Top 10 things to do in Bali with kids

Bali is a beautiful and fun destination in Indonesia, Southeast Asia. There are plenty of family-friendly activities to do all over the island. We spent six months of our slow travel lifestyle in Canggu, when our older daughter was four years old. Here are some fun things to do in Bali with kids, based on our experiences there.

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1. Sunset at the beach

Bali is well known for its beaches and sunsets. Head to one of the many beaches in the late afternoon to take in the beautiful colors on the horizon. It’s one of the free and fun things to do in Bali on a budget with kids that the whole family will enjoy. Batu Belig is a great sunset spot where you can grab a drink and a beanbag and enjoy the beautiful colors in the sky.

2. Have fun at a waterpark

Waterbom Bali is perhaps the best-known waterpark in Bali. It’s one of the most popular things to do in Kuta with kids. A day pass is around $20USD per child, $28 per adult, or $88 for a family pass. 

For a fraction of the price, you could try Taman Segara Madu, which is a local-style waterpark in Canggu. We enjoyed visiting it several times during our stay (we didn’t actually go to Waterbom). They also have an Olympic-sized swimming pool there.

Another little hidden gem in Canggu is Betesda Guest House. It has a little waterpark hidden out the back, which you won’t see from the street! They’ll let you use their waterpark for a tiny fee even if you’re not staying there. Betesda Guest House was located just through the rice field from where we lived so we enjoyed regular visits during our time in Bali. They also had swimming lessons on offer.

3. Play at Amplitude Skate and Bike Park in Canggu

If you’re looking for things to do with kids in Canggu, check out Amplitude, the local skate park. They have a huge pump track and bowl that both big kids and little ones can enjoy. You can hire skateboards, bikes, scooters, helmets, inline skates, and protective gear, and they have a basic onsite cafe to chill at.

4. Attend a cooking class or simply play and eat at La Casita

La Casita Cafe and Playground was one of our favorite restaurants to go to in Canggu, due to its family-friendly vibe. Kids love the playground and art table, and parents love having a little break! La Casita makes yummy Peruvian food, and they offered a free kids cooking class most weeks when we were there. 

5. Mount Batur hike (with older kids)

If you’ve got some avid hikers in the family, you might want to consider the Mount Batur hike to your itinerary for things to do with kids in Bali. It’s not a great option for young kids, especially as you’ll likely leave your accommodation in the middle of the night to make the climb in time for sunrise, but it might be a fun and adventurous option for older kids.

Colin and I took the opportunity to climb Mount Batur when my mum was visiting so that she could look after Ayla, who was only four at the time. Honestly, the Mount Batur hike is very touristy and possibly the busiest hike I’ve ever done, even in the middle of the night.

We did know this prior to the hike. Mount Batur gets 200 visitors per night in the low season and 400 in the high season, so it can turn out to be a bit of a single-line procession! We went during the low season and it still felt busy, but I’m glad we went. I had really missed hiking since doing plenty of it when we lived in Penang, so I was going to make sure I got in a hike in Bali if the opportunity presented itself (thanks mum!).

[If you’re into hiking as well, check out my adventurous night hiking experience in Malaysia!].

Bring warm clothes, or rent some from the locals before you climb!

The hike up Mount Batur wasn’t too tough and it took two hours to get to the top. Supposedly, you have to do the hike as part of a tour, which we did. As part of that, we were fed hot chocolate, biscuits, boiled eggs, and banana sandwiches at the top while we waited for the sunrise.

It was freezing up the top – a stark contrast to our usual hot and sweaty existence down at sea level! We were prepared with warm clothes, socks, and jackets. Many others were not! There was an option to rent some warmer clothes from a few locals before we climbed too. I think more of the people in shorts and t-shirts would have done so if they had have realized how cool it would be on top of the mountain. 

We didn’t get much of a sunrise when we were there. However, it was still beautiful seeing the new day dawn. There is a wonderful view of the lake below.

