So, you’ve never been to Bali with the kids and you’re thinking about it…. But where to start?
Let our family’s experiences guide you through.
You’ll find here our family’s top tips, interspersed with five examples of beautiful Bali villas which will give you a great idea of the range of villas available.
This post is brought to you by Villa Bali
Why stay in a villa?
Numero uno advice would be to stay in a villa rather than a hotel. This is partly a cost issue, villas are MUCH cheaper… and also a practical issue… you can swim when you want to, eat when you want to and you’re likely to get a more authentic Bali experience.
When we did our big family holiday we spent five days in a hotel then five days in a villa. The hotel was so expensive as our family of six needs two rooms and even then we felt squished. It was great to get to the villa and be able to spread out into four bedrooms.
Also, the cost of meals at the hotel was extortionate!
1. Villa Crystal in Seminyak
Here’s our first example of a gorgeous Bali family villa, Villa Crystal in Seminyak
Check out the very, very detailed descriptions of each villa on the website, these are a cut above most villa companies.
NB All these villas come with swimming pool, pool fence, meals, in-villa massage, baby cot, high chairs and airport transfers
Just click on the photos to see the gallery in full.
Villa Crystal
- 4 bedrooms
- Newly revamped in February 2018, from 3 bedrooms to 4 bedrooms
- Located in the heart of Seminyak, 1 minute walk to Oberoi “Eat Street”
- Family-friendly facilities: bunk bed, swimming pool, pool fence, meals, in-villa massage, baby cot, high chairs, airport transfer, connecting bedrooms
- Read all the details about Villa Crystal here
Just click on any one image to view the photos in a gallery at their full size.
Villa Anjali Green
- 2 bedrooms
- Close to Seminyak’s Petitenget beach (10-minute walk) and other major attractions
- Family-friendly facilities: swimming pool, pool fence, meals, in-villa massage, baby cot, highchairs, airport transfer
- Read more about Villa Anjali Green here
Finding a Bali villa company
Next question… how to find the villa that will work best for your family? That’s tricky!
If you start searching online blindly…. It’s easy to get totally bamboozled and to end up more confused than you started.
A recommendation from a friend is ideal, someone who has used a villa company more than once.
You need a company which has a LOT of villas on offer and easy ways to communicate with you and then to look after you when you are there.
Villa Bali has inspected over 1000 Bali villas and has handpicked 650 to offer their clients. 25 employees are there to help you find the right villa then enjoy a restful stay.
The best thing is that you can get on the phone and have a good old chat, tapping into the expertise of the Villa Bali experts. The phones are manned 7 days a week.
Villa Desa Roro Dua
- 2 bedrooms
- Located in Canggu, quiet yet central location
- 850m to Berawa beach
- Huge 12 meter swimming pool with shallow part for children
- Complementary Canggu Club access for 2 people
- Read all the info on Villa Desa Roro Dua here
Choosing a Bali villa
First get your brain in gear and work out what sort of a holiday you’d like.
- Active or relaxed?
- Amongst the tranquil paddies fields or within walking distance of shops and restaurants?
- In the hills or by the beach?
I know exactly what I’d like for our family’s next visit: five nights in the heart of Seminyak and then five nights on the East Coast as close as possible to somewhere we can snorkel straight from the beach.
Villa Alea
- 5 bedrooms
- Located in Kerobokan, minutes away from Seminyak
- Pool fence, stair gate, toys available
- Views of rice paddies
- 24/7 security in the compound
- All the Villa Alea info you need is here
Reducing cost
This is where holidaying with friends and family works ideally. The kids can all play together and renting a large villa can work out VERY cost effectively.
Managing the villa staff
All villas come with staff, and if you are not sure what you would like your helpers to do, just ask the folks at Villa Bali. They can advise.
Villa Waterlily
- 3 bedrooms
- Located in the heart of Seminyak
- Plenty of room for kids to run around
- Short walking distance to Double Six Beach
- More details on Villa Waterlily are here
Villa Bali Extras
Villa Bali has a concierge service will can arrange a welcome at the airport (great for first timers), help with your your check-in at the villa, arrange day tours, spas, meals and babysitting services. The concierge in located in Seminyak and available 7 days a week.
Villa Bali has a free Bali Family Guide which you can download here.
Their Last Minute page has great discounts and is bound to make you want to ditch the school run next Monday and head to Bali instead.
Which of the villas shown here would suit your family best?
Villa Waterlily is the one I’d go for these days, but when my kids were younger, I’d have gone for Villa Desa Roro Dua.
Sigh…. Every day is a good day for a bit of Bali holiday dreaming.
This is fantastic information, thank you.
Having never been, with all the options available it’s so hard to know what to trust and what to look for. This post is great, especially helpful to have all those pictures.
Ah so nice!! Bali is my favourite! I’d choose s villa right in Seminyak because it’s where I always want to be.
Great post! I so prefer getting a recommendation from a source I trust like you then picking a random villa!
Hoping to visit Bali with my family soon!
Ingrid
http://www.fabulousandfunlife.blogspot.com.au
Wow those facilities are amazing! With that much space I don’t think I would bother stepping outside!
WOWOWOWOWOOWWW! So inspired. I have never been to Bali. One question: are the pools safe for young children? I’m ultra concerned about pool safety with my little one who is just learning to swim. Thanks! x
Villa owners can put fences around pools and that’s definitely something to request when chatting to villa companies. The laws are really different to Australian laws, but villa companies know how to make pools safe. Crucial for little kids.
So many great villas with kids! We love staying in villas during our Bali trips, breakfast in our PJs is so much fun x