We love to head down south to the Margaret River region at least once a year. Its around 3hrs drive from Perth and is home to some of the most amazing wineries, breweries and ice creameries you can find – and the best thing is most of them are totally kid friendly !
Here Ill give you a quick run down on our favourite breweries and wineries to visit , as that’s basically all we do when we visit…eat and drink while the kids play !
A fantastic restaurant with locally brewed beer and cider (if you’re a cider lover the sweet pear cider is amazing) and a great kids playground. Open from 10am to 6pm. Lunch served from 11.30am to 3.30pm with pizzas available til 5pm everyday. The Pizzas are the BEST!
Another favourite of ours, situated on a lake with plenty of room for the kids to run around, plus a playground and things like giant jenga to keep the kids amused. The food here is absolutely amazing, and for those that love a good hot dog you cant go past the one here !
Colonial is set on a huge property with dams, grass area and large outdoor playground for the little ones. It has a fantastic atmosphere and is definitley another one of our favourite places to visit. There is also a small indoor toy area for kids on those rainy days.
We used to come here for one reason and one reason only – the pork shanks! My hubby is pork shank mad and they used to make the most amazing shanks you have ever seen. We haven’t dined here since they changed owners and names so not sure what the menu is now like , but the brewery is in the most idyllic location and has a playground nearby (You cant directly see them from the restaurant unless your sitting outside but great for the older kids).
The Aravina is a luxury estate in Yallingup which boasts a french design playground, sports car gallery, homewares store, cellar and restaurant. The high quality food is made with locally grown produce, including from their own kitchen gardens. Defnitley a must for those who love wine, and very kid friendly.
Watershed is the closest winery to town being only 5 minutes out of the town.Its situated on a beautiful damn and vineyard and offers a range of food from cafe menu through to kids menu.It also has a a fantastic courtyard kids playground.
With every single flavour you could possibly dream of , plus a playground, animals and mini golf course – Simmos is a must visit in Dunsborough !
When it comes to places to stay there are SO many options and we tend to stay different each time but one of our favourites is the Bushy Lake Chalets . We love the lake spa chalet which has 3 bedrooms (2 double / queen beds and 1 with two singles), a fireplace, and spa overlooking the back lake and bush area. Its a few mins drive out of the town and perfect for those with families.
There are SO many things to do and see and many more places I haven’t listed but as these are the ones we have tried and tested, I chose these to recommend. Id recommend at least 3 days depending on what you want to do while you’re in the area 🙂
We have just booked our 4th cruise on Royal Caribbean sailing later next year and are SO excited – Cruising is our absolute favourite family holiday and below is our reasons why!
Kids Entertainment
Royal Caribbean are a fantastic cruise line for kids – We haven’t sailed with anyone else as yet purely because we accumulate points each time we sail and work our way up the “ranks” – which means extra discounts, and little extra bonuses along the way but will defnitley try another cruise line at some point ! I would love to try Carnival or Disney !
The voyager of the seas, like the explorer of the seas we sailed on last year has rock climbing, ice skating, kids clubs, swimming pools and spas, basketball court, and mini golf just to name a few. The kids were always entertained, happy and I never once heard “I’m bored”. My kids always found friends and would plan times to meet them at the kids club or pool 🙂
Safety
For those worrying about the safety of kids and balconies / falling overboard – we went around our whole ship and found the ONLY way a child could fall off our ship was if they climbed the balcony and jumped. The balconies on our ships have always been glass and would come up to my kids chests making it impossible to “fall over”. The only open part of the ship is the very top deck where the running track is and this is more balustrading than glass. Again the only way to fall off would be to climb and jump. The rest of the ship including the pool area is all inclosed with glass windows. So as long as you keep your little climbers away from balconies you do not have to worry about them falling overboard. My kids were never allowed on the balcony without us there and the doors were actually quite hard to open and they couldn’t even work it out even if they tried.
Ports
We find cruising is a great way to test out other countries / islands to get a feel for it first should we ever want to come back. Sometimes you might find that the day stop just isn’t enough to see everything , but at least you can get a feel for whether you think its a place you might like to come back to. We had places in mind for holidays, but once we visited there for the day we decided its not somewhere we would probably come for a full week or more holiday, which saved a lot of money and disappointment !
