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Bali with kids — Before you go
What parents ask about before a trip to Bali with children: the answer first, and the details if you want them. Checked against official and medical sources in October 2026.
Emergency: 112. 24-hour emergency departments: BIMC Hospital in Kuta and in Nusa Dua, Kasih Ibu and BROS in Denpasar (BROS has intensive care for children); the 24-hour BIMC clinic in Ubud.
Sun and heat
The UV index is very high to extreme all year, even when it is cloudy: go out in the morning and late afternoon.
Bali is just south of the equator, and the UV index is very high to extreme all year, even on cloudy days. Plan outings for the morning and late afternoon, keep the middle of the day for the pool or a nap, and pack hats, rash vests and plenty of water.
Swimming in the sea
On the west coast, swim only between the red-and-yellow flags; for calm water, choose a beach behind a reef or in a bay.
The west-coast beaches (Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Canggu) have surf and strong rip currents: let children swim only between the red-and-yellow lifeguard flags, and never at a red flag. For calm water, stay where a reef or a bay shelters the shore: Sanur, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Lovina or Pemuteran. Off Sanur and Nusa Dua the sea drains over coral at low tide, so swim at mid to high tide.
Beaches rated for children · Where to stay with children
Water and food
Tap water is not safe to drink: use bottled or filtered water for drinks, formula and brushing teeth.
Tap water is not safe to drink: use bottled or filtered water for drinks, formula and brushing teeth, and go easy on ice. Hand gel before meals and freshly cooked food help to avoid an upset stomach, and oral rehydration salts from any pharmacy are worth packing.
Animals and mosquitoes
Rabies is present in Bali: children should not touch or feed monkeys, dogs or cats.
Rabies is present in Bali, so children should not touch or feed monkeys, dogs or cats. After a bite, scratch or lick, wash the wound with soap and water for 15 minutes and see a doctor the same day. Dengue mosquitoes bite in the daytime: use a repellent with DEET, picaridin or IR3535 at the age its label allows (none under two months, where a net over the pram does the job).
Getting around
Car seats are rarely provided: bring your own or book one ahead, and take a carrier rather than a stroller.
Child car seats are not required by law and rarely provided, and ride-hailing cars have none: bring your own, or book one ahead from a baby-gear hire company or your private driver. Pavements in Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu and Ubud are narrow, broken or missing, so a carrier beats a stroller, except on the beach paths of Sanur and Nusa Dua.
Supplies and doctors
Nappies, wipes and the common formula brands are easy to buy; bring a particular formula to get started.
Nappies, wipes and the common formula brands are sold at Pepito, Popular, Bintang and Frestive supermarkets, but bring enough of a particular formula to get started. BIMC Hospital in Kuta and in Nusa Dua has a 24-hour emergency department, as do Kasih Ibu and BROS in Denpasar, and BROS also has intensive care for children; Ubud has the 24-hour BIMC clinic. The emergency number is 112, and travel insurance is a must.
Kids clubs and babysitters
Most larger resorts have a kids club, usually for ages three or four to twelve, and can book a babysitter.
Most larger resorts have a kids club, usually for ages three or four to twelve, with younger children joining with a parent, and can arrange a babysitter if you book ahead. Villas and small hotels can usually book one through a nanny agency.
Resorts with a kids club · Family-friendly resorts
Before you fly
Each child needs a passport, and everyone, babies too, pays Bali's tourist levy once per trip.
Children need their own passport and, where your nationality needs one, their own visa on arrival or e-VOA. Every visitor, babies included, pays Bali's tourist levy once per trip, online through Love Bali before the flight or on arrival, and fills in the free All Indonesia arrival card, which one adult can do for the whole family.
Nyepi, the Day of Silence
On 8 March 2027 the whole island stops for 24 hours and the airport closes.
Once a year, in March, the whole island stops for 24 hours for the Balinese New Year (on 8 March in 2027): the airport closes, and guests stay in their hotel, which keeps serving them. The evening before, villages parade ogoh-ogoh, giant papier-mache monsters, which children love.
When to go
The dry season, about April to October, is the sunniest; July and August are the busiest at the parks.
The dry season, from about April to October, brings the sunniest days; from November to March come heavy showers, often in the afternoon, but the parks and museums stay open. School holidays, July and August above all, Christmas to New Year and the Indonesian holidays are the busiest times at the parks.
Packing list
In the bags
- Hats and rash vests
Sun and heat - Plenty of water for outings
Sun and heat - Repellent with DEET, picaridin or IR3535
Dengue mosquitoes bite by day - A net for the pram
For babies under two months - Oral rehydration salts
For an upset stomach - Hand gel
Before meals - Enough of your baby's formula to start
The common brands are sold locally - A baby carrier
Pavements are narrow or missing - Water shoes
Coral and stones at Sanur and Pemuteran - Rain jackets for the highlands
Cool, rainy afternoons around Bedugul and Kintamani
Before the flight
- A passport for each child
And a visa, where your nationality needs one - Tourist levy paid on Love Bali
Everyone, babies too, once per trip - All Indonesia arrival card
One adult can do it for the family - A child car seat booked
Or bring your own - Travel insurance
A must