trip actually looks like.
What makes a trip work for children
- Something to do with their hands. Looking at things wears thin fast.
- Animals, water or soil, ideally all three.
- Drives short enough to survive, with stops.
- A night somewhere that feels different from the hotel back in the south.
- An adult who explains things well. On these five journeys that’s the guide, who speaks English and Indonesian.
Five two-day trips, matched to the kid
Bedugul: for kids who like getting their hands dirty
Bedugul sits above 1,200 meters, so the first thing children notice is the cool air. On the Bedugul journey, day one is a farm day: picking strawberries, then learning at a local organic farm how to make organic fertilizer by fermenting natural materials, and planting something yourself. One of the recommended places to stay is a glamping site, which is an adventure in itself at that age. Day two is a forest walk at Pura Pucak Sangkur and a visit to the Bali Botanic Garden. Pack a warm layer; highland evenings get chilly.
Nusa Dua: for turtle fans
If you’re staying in a Nusa Dua resort, the Nusa Dua journey barely needs a drive. Day one visits local sustainability projects, then takes a boat into the mangroves and on to a turtle conservation area, where the team explains how they protect and rehabilitate sea turtles. Day two starts with melukat, a Balinese water purification. Children can watch or take part; ask your guide what suits your family.
Kedungu: for a first wave
Kedungu is a black-sand beach up the coast from Canggu with a quieter feel. The Kedungu journey spends day one in a Balinese family compound making jaja, the traditional cakes, followed by lunch in a garden café and a free afternoon. Day two is a beginner surf lesson with a local instructor. Whether a child goes out depends on that morning’s waves and on how well they swim, so make the call together with the instructor on the beach.
Lovina: for early risers
The Lovina journey opens with a trek to waterfalls in the hills and a local lunch, then a night by the sea. Day two starts early with dolphin watching off the coast, then breakfast by the beach and a visit to Puri Singaraja, the royal house of Bali’s former capital. Be realistic about the dawn start. Dolphin boats can also crowd around a pod; asking your boatman to hang back is kinder to the dolphins and calmer for a nervous child. Ask for child-size life jackets before you climb in.
Negara: for older kids who like making things
The Negara journey isn’t pitched at families, and it’s a long way west: it starts in Negara, about three hours from the south, with transfers available for an extra fee. For curious older children, though, it’s one of the most hands-on trips we offer. Day one includes a turtle release with a community conservation project, a market stop to buy canang for the temple, prayers at Jagatnatha temple and tea with the royal family at Puri Agung Negara. Day two is spent with Mangde’s family of artisans: shaping a red brick by hand, trying ulon weaving, playing bamboo flutes and the rindik, meeting the cows, and cooking lunch together. Releases depend on hatchlings being ready, so ask what’s likely on your dates.
Practical details parents ask about
- Car seats: they aren’t standard in Bali cars. Ask when booking, and consider bringing a travel booster.
- Motion sickness: the roads up to Bedugul and over the mountains to the north coast wind for a long time. Keep breakfast light, seat children where they can see out the front, and ask the driver to stop when needed.
- Sun: the UV is strong all year. Rash vests and hats beat reapplying sunscreen on a wriggling child, and midday is for shade.
- Water: don’t drink tap water. Bring refillable bottles and top them up from the large water dispensers many hotels provide.
- Temple dress: children wear a sarong and sash at temples too. Bigger temples lend them, but small sizes run out, so buying a child’s sarong at a market early in the trip pays off.
- Rain: all five journeys come with a first aid kit and a rain poncho or umbrella.
- Spare clothes and snacks: keep a set in the car for whichever child ends up in the waterfall pool, the strawberry field or the sea.
- Insurance: travel insurance is not included, so check that your own policy covers activities like surfing and boat trips.
How the price works for families
Prices are per person and drop as the group grows, and children count as guests, so a family of four books as four and pays the four-guest rate shown on the journey page. On the Bedugul journey that covers the experiences, transport, the guide and two lunches. The glamping night with breakfast can be added as an option when you book. Dinner is on your own on all five journeys, and guides are happy to suggest somewhere.
You can book online and pay by bank transfer or card, or send a request and pay later. Online booking needs at least three days’ notice, which is worth remembering in school holidays when the good hotels fill up.
Questions travelers ask
Is there a minimum age?
The journey pages don’t set one. Tell us your children’s ages when you book, and ask about anything specific, like the surf lesson or the dolphin boat.
Can we be picked up from our hotel?
For four of the five, yes: pickup is from hotels in Ubud, Sanur, Seminyak, Canggu, Nusa Dua or Denpasar, with other points on request. Negara starts in West Bali, and a transfer there can be arranged for an extra fee.
Which is easiest with young children?
Nusa Dua: short drives from the south and a relaxed pace. Bedugul and Lovina involve the longest, most winding drives, so they suit kids who travel well in the car.