Dining
I love the fact that once you have paid and booked your cruise, all your meals are included. Even though you pay for it in your price of your cruise, its great to just get onboard, and know that you aren’t paying out anything else for meals (besides port excursions). When you holiday with 3 kids, you are constantly forking out money for snacks , lunches, drinks and feels like your forever spending. On the cruise they can just eat to their hearts content anytime of the day. (Including free ice cream on the pool deck all day !)
No internet
This is a huge plus for me – even though the thought of no internet for a week or more seems daunting (especially when we run two businesses), I absolutely love that the temptation of flicking through Instagram and facebook isn’t there as you literally can’t. I will generally take my phone and find a wifi café or restaurant on our shore excursions to quickly keep in touch with friends and family, but I LOVE the week of family bonding and no internet to distract us. Of course there is the option to purchase the wifi onboard but depending on which ship you are on it cant be very hit and miss.
For the adults
If your sailing without kids, or the kids have gone off with friends to the kids club, there is plenty to keep you occupied – from bars, to the adults only swimming pools, reading a book on the deck overlooking the ocean, to theatre shows, day spas and casino – there is so much to do ! We met quite a few friends with kids who we would meet up with for drinks, so its a very sociable holiday.
Price
Cruising can be a very affordable holiday for families (unless you have 3 or more kids like us and the price will jump a bit as you will need a grand suite or two rooms). But even then we have found it very affordable for all the meals and entertainment that’s included.
On Royal Caribbean ( it may be similar on a few cruiselines also) babies and toddlers are not allowed in the pool unless they are toilet trained – so definitely keep that in mind if you have a toddler who loves the water and you are sailing somewhere warm. The pools can be quite cold depending on where you are as they scoop up the ocean water, and it can also be windy on the pool deck when you are cruising so our kids weren’t always bothered about swimming in the pools. The spas however are beautiful and warm !
Our kids favourite holiday is definitely cruising….my 6 year old was in tears last year on the last night as he didn’t want to get off ! Their favourite part is getting the kids program on the bed each night telling them what activities are on in the kids club the next day, and what theatre shows are on in the evening. Their favourite was the magic shows! All the staff are fantastic with the kids and will do everything possible to ensure they are happy. !If your kids are prone to seasickness, take along some kids kwells just incase or some natural remedies. Last year we bought a little bottle of something in the gift shop that you dab behind their ears – I think it was mind over matter as within 2 minutes they were fine.
I hope that gives a little insight about cruising with kids – its not for everyone and I have met a few people lately who were really disappointed – mainly those with babies as they felt they went a little stircrazy, but for us its our favourite holiday!
I would recommend this hotel for all travellers, especially families.
This property is in a fantastic location in quiet pocket of Legian beach, opposite the Padma Hotel.
The hotel is more traditional style cottage accommodation. Room types include the lead in Superior rooms which are located back from the pool, to deluxe cottages, club rooms and villas. For Families there is the option of the Superior Family Room which holds two queen beds or a double and two singles and can hold maximum of 4. Otherwise there are the interconnecting cottage rooms which feature a fantastic outdoor shower. There is also 6 incredible pool villas which have a max occupancy of 2 + 1 on a rollaway. These have a private pool and are popular among honeymooners.All the rooms were lovely and modern.
There is a kids club for kids aged 3-12 , waterslides, beach pool and an adults only pool. There is a great club lounge for the club guests.
We had a lunch provided at the Azul restaurant and it was some of the best food Ive ever eaten, with a great setting overlooking the beach. The views from the rooftop bar are beautiful !
This was probably my favourite hotel out of all our inspections and defnitley the first place I would bring the kids.
Private pool in the villa
Cottage AccommodationCottage RoomAzul Restaurant
Padma Hotel
I would reccomend this hotel for all travellers , especially families.
The padma is also located in a nice quiet pocket of Legian Beach. It is a large hotel with rooms ranging from the lead in Deluxe rooms, to family rooms, chalets, club rooms to suites. We inspected the family room, deluxe lagoon view room and the chalets.
For families the family rooms are perfect. Two separate rooms which have a bunk bed and trundle bed, fitting 3 children comfortably with a TV and 2 bathrooms. The room we inspected was on the ground floor leading right out to the kids pool which was great, although I’m sure it would get very noisy. The ground floor family rooms are a higher price point than 2nd storey rooms.
The deluxe lagoon view room can hold 2 + 1 on a rollaway and have interconnecting options and had a nice view over the lagoon pool.
