Traveling To Bali with Kids– Part 3: Ubud
DAY 1- Tegalalang Rice Terrace, Goa Gajah, Monkey Forest
Early morning exploring the Tegalalang Rice Terrace’s lush cascading rice paddies, especially popular at sunrise and sunset
Our first day, we had our driver pick us up at 6:30am and head out to Tegalalang Rice Terrace since we knew it was a place we wanted to go to before the crowds began to gather. From the Four Seasons, it took us maybe around 25 minutes to get there. Some of the paths were quite narrow and some steps were steep but otherwise the Tegalalang Rice Terrace was very kid-friendly to navigate. We took pictures and maybe spent almost an hour there and then head to our next destination.
Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) was roughly 25 minutes from Tegalalang Rice Terrace. Here, we paid an entrance fee and were given sarongs to borrow to wear into the temple. Goa Gajah can be easily added to any Bali itinerary and is nice to see but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get here if time or planning didn’t permit. I would give it a 3/5. We took photos near the ceremonial bathing pools and proceeded to the elephant cave. The cave itself was quite small and consisted of a T-shaped prayer room. My daughter was a bit scared so we were in and quickly out of the cave. On our way out of Goa Gajah, vendors were opening up selling ice creams, coconuts, snacks, balinese souvenirs.
We had lunch at Bebek Joni (a beautiful restaurant that focuses on crispy duck and Indonesian cuisine). This place wasn’t on our radar at all but was recommended by our driver. The restaurant was so beautiful and very picturesque in every corner. Unlike the restaurants I’m used to, this one was outdoors and surrounded by lush greenery, rice paddies–my instant calm favorite. It was a quiet, peaceful, spacious, the perfect place for the kids to walk around while we waited for our food. The food here was good but I have to admit the ambiance was better.
Next, we were off to the Monkey Forest. This place is a MUST on your Bali itinerary. Of all the places we visited in Ubud, the Monkey Forest was definitely me and my husband’s favorite. We paid for our entrance fees and our driver joined us (note: they don’t charge entrance fee for the driver/guide and they are able to enter with you). As you enter, you are almost immediately met with monkeys. It was nice to see the monkeys in their element, eating sweet potatoes, playing in a watering hole, up in the trees, grooming one another. We also saw lots of mommy monkeys with their little babies trying to nurse—so adorable. We came here prepared, not bringing any bags, sunglasses, food/drink. I did see the monkeys trying to get into the backpacks that people would carry on their backs multiple times. We heard about the monkeys taking tourists’ things so we didn’t want to become victims.
I knew I had to get a family selfie with a monkey while here. In certain parts of the Monkey Forest you will see some opportunities for that. It is actually a source of revenue for the place. There is a small fee that you pay to get a wristband, you meet with one of the men that help you get that perfect monkey selfie. He has you and your group sit down on a bench and attracts a monkey to sit on someone’s lap. They instruct you to not keep your hands/arms near the monkey and then lures them with kernels of corn, feeding them one by one. Each time the monkey reaches his hand out for one, the local snaps the photo. This lasts for maybe a few minutes (make sure to have your iPhone photos on live just in case someone’s eyes are closed). They make sure to take a good amount of photos so you can find at least one perfect one on that camera roll. Some locals were better than others when it came to the picture taking, I suggest watching the interaction with them and the monkeys first before picking your photographer.
Another good tip to follow is to not look the monkeys in the eyes. My youngest, Erin, got picked on multiple times by the monkeys. We didn’t get to explore all of the Monkey Forest since we had a stroller (I would suggest using a baby carrier if possible). There were many steps down in some areas so we just didn’t explore them and stayed in the main areas.
After the Monkey Forest, we brought the kids to the PIci Pici Club to hang out with Rheni again. She taught us all how to make traditional balinese offerings (woven banana leaf containers with different types of flowers inside with something edible like a candy on top). These offerings are meant to demonstrate their devotion to the Gods and hope for a life that is in harmony. When you travel in Bali, you’ll notice these Balinese offerings everywhere. It was an educating family friendly activity to learn more about the locals and balinese culture this way.
DAY 2- Tegenungan Waterfall, Bali Safari & Marine Park
Quick morning hike at the Tegenungan Waterfall, a beautiful location with so many photo opportunities
We tried to go to the Kanto Lampo Waterfall but was turned away due to a mudslide there. Instead, we went to Tegenungan Waterfall. We enjoyed our early starts since it helped beat the traffic and crowds. The waterfall was very easy to get to with the kids. Lots of stairs but definitely not a hike. There was a log to cross some water, but nothing too crazy. By 7:30am more people started to show up at Tegenungan Waterfall. I believe there was also a way to see the waterfall from its peak but we ended up just seeing it from the bottom trail. There was also an expansive bridge but it wasn’t open at that time. We spent about an hour here but you could definitely easily spend more time here exploring.
