Many parents who love to travel can't wait until their kids are older so their family can look forward to a vacation that's a bit more adventurous exotic.
I recently planned exactly this type of vacation for my own family. My husband and my "20 something" daughters went to Bali. Actually, our plan was to visit my oldest daughter who works in Singapore for 6 days. Then she would join the rest of the family for a 6 day "vacation" to Bali.
We live on the east coast of the U.S. It took us 20 hours of fly time to get there but it is totally worth it. Bring a couple of books and a good pair of headphones to keep yourself entertained. My clan downloaded, binge watched and caught up on all our netflix shows. The time "flew" by - pun intended.
The best time to travel to Bali is May - September. Before the rainy season. The temperatures were surprisingly comfortable. We enjoyed blue skies and sun every day!
After doing much research we decided to stay in the Nusa Dua region. It is in the southern part of the island where the beautiful beaches ,that you think of, when you think of Bali, are located on the Indian Ocean. It is a 25 minute ride from the airport and our travel agents will make sure transfers are included with your package.
Our family stayed at the beautiful Mulia Resort and villas. It has been rated one the top beach resorts in the world. Included with your package is one of the most spectacular breakfast buffets I have ever seen!
Technically I was on my own family vacation and not a work trip but the travel agent in me never sleeps. The Mulia offers an impressive and complimentary Kidz club for kids ages 3-8. It is open daily from 9am till 8pm.
When on a beach vacation like this our family likes to break up the trip with on days and off days. Off days are days just spent relaxing and enjoying the resorts amenities. On days are days doing excursions and exploring the area we are visiting.
I would highly recommend getting guided tours here for your ON days. Driving around Bali can be very challenging. It is very different from what you are used to in the USA. Most tours will include pickup and drop off back to your hotel. This will help keep you in “vacation mode” and not add any unnecessary stress.
There are many options for excursions. Our family chose 2. There were so many wonderful sightseeing tours but because we were there for only 6 days we needed to limit our options.
Our first adventure was a 3 stop snorkel cruise to Lembogan Island. We were picked up bright and early right at our resort and taken to the ferry that brings you to Lembogan. Here we had full access to Beach Club facilities and the tour included lunch. Now I have to tell you I decided at the last minute not to snorkel so I had a very relaxing day reading. My family totally enjoyed the snorkeling and even saw a manta ray. My daughter got so excited she couldn’t take a picture of it with her GoPro. The afternoon ended with a kayak tour through the mangroves which I did. Then taken back to our resort.
For our 2nd on day we choose an island tour. It was a private tour with a driver who not only took us to some of the most memorable spots I have seen but also explained the history behind it all. Now this was a very long day, but we saw a fair amount of Bali and really got a feel for the Island and the people.
If your a diving family Bali offers some amazing underwater adventures.. For certified divers we offer live aboard ships that can take you to some of the best reefs in the world. Cruises and private yacht charters are also available and popular with many of our clients.
Going to Bali was an experience my family and I will never forget. There is so much to do and see I highly recommend staying at least two weeks if your schedule permits. Again if possible, give yourselves a couple of days to recover from jetlag upon your return.