The club chalet were nice with a masive bed and have the benefit of using the club lounge. These rooms also hold 2 + 1 on a rollaway.
The kids club is for kids aged 4-12 and there are kids pools with waterslides suitable for all ages.
There is a total of 5 pools at the property, including an adults only pool down at the beachfront. The main pool with pool bar is a really large pool also down at the beachfront of the property.
This hotel is one of my favourites for people travelling with kids, however the family rooms are quite expensive so would be best to look for deals.
Alila Seminyak
I would recommend this property for all travellers but more suitable for young travellers and couples.
The Alila is a brand new hotel located next door to Potatohead in Seminyak. Its a modern style hotel right on the beachfront. It has a beautiful lobby overlooking the beach with an amazing vertical plant wall behind the reception desk.
The superior rooms which are the lead in category were not opened as yet, they are due to open in December. They are in a separate wing of the hotel which doesnt have a pool – the guests staying in these rooms would have to come up to the Deluxe rooms or main area.
There are 35 deluxe rooms that are suitable for 2 guests. The first floor has pool access rooms, 2nd floor have garden views and the 3rd floor ocean views. There is a buggy service to take guests to the main property area from the deluxe wing.
The rooms are very bright and modern, with floor to ceiling glass doors with no frames. Once the doors are open it feels like one giant open room. The doors also block alot of noise once they are closed. The flooring I think was the biggest fault in these rooms as they are the type of floor that is so easy to mark and even the room we inspected had dirty marks all over.
The deluxe ocean view suites are 60sqm in size and can hold 2 adults and 2 children. Again these have an amazing glass door which opens to make it one room. The room we inspected was right on the beach with your own deckchairs. Very bright and modern.
The other room categories include suites and penthouse rooms.
For kids there is a kids club for 4-11years which is open from 7am to 9pm and costs $5 for the structured activities, and was well setup.
Their are a total of 5 infinity pools including family, adults only and party pool (which outside guests can use if they spend $65 on food or drinks).
The beachfront restaurant and bar is beautiful and is open 7am to 11pm, and the beach bar 11am – 11pm.
Overall the property is beautiful and modern in a great location, but on the expensive side.
Trans Resort
I recommend this property for all travellers including families
The Trans is a new resort in Seminyak on Sunset Road. The location is the main let down of this property as its not beachfront and on a busy strip.
The hotel has a nice big grand lobby with views out onto the pool and man made waterfall. There is one central pool at the hotel which has a beach area with sunlounges. ( I can see there would be a lot of fighting for pool chairs.)
We inspected the premier rooms, celebrity suites and villas. What I loved about the decor in these rooms was they were still traditional style, but with a luxurious feel. The premier rooms have a max occupancy of 2+1 on a rollaway and are interconnecting. These rooms are very nice.
The celebrity suites were my favourite, very luxurious, spacious and the room we inspected had direct access out to the pool from the living area, with a jacuzzi in the pool. These rooms would be great for a little privacy as the main pool area would get quite busy I can imagine. The suites can fit 5 and can provide a gate to close off the pool if you have young kids. The celebrity suites can also interconnect with a premier room.
The villas are absolutely amazing with private pools and features like bidet toilet, and buggy service to take you to the main area of the resort.
The property has a fantastic kids club (which also has an ice cream shop inside, not sure that’s a great idea, imagine the tantrums for ice cream all day!)which looks out onto the manmade waterfall and is very well set out and modern.
The restaurant is by the pool , which I just think makes the whole area too crowded and the manmade waterfall , while lovely, is quite loud.
Overall I did really like this property, but the location is a turn off for me. It would be a fantastic hotel for kids aswell as couples.
Celebrity Suite
Villa
Maya Sanur
I recommend this property for mature travellers and couples.
The Maya Sanur is another new property just recently opened in 2015. It is a very modern, minimalist design. The architecture in this property was amazing and the location is great.
We inspected the Deluxe Rooms, Deluxe lagoon rooms, and beachfront pool suite.
The deluxe rooms held a maximum of 2 + 1 on a rollaway or on the daybed provided. There are 8 interconnecting rooms on the first floor. These rooms were AMAZING. Definitely my favourite décor and design of all the hotels . They have a great balcony with a lovely daybed overlooking the garden. The bathroom in these rooms are incredible, with a motorised blind that comes down.