6. Batur lake hot pools

After we saw the sunrise on top of Mount Batur, we were further rewarded with a relaxing dip in the Batur lake hot pools. We loved these amazing hot springs positioned right on the edge of the lake. They were maintained to a really good standard and were so quiet and relaxing. You could consider visiting the lake and hot pools as part of your plan for things to do in Bali with kids, even if you’re not climbing Mount Batur.

7. Enjoy the many family-friendly cafes

When you’re looking for things to do in Bali with kids, it can be as simple as enjoying the delicious and nutritious foods on offer at one of the many amazing cafes. Canggu is especially great for its superfood-style cafes. 

We loved going to Pomelo Cafe since has great food, and also a pool you can use. “Kynd” is an amazing vegan cafe that we also highly recommend. Segara kitchen and pool in Canggu is a lot of fun with a bit of a party vibe. And the teeny tiny “secret spot” is a cosy cafe with some toys and games to keep everyone entertained (picture below).

8. Visit a waterfall

There are several beautiful waterfalls in Bali. The whole family can enjoy the beauty in these places, so we’d recommend adding a waterfall visit to your list of things to do in Bali with kids. Options include Gitgit waterfall at the North end of the island, Nungnung waterfall in the middle, and Tegenungan waterfall further South. 

We visited Tegenungan waterfall and really enjoyed it. Some might say it’s pretty “touristy” but we truly enjoyed the stunning nature and refreshing water, and would highly recommend it as one of the best things to do in Bali with kids.

9. Hang out at a beach club

There are numerous beach clubs in Bali and although they can also be popular with party-goers, they’re usually pretty family-friendly as well. You can enjoy the swimming pool free-of-charge at many beach clubs in Bali, as long as you are ordering food at their restaurant. Some may have a fee to enter. We enjoyed La Brisa, and the Grand Balisani Suites (picture below).

10. Enjoy the beautiful Bukit Peninsula

We really loved visited Padang Padang beach on the Bukit Peninsula. It was beautiful and the water was calm and flat. Therefore, we think it’s a perfect option for what to do in Bali with family. We stayed in Canggu in Bali, which is renowned for its surf beaches. We found them much too rough to swim in (even for the grownups). So if you’re looking for a family-friendly beach, check out Padang Padang. 

[If you want to venture that far, Sanur is also known as a family-friendly Bali beach].

Uluwatu, on the Bukit Peninsula, is extremely beautiful, although very busy. We probably would have spent more time on the Bukit Peninsula in Bali if the traffic to get there wasn’t so busy. We opted out of riding scooters in Bali, so had to join the standstill traffic to get there and back. It took us about an hour to drive to the Bukit Peninsula from Canggu, and two hours to get back!

Other things to do in Bali with kids

Below are some further ideas of things to do in Bali for families. They are things that we didn’t do while we were there, but we know that other families have enjoyed them.

• If you’re looking for Ubud things to do with kids, check out Monkey Forest and Pondok Pekak library
• Consider visiting Bali Bird Park,  Bali Reptile Park, or Bali Safari Park, which are all popular things to do with kids in Bali
• Horse lovers can check out the Bali Equestrian Centre in Canggu. We did actually visit the equestrian centre to use the pool once or twice. It’s possible to do so if you are eating at their restaurant
• Stay in a treehouse – there are many options for doing so around Bali
• Water sports lovers will probably want to check out Bali Wake Park for its awesome wakeboarding course. They also have “Aqualand” there, which is basically an inflatable playground on the water
• Drop the kids off at Cubby House kids club so you can take a break!
• Check out the Devdan Show at Bali Nusa Dua Theatre

Previously, families who were after a bit of adventure enjoyed visited the Bali Treetop Adventure Park. However, it is now closed after they were unable to secure a new lease deal on the land.

Further reading on family-friendly destinations in southeast Asia

We hope you’ve now got plenty of fun ideas for the top things to do in Bali with kids! Are you heading to Bali soon? Have you visited and have some additional ideas to share? Feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below!

Also, if you’re planning on further travel in Indonesia, read about our 10 day road trip in North Sumatra. Some of our other posts about family-friendly attractions in Southeast Asia include things to do with kids in Siem Reap, Luang Prabang, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, the Cameron Highlands, Krabi, Koh Lanta, and Chiang Mai.

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