From there, it was about a 35 minute drive to Bali Safari and Marine Park. We purchased our tickets ahead of time online so we went straight into the park. The park wasn’t busy at all, there were rarely any lines which I’m so not used to being from LA. We first went on the safari which was a fun attraction for the kids. We sat in a safari tram which had a tour guide talk about all the animals that we encountered on our little journey. Hippos, Tigers, Ostrich, Lions, Giraffes, etc. It was nice since the animals were roaming freely in their own habitat. Habitats were quite small, so it was easy to locate them and see them up close. They do offer a night safari activity but that is only available to their Bali Safari Hotel (Mara River Safari Lodge) guests. The tram drove by the lodge and it really reminded me so much of our safari experience in South Africa but of course this was a little more commercialized and not exactly out in the wild. This would have been a unique experience for families that want to add something different to their Bali trip and a good introduction to safari for the kids.
We did the Animal Show next which I thought was just okay (there was a lot of focus on birds). It was nice to see a binturong since I had never seen one before. They resemble a raccoon crossed with a bear cat. Really cute. At the end of the show, they picked maybe 10 people to come up and take photos up close with the animals, there was a bird, binturong and snake.
The meerkat and giraffe feedings at the Bali Safari and Marine Park were a highlight for the kids, such a fun experience
One of the other big stand outs of the Bali Safari Marine Park was the feeding opportunities (requires extra fee). Whitney ended up picking the piranha, meerkat and giraffe feedings. The piranha feeding was just two times since the piranha would tug and devour the food that was placed on the hook so I would say that one ended really quickly compared to the other two. The meerkat was probably my favorite. I would always see them from afar so it was nice to be able to pet them and feed them. We all got to participate and feed the meerkats using various contrapments.
The last feeding we did was steps away from the giraffe feeding. We were given a basket of string beans and carrots to feed, the giraffe was friendly and so beautiful. It was an exciting kid-friendly activity in Bali to get up close with these animals—really a great experience.
Tip: There is a petting zoo area within the Bali Safari & Marine Park where you can buy some leafy veggies to feed bunnies, goats, guinea pigs, tortoises.
To end our Bali Safari day, we went to the water play zone which we were well prepared for since we had our swimsuits already on. No one was there, not even a single person was overseeing the area and the girls and my husband loved having the place all to themselves. They ran around in the water and went down the slides. My little one—Erin, especially loved running through all the little fountains. Don’t forget to bring towels, sunscreen and clothes to change into.
DAY 3- Photoshoot, Rice Planting, Explore Ubud City Center, resort pool
The next morning I had a photoshoot scheduled through the Four Seasons since this place is truly so unique and I just wanted to have professional photos of the girls since they’re growing up so fast! The architecture mixed with the lush greenery really couldn’t be more beautiful of backdrop. We started our session around 7am, the girls were pretty hard to handle so we barely lasted the hour. During the session I didn’t think we got anything great since Whitney had a tantrum, cried, and Erin is always looking elsewhere, easily distracted. After the shoot, I was so surprised there were more than 700 images to go through and there was SO much good footage! I loved the photos and the photographer was so patient and kind with us. He has two young kids himself so he totally understood how to navigate. I definitely would recommend doing a professional shoot in Bali (but of course make sure the photographer has worked with kids before, and does a lot of family photography).
One of the kid-friendly activities at the Four Seasons Resort at Sayan, was rice planting. I booked this for me and Whitney, children were free for the activity so the fee was just for me. We met with our guide who instructed us how to plant rice from beginning to end. We had to go into the mud and Whitney wasn’t a big fan of it (I was surprised since she has always wanted to go into big muddy puddles like Peppa Pig). She ended up getting out of the mud pit and into the PIci Pici Club nearby to wait for me.
Rice planting is definitely tiring, it’s a lot of work in the heat and quite a process. My back was hurting from just 5 minutes into this activity and I really got a glimpse of what it was like to be a worker in the rice paddies. Even though I was quick to get out of there when I was finished, I truly enjoyed the experience.
Getting muddy during the rice planting activity at the Four Seasons Resort at Sayan. Our guide walked us through the stages of rice planting while instructing us on how the locals plant rice
Note: There’s lots of water spiders and sometimes eels in these flooded fields. My guide told me that they would catch these spiders and eels, cook and eat them. The eels especially would be such a treat for them. Keep an eye out on these local delicacies.
We explored the city center in Ubud so we could have lunch and shop for some souvenirs. Since we were having a lot of Indonesian food on our trip, Locavore To Go was great to break up that monotony–we got burgers and fries! They also serve some other special items and sandwiches. I got the fish burger and my husband got the Burger À La Ray 2.0–both were so good.
We walked around the alleys filled with shops. Feel free to exercise your bargaining skills here. The locals are used to it and most likely expecting you to bargain down their starting price. I ended up buying a couple purses for gifts to bring home. You can find greater value when you bargain pricing with multiple items. If you get tired from shopping, check out the very affordable massages. We attempted to get one since we didn’t want to spend more for one at the hotel but it was hard to find a place to accommodate us all with the kids.
Note: We carried Erin around in a stroller at first since she was taking a nap but later called our driver to grab the stroller when she woke up. It gets hard to push a stroller on the narrow and bumpy sidewalks. I suggest using an Ergobaby/some sort of carrier or even a portable hiking backpack for little toddlers. It’ll be a lot easier to walk around the streets.
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