Beautiful Bali
We had seven nights staying at Melia Bali, a great option for families, we stayed in a premium swim up room which of course the kids were delighted with, although we ended up spending most of our time at the huge lagoon style pool or on the beachfront. The hotel had plenty of actives throughout the day for adults, the kids and a nice selection of thing for the whole family to do together which we personally enjoyed. This varied from games, to movie nights, cooking lessons to marshmallow toasting and a whole lot more.
As our time in Nusa Dua was mostly about sun, sea and sand we had lots of beachfront meals and enjoyed the Balinese cuisine. We were so impressed with the prices of eating out, most evening we would spend around £30-£50 for the four of us and would have at least two courses each plus wine and soft drinks.
Speaking of dining one of our highlights of our holiday was a Balinese family cooking school. We were picked up in the morning by a local guide who took us to the market to show us how the locals shop and to pick up the ingredients that we would need for lunch. We then went and met the hosts in their own home which was going to be our cooking school for the day. They were knowledgeable, interactive and fun. My children who are both fussy eaters had so much fun and even enjoyed sampling all the food. This is such a good enhancement to a holiday experience, and I would highly recommend doing this not just in Bali but anywhere that there is the opportunity to spend time with the locals and experience their cuisine.
From Nusa Dua we also enjoyed a boat trip to Nusa Lembongan where we enjoyed a fun day of snorkelling, sunbathing and water sports. We spent another day at the turtle sanctuary where you adopt a turtle and release them into the ocean - a very special experience and the money is donated to keeping the sanctuary open where they rescue hundreds of turtles each year.
After our week in Nusa Dua we were off to Ubud and the difference was incredible. Ubud was more of a true Bali experience and during our time here we had a private guide who would meet us each day. As well as sharing his knowledge with us he took us to visit different Hindu temples, rice paddies and beautiful waterfalls. Of course, there was some fun for the kids too, they (we) had an adrenaline rush on the 12 swings at Bali Swing, a day out that we all enjoyed. If you’re going to do this then bring your camera as you will get many Intsta-worthy snaps. After Bali Swing, we visited the monkeys in their natural habitat at the Monkey Forest.
Having the guide with us really changed the whole holiday experience. He showed us things we probably never would have found on our own and also educated us as a family.
In Ubud we stayed at Bisma Eight, a luxury boutique hotel set within the natural and cultural heart of Ubud. We found this the perfect place to unwind after our busy days exploring Ubud, here they also offered activities such as cooking lessons and cocktail/mocktail masterclasses, but the highlight here was definitely the infinity pool looking over the forest.