6 best family resorts in Bali
One of Australia’s favourite holiday destinations has reopened to Australians without the need to quarantine – with some great deals available at its most family-friendly resorts
Opening video: Holiday Inn Resort Bali Benoa
1
Bali Dynasty Resort, South Kuta Beach
Named best resort for families in Bali in the 2021 Out & About with Kids Readers’ Choice Awards, Bali Dynasty Resort has a 56-metre waterslide flowing into the pool! As well as the Dynasty Waterpark, the Resort on the South Kuta Beach strip has a kids’ club, teens club, playground and a range of daily activities. Parents can relax by the adults-only pool, work out at the gym, sip cocktails whilst listening to live music during twice-a-day happy hour at Sunset Bar, or sip cold beer at the only Irish Bar on the island, Gracie Kelly’s. Mums in need of some pampering can indulge at Ashoka Spa. Rooms are ideally designed for families, with two sections divided by a floor-to-ceiling partition. Its Family Room sleeps up to five people, with a king bed, bunk bed and a trundle bed. The beach, bars, clubs, shops, restaurants, art market, and a 24-hour medical centre are all within walking distance. The Resort is offering a Back to Bali Dynasty Resort deal, with savings of up to 20 per cent for stays up to December 2022. A minimum five-night stay is required. It includes a Bali Value Booklet with a free theme night buffet dinner, spa experience and return airport transfers.
Image: Delphine Coutant
Club Med Bali, Nusa Dua
All-inclusive holiday company Club Med’s Bali resort is just 30 minutes’ drive from the international airport at Denpasar and 12km from Kuta. Set on the longest resort beachfront in Nusa Dua, it offers a range of in-resort sports and activities, including a treasure hunt and Balinese cooking classes. It also has an excellent entertainment line-up, with traditional dance performances and a digital colours show featuring dazzling costumes and vibrant performances by the resort’s talented Gentils Organisateurs (GOs). The Resort is also introducing the all-new Magic Tribe show — an immersive visual performance that will take the audience on an emotional journey with the use of electronic screens, lights and sounds. It also has a renovated Beach Bar with live music at sunset, while the new Makan on Wheels food cart offers guests authentic Indonesian cuisine with a menu that incorporates pesticide-free produce freshly grown by the families of Bukit Mesari Farmers Group. There are plenty of Balinese touches, including a Big Buddha statue by the Main Bar and a Balinese temple within the resort, with yoga sessions for parents.
3
Four Seasons Resort Bali, Jimbaran Bay
With a new nature-inspired kids’ club program, spa and special dining benefits for families, Four Reasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay is an excellent option. Its Umah Rare Kids’ Club celebrates Bali’s arts and cultural heritage. Kids can learn how to weave palm leaves into ornaments from a Balinese priestess, dance with local children, play coconut bowls, fly hand-crafted kites on the beach, pick herbs to make zero waste mocktails with the bartenders, make fruit-based desserts with the chefs, do yoga, and try Indonesian martial arts and Balinese dance. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy some well-deserved pampering at the Resort’s new Healing Village Spa. Take part in a multigenerational cooking class or catch lunch with a local fisherman in a new experience inspired by Jimbaran’s heritage as a fishing village. The Resort’s jukung-style fishing boat is available for surf charters and day cruises to explore the beaches, temples and dramatic cliffs along the Uluwatu ‘Bukit’ peninsula, while cyclists can join a guide for an off-road trip to Balangan Beach. End the day with a private family campfire BBQ on the beach, where a chef can help kids make popcorn and s’mores on the bonfire.
All Four Seasons properties in the Asia-Pacific are offering families dining benefits until September 30, 2022, including free breakfast, lunch and dinner at Sundara restaurant for children aged six and under and free breakfast and 50 per cent off lunch and dinner for children aged seven to 12.
Holiday Inn Bali Benoa
Kids stay and eat free at this resort located on the Tanjung Benoa beachfront, 20 minutes’ from Kuta and 15 minutes from the airport. It has four pools, including a kids’ pool with a waterslide and splash bucket, a resort centre with a Wii zone, pool table and foosball, a kids’ club with a slide, climbing wall, costumes, arts and crafts and a ball pit, plus a babysitting service. Its signature kids’ suites have an underwater theme. The Tanjung Family Adventure Suite has two separate rooms – a parent’s room with clean, contemporary décor and a colourful, themed kids’ room with twin beds, kids’ linen, a welcome pack full of treats and a PS4. There’s even a dedicated kid’s bathroom with a bath and amenities for children. It also has a tour desk where you can book excursions to get out and explore the island, including temple visits, glass bottom boat rides, fishing tours and white water rafting. Guests can also take part in cooking classes, hire a bike and try water sports such as surfing, parasailing and jet skiing.
5
Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort
Combine French luxury and local cuisine at this five-star beachfront resort in Nusa Dua. It has three restaurants, an outdoor and indoor kids’ club, and a kids’ pool. The Resort offers a variety of fun activities for families, including cultural classes, traditional Indonesian games, yoga, gardening, gymnastics and Zumba for kids. There’s also storytelling, reading, card games, face painting and hand puppet paper making. The Resort’s kids’ club is open every day from 9am to 6pm for children under 12-years-old. It currently has a special offer for families, with 50 per cent off on the second room for the children, which is valid throughout 2022.
Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali
Located on a white sand beach, The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali has a large saltwater pool in a tropical setting plus a freshwater pool for children aged four to 12 with a 12-metre long waterslide! Keep the kids entertained with an array of activities at the Westin Family Kids Club, and partake in water sports, including canoeing and stand-up paddelboarding. Rooms have been designed with touches of nature and traditional Balinese accents. There are several restaurants to choose from. Dine on international cuisine at Seasonal Tastes, Indonesian at Ikan, Asian at sports-themed Velada, Japanese at Hamabe and Italian at Prego. There’s also a gym and award-winning Heavenly Spa by Westin™, which has 14 contemporary styled treatment rooms, a beauty salon, hydro jet pool, cold plunge, Himalayan salt saunas, steam room, wellness platform and a garden with outdoor pods. There’s also a Westin Kids Spa to treat littlies to a spa experience.