The deluxe lagoon rooms were similar but overlooked the lagoon pool and again hold 2 adults and 1 child or 3 adults.
The beachfront pool suite was a whole new level of luxury – 106sqms with a king size bed and generous daybed. My favourite feature was the glass wall behind the bed filled with plants. Added a nice touch to the room ! This room holds 2 adults, has a private plunge pool and views of the beach.
There is one main large pool down near the beach , and the small long lagoon pools which you can access from the lagoon rooms. There is also a beautiful function room overlooking the beach , which would be fantastic for birthdays or weddings. A rooftop cooking class is another great feature of this property.
Overall the property is very beautiful, modern with amazing architecture throughout. It is definitely suited for mature travellers or couples as its very quiet and not as kid friendly.
Sanur Plaza Suites
I recommend this property for families
The biggest letdown of this property for me was the location, it isn’t beachfront and on quite a busy road. However if your looking for a property where the kids can run amuck then its perfect.
We inspected the 3 bedroom loft suite and the 1 bedroom suite . The 3 bedroom suites, while a little on the dark side, are amazing. Very spacious with full kitchen facilities and a balcony. There is one master bedroom upstairs, one master downstairs and one twin family bedroom. There are 3 bathrooms, and an additional space upstairs for an extra bed. Can easily accommodate 6 or 7 people with the additional bed.
The 1 bedroom also had a kitchenette with living room and master bedroom. These rooms are quite dark due to the location of them.
The main pool is a great size with kids pool and basketball net. There are magicians which entertain the kids pool side in the afternoon etc. The kids waterslides and pool area is on the other side of the kids club and is great for kids of all ages.
There is a giant Camp Splash Kids Club area with pool tables, table tennis, air hockey etc aswell as a toy area for the younger ones. Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult as its more of a play area than a child care facility.
There is one restaurant and a bar at the property and happy hour is from 4-6pm. There is also a laundromat for those who wish to wash their clothes.
Overall its a great resort for kids with fantastic accommodation at a good price.
Fairmont Sanur
I recommend this property for families aswell as couples and mature travellers.
The Fairmont is a beautiful property in a great location in Sanur. It is soon going to be under the ACCOR brand. One thing I like in hotels is a nice grand lobby with a great view and this property sure has that, with fantastic views over the pool to the beach, and a great bar.
We inspected the Fairmont Suite and the Signature Spa Suite.
The garden view suite is a fantastic size at 90sqm and can hold 2 adults and 1 extra bed. It has a 30sqm private outdoor terrace with daybed and mini bar with views over the garden or ocean. The bathroom is very spacious and luxurious.
The signature spa suite can occupy 2 + 1 and is between 150-180sqm with its own spa treatment room with massage table and separate door. Like the Fairmont suite it has a private outdoor terrace and lounge area.
There are also 1,2 and 3 bedroom villas which we didn’t get a chance to inspect. These go up to 940sqm and boast private pools, living areas and butler services.
The main infinity pool is in a great location and for dining options there is a beach bar grill, lobby lounge and main restaurant. We were lucky enough to have lunch here and the food was absolutely amazing !
There is also 2 kids pools and a kids club on the property, making it a great choice for families.
Overall this property was one of my favourites and suitable for all travellers including families.
Segara Village Sanur
The Segara is in a great location in Sanur right on the beach and has been family owned since the 1950s. It has a very Bali bungalow feel which I really liked, and the gardens were beautiful.
We inspected the deluxe family room, Bungalow 1st and 2nd configuration and the club rooms.
The deluxe family rooms interconnect and can hold up to 5 people, with the 5th on a rollaway. They have an outdoor sitting area with a small shallow pond. The rooms were on the smaller size but still suitable for a family of 4-5.
The bungalow rooms are very bright and modern and have a either a bedroom upstairs with a terrace area downstairs, or a bedroom and terrace on the same level. These occupy 2+ 1 extra on a rollaway. There is a family bungalow which is also 2 storey and has two bedrooms with an outdoor terrace area.
The club rooms are in a separate area of the property and have the benefits of the club pool and no children. The rooms are a thatched bungalow style on the outside however very modern on the inside.
There is a separate small pool/Jacuzzi with a pool bar with 5-7pm happy hour, aswell as the main pool down near the beach. There is no kids club however there is babysitting and a childrens outdoor playground.
The restaurants on the beach are fantastic, and there are watersports available also.
