Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There is an increasing demand for interesting
modern furniture
on Bali. Aside from a
few outlets in Seminyak the best places to browse are outside the main centres - north of
Seminyak in Kerobokan, for example.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN
The Balinese make a great fuss of their own and other people's children, and permit
them to go pretty much anywhere.
One peculiar cultural convention you might encounter, though, is that the Balinese abhor
young children crawling on the ground - a practice that's considered far too animal-like for
young humans - and so in their early months kids are
carried
everywhere, either on the hip
or in slings made from sarongs. Don't be surprised if your child gets scooped off the ground
for the same reason.
Activities for kids
There's plenty on Bali and Lombok to appeal to children. Aside from the beach and other
water-based activities in the southern resorts, Bali's
Waterbom Park
is fun for all ages. Many
dive centres
will teach the PADI children's scuba courses on request: their Bubblemaker pro-
gramme is open to 8-year-olds and the Junior Open Water course is designed for anyone over
10. Active children may also enjoy
learning to surf
,
mountain-biking
,
whitewater rafting
and
horseriding
,
swinging through the trees
at the
Bali Treetop Adventure Park
and
wild-
life attractions
such as the
Elephant Safari Park
at Taro, the
Bird and Reptile parks
in Batu-
bulan and the
Bali Safari and Marine Park
in Gianyar.
Ubud
is especially child friendly, with
a huge amount on offer that they will love, including chances to try their hand at jewellery-
making, batik, gamelan and dancing, and a multilingual kids' library. The colour and dy-
namism of the
dance and music shows
could almost be tailor-made for children - from the
beauty and grace of Legong to the drama of the Barong. Older, more fashion-conscious chil-
dren will relish the varieties of brand-name
clothing
on offer and the endless offers to “plait
your hair”, while parents will appreciate the bargains to be had in the children's sections of
department stores in Kuta and Denpasar and the specialist children's clothing stores.
Practicalities
Many top-end
hotels
provide extra beds for one or two under-12s sharing a room with their
parents and the best ones have a kids' club as well, and may also offer babysitting services.
The Tuban area of south Kuta is particularly strong on family-oriented hotels, many of which
have grounds that run right down to the sea. In Sanur, the mid-range
Swastika
is one of sev-
eral family-friendly options, complete with children's swimming pool. Up near Ubud, in the
village of Mas,
Taman Harum Cottages
gets rave reviews from families, not least because