Trip planningBy Clever Tourists · Published
Bali suits families who plan two or three bases, avoid scooters, and treat animals, water and the sea as the main health risks. Hotels and villas are used to children, food is easy, and distances are short, but roads are slow and the hazards are specific: rabies from dogs and monkeys, Bali belly, rip currents on south-coast surf beaches and scooter crashes. We spent about two and a half weeks in Bali in May and June 2023 as a travel-and-photography trip and do not claim to have travelled with children. Our route had Seminyak (3 days), Munduk (3), Ubud (5), Kintamani (2), Sidemen (3) and Padangbai (2). This page uses that route for ideas and published sources for the family logistics.
Free toolConvert to your own currency at live rates →Live mid-market rates for all 17 currencies we used, so you can see what a price actually costs.Ubud (5 days for us) is the easiest first base: rice terraces, markets, cooking classes and short rides to waterfalls, with a wide range of villas that have pools. See where to stay in Ubud and the Ubud guide. Sidemen (3 days) is a quieter rice-terrace village in the east with Mount Agung views, good for slow family time, but road transfers are long and winding. Munduk (3 days) in the northern highlands has waterfalls and cool air, and is a long drive from the airport. Seminyak (3 days) has the beach, restaurants and the most traffic.
A two-week family split could be 4 nights in Ubud, 3 in Sidemen and 5 on the coast. Our route in full is the 18-day Bali route, and a shorter version is 10 days in Bali. Pacing: how many days in Bali. Food that suits children: what to eat in Bali.
Rabies is present in Bali in dogs and monkeys. Do not let children feed or touch street dogs, keep food and sunglasses out of reach at the Ubud Monkey Forest, and seek medical help immediately after any bite or scratch, even a small one. Ask your doctor or travel clinic about rabies and other vaccines for your children well before you leave.
Bali belly: tap water is not safe to drink and stomach upsets are the most common complaint, hitting children harder because of dehydration. Use bottled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth, and see the Bali belly guide. Dengue is present year-round and peaks in the rainy season, so use repellent.
The sea: south-coast surf beaches have strong rip currents, so swim between the flags where there are lifeguards. Fast boats to Nusa Penida, Lombok and the Gilis have a mixed safety record, and the UK government says to look for life jackets, so a family day trip to Nusa Penida needs a reputable operator. Roads: scooter crashes are the most common serious injury to visitors, and a scooter with children is not worth the risk. Use a car with a driver for day trips and Grab or Gojek car rides in the south and Ubud: Bali scooter rental rules. Overall: is Bali safe to visit.
The foreign tourist levy is published as IDR 150,000 per person, paid through the official Love Bali site only, as lookalike sites exist. Sources we read disagree on children: most say children pay and no age exemption exists, while at least one said the official pages do not address children. Check the Love Bali FAQ before you pay, and see the Bali tourist levy and e-VOA process. Entry: do I need a visa for Bali, the e-VOA guide and airport arrival. Nyepi, the Day of Silence, closes the airport for 24 hours and confines everyone to their accommodation: Nyepi 2027.
Our model's typical band for Bali is US$30 to $60 per person per day on a budget and US$80 to $160 at mid-range, from published 2025 and 2026 cost guides, not what we spent. The bands assume a shared room, so a family room or villa works on the same logic. Villa pricing is the large lever; drivers for day trips are the other. Full budget: how much a trip to Bali costs. Tipping: tipping in Bali.
Keep drives under two hours a day with children. Ubud to the coast and back is a full day in traffic, so choose one base per region and take day trips from it.
The wet season runs roughly October to March, and flooding is local in the south: best time to visit Bali, Bali in July and Bali in December. Temple visits require sarongs and covered shoulders, including for children: Bali temple etiquette and what to wear in Bali. Packing: what to pack for Bali. Insurance with medical evacuation matters, since care outside the main private hospitals in the south can be limited: travel insurance for international trips.
With care, yes. The main risks are rabies from dogs and monkeys, Bali belly, rip currents and scooter crashes. Use bottled water, keep children away from animals and use a driver rather than a scooter.
Ubud is the easiest first base, with villas with pools and short rides to waterfalls. Sidemen suits a quiet rice-terrace stay, and the south coast suits beach time.
Sources disagree. The levy is published as IDR 150,000 per person; most guides say children pay, but we could not confirm it from the official pages, so check the Love Bali FAQ before paying.
Our model's typical band is US$30 to $60 per person per day on a budget and $80 to $160 at mid-range, assuming a shared room. Villas and drivers are the biggest levers.
No. Tap water is not safe to drink in Bali, so use bottled or filtered water.
Get our new Bali guides and practical tips by email: where to stay, what to eat, what things cost and the rules that catch travelers out.
Free. No spam, only new guides and tips.
Search verified local fleets with low security deposits and exact model delivery on Localrent.
Compare stays in Bali and get the best deals on Hotels.com.