This property has a great, intimate feel and is defnitley one of my top choices.
I recommend this hotel for all travellers including families.
Club Room
Double Six Seminyak
I recommend this property for young travellers and mature travellers.
The double six is a very much a luxury suite hotel located right on the beach in Seminyak. We were lucky enough to be treated to an amazing dinner here after our inspection.
The only room we inspected here was the 2 bedroom Deluxe Ocean view suite as they were at full capacity. This room is over 160sqms with the most incredible views over the ocean and Seminyak, 2 bedrooms, the most incredible bathroom and a butler service.
The other rooms range from leisure suites, to private plunge pool suites and vary in price.
The spa and hair salon here was very modern and almost space like, with state of the art treatments including a 45min walk through treatment with different phases including mist, and detoxification ( I can’t remember what the treatment is called but it looks very interesting!) .
The Plantation Grill restaurant is a throwback to the glamour of the 1920s style luxury and also boasts a mirrored “selfie room” for guests to touch up their makeup. So amazing !
The Seminyak Italian Food restaurant where we had our host dinner overlooks the pool and beach, and the food was amazing.
The pool is one of the longest pools in Bali and stretches out along the beachfront.
Overall this property is very luxurious and in a fantastic location. Its not somewhere I would come with the kids but would be great for young travellers and mature couples.
Hair salon
View from the 2 bedroom ocean view suiteRooftop Bar
The Breezes Seminyak
I recommend this property for all travellers including families.
The Breezes is the sister property to the double six (but quite a different concept) in Seminyak. It has a great atmosphere and is in a great location!
We only inspected the Deluxe ground floor rooms as again they were running at full occupancy. The rooms were very bright and cheerful and great for families with interconnecting options. These rooms also feature a semi private outdoor area with sun lounges and direct pool access. They can accommodate 2 + 1 rollaway or cot in each room.
Other room options are superior rooms and junior suites which also accommodate 2+1 rollaway or cot.
For kids there is a kids club open from 9am and a movie theatre where little ones can watch a movie to chill out (adults can also use the cinema to watch their own dvd by reservation).
The pool is two tiered and includes a white sandy beach and sunken pool bar and pool basketball. The sandy beach is perfect for those with little ones!
Breakfast here is 24/7 meaning you can stumble in after a late night out and order some breakfast if you please !
Overall this hotel had a great atmosphere and is fantastic for kids, would definitely be a top choice of mine.
Private terrace of the Deluxe room
Puri Santrian Sanur
I recommend the Puri Santrian for all travellers but more suitable for mature travellers and couples.
We stayed at the Puri Santrian in Sanur for the first 2 nights of our stay in a club room. These rooms are located in the separate club area with a fantastic pool area and includes afternoon tea. Our rooms were ground floor right opposite the pool, and like a little cottage style with 4 poster bed, bathroom and large wardrobe area.
Other accommodation options are superior rooms, bungalow (traditional Balinese style) and santrian rooms. The newest accommodation is the premier deluxe rooms which are located again in a separate wing for adults only and features an infinity edge swimming pool. These rooms can hold 2 + 1 rollaway.
The property is right on the beach and has 4 pools spread out in different locations. There is a sunken pool bar in the main pool which is near the restaurant, and the breakfast here was incredible – with seating available right on the beach.
I really enjoyed my stay here and would defnitley come again.
I recently went on a work Famil to Bali with some other travel agents to do some property inspections and were lucky enough to stay two nights at the brand new Bandha Hotel & Suites. This property has only been open a month, and is situated in a nice quiet pocket of Legian Beach right next door to their sister property The Niksoma. The hotel is a very modern minimalist design with 90 rooms and suites , ranging from Deluxe rooms to family rooms and even royal suites for those who want a little luxury !
Lobby Area
We were in the lead in category Deluxe Rooms which were spacious, bright and very modern. 18 of these are interconnecting and are located on the second, third and fourth floors. They have a fantastic balcony overlooking the pool, a very large shower , private wardrobe and the beds are amazing…..those pillows were beyond anything I have slept on ! These rooms can hold 2 adults and 1 child on a rollaway.
The deluxe lagoon access are located on the ground floor with direct access into the pool and can hold 2 adults and 1 child on a rollaway bed. These would be a great option for honeymooners.
Other accommodation options include Family Rooms, which are located on the fourth floor and are two bedroom suites with a king bed in the master room and twin beds in the second room , making them the perfect choice for a larger family wanting ample space.
