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Do not plan your family trip to Bali for the family, but with the family.
We often tend not to delegate, to want everything to be perfect, and to forget nothing. Yet involving everyone in the planning process gives a whole new meaning to your family trip to Bali. It is an opportunity to share a common project, reconnect, communicate, and (re)discover essential family values.
Organising your trip by involving everyone also means bringing the most reluctant ones (not to mention teenagers) on board with activities they have chosen. Show them that they have a place and that they are part of the adventure. Entrust them with managing the “Instagram updates”, while suggesting a limited-connection challenge. Invite each family member (including parents) to present two activities they would like to do in Bali, with the goal of including at least one per person in the itinerary.
Building a team of adventurers
Everyone can have a role. These roles should be suggested, never imposed. Better still: let family members choose according to their age, skills or interests.
No one wants to take part? Perhaps you missed a step… Did you present the idea with enthusiasm? Did you leave space for everyone to express themselves? Be flexible, listen, trust… and you will build a close-knit team.
Here are a few inspiring roles, tested by our travellers (to be adapted to your family’s age and sense of humour):
- Documents manager: checking passports and photocopies, creating a backup USB drive…
- Airport manager: managing tickets, locating terminals, tracking customs…
- Luggage manager: weighing, sorting, labelling, final check (we leave with 9 suitcases, we come back with 9!).
- Luggage officer: I pack my own bag.
- Official photographer: in charge of the trip’s visual memories.
- Family translator: a bit of English, a few words of Indonesian, and he/she becomes the spokesperson.
- Taster: tries dishes, gives an opinion and advises others.
- Official illustrator: sketches the family in action, on site and during preparation.
- Happiness manager: a real role held by a 9-year-old child, who reminded everyone how lucky they were to be taking this trip.
???? Create your own roles! The most important thing is that everyone finds their place and becomes an active part of the adventure. Learn to let go and let your children—or your partner—handle certain steps.
The family game “All the better”
A travelling family shared their positive approach to travel with us, which we would now like to pass on to you.
In an anxiety-inducing society, where we often have the reflex to complain or be wary, this family decided to reverse the trend. Bertrand and Anne-Laure, with their children Gaétan (9) and Pauline (12), invented a game: with every unexpected event, they would say to each other, “All the better!”
Concrete examples:
- A suitcase forgotten at the airport?
“If it didn’t make it to Bali, it means we didn’t need it. All the better!”
- A missing hotel night on arrival?
“Let’s call Amanaska—we might get a beachfront hotel. All the better!”
- An unexpected flat tyre?
Barbecue and a walk on the beach!
Even when their boat to the Gili Islands was delayed, they wrote to us:
“All the better, the Gilis are amazing!”
And yes, their suitcase was waiting for them when they returned. ????
This game, simple yet powerful, radically changes how you perceive travel. It turns frustrations into opportunities.
The “John Doe” game, or the invisible traveller
Launched by Amanaska in 2018, this game is designed for environmentally conscious families. What’s the aim? Discover Bali without leaving any trace.
Three steps to take on the challenge of planning your family trip to Bali:
1. Awareness
Tell your children the story of Melati and Isabel Wijsen, two young girls who, at 13 and 15, founded the Bye Bye Plastic Bags organisation in 2013. Thanks to them, Bali banned plastic bags in certain regions as early as 2019.
2. Packing
- Remove all unnecessary packaging
- Remove plastics (razors, clothing tags, etc.)
- Bring a single medicine kit (photos of the leaflets as backup)
- No plastic bottles or single-use cotton pads
- Bring reusable water bottles, cutlery, and cigarette-butt containers for smokers
- Choose a reef-safe sunscreen (e.g.: Waterlover – Biotherm)
3. On site: leave a human footprint, not a material one
Take your waste back with you if necessary. Set an example. This game is a playful awareness-raiser, without guilt, yet with very practical impact.
What to do in Bali with children?
A family itinerary should appeal to everyone. Each day should:
- include a discovery activity (temple, walk, crafts),
- include free or recreational time (pool, beach, nap),
- and respect everyone’s pace.
???? In Bali, children get massages, you play by the water, you go boating… but above all, you reconnect.
Too many parents design their trip “in place of” the children, projecting their own idea of value for money (budget + culture). The result: too many temples, not enough simple enjoyment. Yet true luxury lies in shared time, the unexpected, and encounters.
Balinese walks and immersive experiences
Example:
Lake Tamblingan → hike through the rainforest → return by canoe → visit the Ulun Danu Bratan Temple dedicated to the goddess Danu, an incarnation of Vishnu, protector of the universe. A magical place for young and old alike!
Avoid cultural overload
Two or three temples are enough to discover Balinese spirituality. Then alternate with more fun activities: mountain biking, rafting, surfing, diving, cooking…
???? Immersion is a magical solution:
- A day with a Balinese family
- Kite making
- Artisan workshops in Ubud
- Rice farming in Flores
- Fishing in Amed
- Toraja cooking in Sulawesi
And on the other islands?
Beyond Bali, consider:
- Flores, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi
- Nearby islands: Gili, Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan
Also remember to limit overly long transfers, and to favour regions such as Tabanan, Bedugul, Munduk, Amed, or the rice terraces of Jatiluwih (perfect for young children).
Bali’s volcanoes with children?
Yes, but:
- not before age 10,
- good physical fitness required,
- avoid volcanoes that are too steep (Mount Agung, Merapi).
Consult your doctor before departure.
If you would like to travel to Bali as a family, please do not hesitate to contact us; we are a specialist agency for travel in Bali, and especially for family trips to Bali.