The highest category room is the Royal Suites which are located on the fifth floor and are very luxurious! The 3 Royal Suites offer private swimming pool access from the bedroom and private bathroom with jet spray and have a magnificent outdoor living area with amazing ocean views. These rooms can accommodate 4 with 2 children on rollaway beds.
The restaurant here, Mozarella by the Sea, is located at the back on the property on the beach -This is a very popular restaurant here in Legian and the breakfast was amazing. All the usuals of a typical Balinese buffet breakfast including Indoesian food, pastries, fresh fruit, various breads and of course freshly made to order eggs. Another bonus was a proper coffee machine coffee rather than the instant coffees many hotels still serve. It was so peaceful early in the morning eating breakfast right on the beach. We also had a dinner here hosted by The Bandha and the food was incredible. They also offer 2 for 1 cocktails all night !
I went and treated myself with a friend to a massage as they had a fantastic opening special – 2 x 1hour Balinese massages for $19 in a couples treatment room. The massage was amazing, and the spa was very nicely designed with relaxation and restoration in mind.
There is a gymnasium , aswell as the most amazing chapel on the rooftop where they will be hosting weddings. This has 180 degree views of Legian Beach and illuminates at night and is simply stunning. Perfect spot to say I Do !
There are two pools at the hotel , both with swim up pool bars. The first is located central to the rooms and lobby area with plenty of sunlounges available and of course direct access from the Deluxe Lagoon Rooms. The other pool is located at the back of the property in front of the Mozarrella restaurant and has beautiful views to the beach from the pool bar. The service was fantastic and drink and food menu was great, and again plenty of lounge chairs available with umbrellas.
One thing I found here was the staff were all so friendly, happy and generally happy for you to be staying with them. Even the security guards were so friendly and constantly wishing you a good day as you walked in and out of the property. Sometimes with big resorts these small gestures are overlooked, and it is something small like that which will decide whether or not I return to a property !
My review of this property is all positive – the location is perfect, the rooms are beautiful and spacious, the pools and restaurant are fantastic and the staff so friendly. I will defnitley recommend this property to my clients ,especially couples or singles. For those with toddlers and younger kids there is no kids pool or kids club so probably wouldn’t be my best pick but for older kids and teens its perfect.
Thank you to the staff at The Bandha for guiding us on this inspection 🙂
Being from Perth, Bali is our home away from home. We try to go at least once a year, even just for a short trip. We have tested a few hotels with our kids and have picked our favs , aswell as a few we haven’t yet tried but look incredible !
We stayed at the hard rock a couple of years ago, and the kids had a blast! There are waterslides, kids splash park, kids pool, aswell as a beach area of the pool. They also do daily water sports with the kids including things like paddle board competitions, volleyball etc and the winners receive medals / vouchers. The rooms weren’t as spacious as we would have liked with our 3 little ones, and we found lugging the pram down the steps to the pool a pain in the butt – but other than that this is a great resort for kids!
I haven’t actually stayed here but I know many who have and enjoyed it! Its in a great central location near Waterbom Park and has everything for kids. There is a 56m waterslide and kids fun zone, kids playground, enchanted themed kids club, kids hair salon, trapeze school and teens club !
The rooms are fantastic for families sleeping up to 5 ( with 3 kids we know how frustrating it can be finding rooms for 5 !!) with separate kids rooms which is a huge bonus. We will defnitley have to try out this resort soon !
We stayed at the Novotel in 2015 in a 2 bedroom pool villa and it was amazing. The villa was SO BIG ! The kids room and our room were on separate sides of the villa (which was great as our daughter is a huge teeth grinder!), and there was a full kitchen with fridge, microwave (again fab for my baby having bottles), living area, and the most amazing shower ever ( Think hugest square powerful shower head you’ve ever seen!).
The pool was warm unlike alot of plunge pools, and it was great to be able to have the older kids swim outside while the baby slept. There were alot of mosquitoes though from the pond out the back so we all got quite alot of bites – just take alot of spray and you’ll be fine.
The hotel pool is amazing for the kids, and the kids club and kids pool is fantastic. Jay was too young to be left in the kids club so I would just take him in every now and then for a play which he loved.
There is a shuttle bus that takes you down to the beach if you want some sand and surf. The restaurant here is delicious also !
I have done a separate blog post on this hotel before as its fantastic. We stayed here this year and absolutely loved our stay. For kids it is great! We stayed in a 2 storey loft family room which was very spacious, but I did find it a pain being on the 4th floor with 1 working lift in the complex (and the huge walk to the pool each day)
The kids club was great, my son went most days as he loved it so much – they have structured activities throughout the day plus take them to the pool for water sports, temple visits, and off to the restaurant for lunch if required. They have a great outdoor area (although its often too hot to play out), and do things like discos and easter egg hunts which was decorated so beautifully for Easter !
There is a separate kids pool down near the water which is a great depth for toddlers (my son was 2 when we went) and he loved playing cars on the ledge. The main pools have varying depths aswell as shallow sloped entries that my toddler again loved playing in.
There are lots of activities going on in the pool and the staff love playing volleyball and soccer with the kids. The giant chess board was also a hit. The beach is directly out the front, where they have activities like stand up paddle boarding which may be more suitable for the older kids / teens.
This resort cost us around $220 AUD a night which was on special at the time for the 2 storey loft room.
This property has been one of our favourites to take our kids to !
UBUD
We haven’t stayed with our kids in Ubud yet but if we do anytime soon it will be here!
Ubud is the perfect jungle escape – to take time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and get away from the hustle and bustle of the busy areas of Kuta and Legian. This resort looks perfect for just that ! The kids pool is conveniently situated outside the kids club, and my gosh look at the view the kids will have ! There is also a childrens menu available for them to eat whilst being entertained in the kids club.
The kids club is for ages 2-9 (which is fab as many are aged from 3 up!) and has everything to keep them entertained, aswell as bunk beds for nap time. Again, what a view they have from the kids club !
We tried out the Adi Dharma hotel earlier this year and were pleasantly surprised. We had a huge room, I can’t find it on their website but it was a family room, with a king bed and area which was sectioned off with partioning and the kids beds in there. The room was very generous, and perfect to have a little bit of privacy from the kids. We also had a great balcony.
The hotel itself is small, tucked away in Poppies Lane – we realised on the last day there was a shortcut to the beach which would have had us at Kuta beach in 5 mins instead of 15mins. There is a kids pool with kids slide, it wasnt that great for my 2 year old as it was up to his neck so I had to sit in there with him. The main pool is very deep , for some reason Im not a fan of pools where I can’t stand but the kids loved it. The pool bar was cheap, food around the pool was fantastic and well priced and the best bit is you don’t have to walk an hour just to get to the pool with the kids ! My parents had a pool access room – which was a room just next to the pool – so we hired an extra cot for their room so our bub could sleep while we all still swam.
I defnitley recommend this hotel for those wanting a cheaper option, I think it cost us around $90-$100 a night which is a huge difference to what we pay elsewhere for family rooms.
We decided to use the trains when we travelled from country to country, we figured it would be a great way to see the countryside and experience something different from flights.
Our first train ride was from London to Paris – which means under the English channel. The train station was similar to an airport with security checks, passport / immigration stamps and scanners – which made me feel a LOT more at ease. Once we boarded I couldn’t believe how much room there was ! We had chairs which faced each other like a booth so was fantastic. We were served crossaints, muffins, tea, coffee, juice and some brownies.
Now what I wasn’t prepared for is how fast these trains go ! It was like in the aeroplane where your ears pop – but mine were popping non stop and it was the weirdest feeling – especially going under the channel. I was expecting a nice scenic train ride where it was more like a bullet train ! The kids thought it was fantastic although one got a little motion sick, but luckily for once, no vomiting.
Our next ride was Paris to the French Alps – which was just beautiful, although a little eery at times as we passed a lot of little towns that were just blanketed with fog with spooky little houses in the middle of nowhere – It reminded me of something out of a horror movie! This train seemed to go a little slower so coming into the mountains and seeing the snow was incredible. We weren’t served food on this one but had a cart offering snacks and meals come around which were great.
My window view !
Our trip from Modane to Venice was a long day – stops in Milan and Bologna but was beautiful as we passed alot of towns being snowed on ! Again we had a booth and spent the hours playing UNO, reading, drinking the wine on offer and eating. My son was really unwell with a flu so he struggled a bit this day as he didn’t like most of the food on offer on the trains and there were limited places to buy when we stopped. We had a man help us load our cases onto the train in Milan which we thought was so helpful – until he demanded a ridiculous amount of money and got angry at us when we didn’t pay him that much ! We arrived in Venice very hungry, very tired and ready for bed.
Venice to Rome was where I had my first panic attack haha. It all started when there were lots of people arguing in Italian, refusing to sit down and just looking very unsettled. I managed to ask someone what was happening and they said an empty suitcase had been left behind from the previous trip so they were asking the train driver to take it and check it. He checked it, all seemed ok and he took it out of our carriage which made me feel better – But being only 3 weeks after the terror attacks in Paris I was on edge a little. I was VERY glad to get off that train !
All in all my experience on the trains was brilliant. A much more pleasant way to travel than short flights if you can. We paid for first class seats on them all as there wasn’t much of a price difference and all trips were great – some had free food, some had little carts where you buy from or some had a proper little “cafe” . The seats were so comfortable, and we enjoyed our time playing UNO and gazing at the Italian Alps, and french countryside. I highly recommend using the trains, especially with kids as a way to get around each country 🙂
All my kids are fantastic flyers – always have been but when we booked our first long haul flight last Christmas I was just quietly having panic attacks about it – 20 hours back to back is a bloody very long time !
Jay being 22months was my main concern, he is a terrible sleeper and is fairly boisterous. Also I broke my tailbone when I was in labour with him so sitting too long is still fairly uncomfortable for me which was another worry of mine !
ACTIVITIES – I purchased lots of little activities for the little one , from colouring, cars, books, ipads, water painting but my three top activities were as below:
Gel Window Stickers – these were a godsend, and only cost around $3 for a pack at the $2 shop ( Still don’t understand why its called a $2 shop if the products are all not $2 !) These kept him amused for a good hour or so !
PILL BOXES FILLED WITH GOODIES
These pill boxes I found again at a cheap $2 store for around $3, and I filled them with buttons, googly eyes, trash pack trashies, and little beads. He sat there for what felt like ages opening and closing each lid and rearranging them . Winning !
Another example of the pill boxes you can buy
FLASH CARDS – I purchased some cheap flash cards for toddlers at Woolworths and used a punch and key ring to make them into – well flash cards on a ring. Genius idea – he absolutely loved these and they were so handy on the whole holiday – I still keep them in my handbag at all times !
The older kids were kept busy with the TV unit, ipads, books and colouring books. At 8 and 6 they are much easier !
BASSINET / SLEEP – We booked the bassinet for Jay knowing that he would be almost the size and weight limit, but we booked it hoping he might sleep in there which would allow me to get off my bottom for a bit. He DID sleep – but being alot of turbulence I had to keep getting him in and out which was a pain – in the end I gave up and he slept on me. I use the world SLEPT loosely as out of 20 hours he only slept 2-3hours ! Kill me now!
It ended up getting to the point of “Im going to have to just let him scream himself to sleep” during one flight – he is one of those kids that doesn’t want help to go to sleep, but will push through and fight sleep if hes too distracted – which results in and overtired toddler who will only settle by crying…loudly. Luckily he was asleep in a few mins after that but still didn’t sleep as long as I had foreseen in my head. I did try some polaramine on the way home but it didn’t seem to do a thing to help him sleep longer.
SNACKS – We probably didn’t pack enough snacks to be honest, I was relying alot on the fact that we would get provided meals and snacks but having a fussy toddler it wasn’t the best idea. I took muesli bars, yoghurt balls, pringles, and a couple of bananas. Next time I will make sure I have enough food to keep him going incase he doesn’t like the kids meals. And let’s face it, food, especially little fiddly snacks, keep toddlers amused !
MILK – I took the small mini cartons of cows milk for his bottles and heated one up in the parents room at the airport before we took off. But for some reason hes never really interested in milk on flights !?
SEATS – My best advice is try and book the bassinet row if possible – there is SO much leg room and Jay happily played on the floor at my feet with his cars for a long time. I think some flight attendants will tell you they cant sit there incase of turbulence but the flight attendants we had were all fine with it!
Other than what I have mentioned, books were a hit and would provide at least 5 minutes of entertainment! Can’t wait for him to get to an age where he will watch tv.
In all honesty the flight was NOWHERE near as bad as I had imagined and even though he power vomited on me for the last 2hours of the flight to London, it defnitley has not put me off flying long haul again. It really wasn’t that bad and the result is worth every second of the possible 20 hours of hell xx
