What to pack when traveling to Bali with kids? I remember the first time we were packing for Bali and I was so nervous about forgetting things or not having the right items packed. We survived and once we arrived I realised that we could buy most things over there that we needed.

There are a couple of must-takes like sunscreen, swim nappies, medications, tampons, and night nappies. I always take these with us as they can be more expensive to buy in Bali if you do find them.

One option for bigger items like strollers and porta cots is to hire them when you get to Bali. Bali Baby Hire is one company and even though I haven’t used their services personally, I used to take our own Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller and Baby Bjorn travel cot, friends have and they thought it was great!

Listed below are things that you may like to pack. It will vary depending on your kid’s age and as they grow older, the less you can pack! We love the brand Kooshy Kids with their huge range of travel products, they are an Australian-owned brand.

HAND LUGGAGE

You may like to just take hand luggage but I’m really not great at packing that light! Things to be mindful of are liquid restrictions and no sharp objects like scissors. You may also have to buy things when you arrive. We always use backpacks for our hand luggage, it leaves your hands free for important passport business and wrangling unruly kids 😉

• Change of clothes

I always take a change of clothes in our hand luggage with the kids! Goodness only knows what kind of mess can happen at the airport or on the flight but a change of clothes for the kids and at least a t-shirt for us is a must. This also helps if the airline loses your luggage.

• iPad/books

A flight would be very long if we couldn’t take a fully charged iPad. How did we travel with kids before them?? Hats off to the parents who did or still do!! Also, put in a charging cord as most planes have a USB charging dock to ensure they don’t go flat (be aware that some USB ports on planes won’t be able to charge iPads only phones).

We always travel with a portable battery pack and these must be packed in hand luggage. They are invaluable for charging devices and a definite must-have to travel with.

Headphones are a must and noise cancelling headphones can be a great investment as the kids grow older. My Big Adventure Bali books are perfect to take on the plane and are both educational and fun to do. It is a fantastic travel journal for kids when they are in Bali and you can find our full review here.

• Snacks/formula

Lots of them!! Having food and drink for kids on the flight is a must. We usually pack an empty drink bottle and then fill it up once checked in and we have gone through customs. Be aware that when departing Bali they will do another bag check just before you board the plane so any fluids that are purchased after customs will be confiscated.

You will need to get your water bottle filled on the plane which I have never had any trouble doing. If you have a baby and you are concerned about how much formula is ok to take on board check out this link that explains it here for Australians. For other countries check your relevant authorities’ websites.

You can bring enough formula onto the plane that you need for the flight and any delays. This includes heated-up water in a thermos if you need it warm. Security allows you to take more on for babies and toddlers, the 100ml rule doesn’t apply to the water needed for formula.

• Pain relief

Pack Nurofen or Panadol in your hand luggage. We learned this the hard way on our trip to Bali in 2016. As we navigated immigration and after we had checked in ALL our pain relief, Mason hurt his elbow. I think it was a pulled elbow which is common in young kids but I had nothing in our hand luggage to help him!!

Luckily near our gate was a lovely Australian mum who had some Panadol on her and very kindly gave some to us. Within half an hour, he was running around again. Always pack something and I have taken 200ml Nurofen bottles in my hand luggage previously, you may want to get the 100ml bottles to be on the safe side.

• Dummy/earplanes for ears

Pack these in for the kids to use when the plane is taking off or landing. Kid’s ears can be very sensitive to the change in pressure so always handy to have. We have also traveled with Earplanes for Charlotte as she has issues with one of her ears and the ENT doctor recommended them.

Likewise, if anyone gets air sick pack something like Kwells or essential oils are helpful too. If your bub uses a dummy, I recommend you pack a few extras just in case as there is nothing worse than losing it and having to go searching in the shops for a new one. The same goes for bottles just in case you lose them and Bub will only take one type of bottle.

• Passports/documents

A requirement when travelling overseas but also a reminder to have 6 months validity on all passports from the day you fly into Bali. They won’t let you fly to Bali if you don’t have validity so make sure you check. Also, make sure that your passports are in great condition with no tears in the pages or water damage. The Bali Airport immigration has been very strict lately.

Include pens for any forms that need to be filled in and a family-sized passport holder to keep all of your important documents together.

• Large cotton wraps/blankets

I find them very useful and they can be used as pillows, blankets or to contain any dirty clothes. A plastic bag is also a great thing to pack as is a small travel pillow. Travel towels can also work really well as they are light, compact, and dry quickly. Another great product to try is the Kooshy Kloud.

• Nappies/wipes

I used to take enough nappies in case of flight delays. Wipes are always packed even if the kids aren’t in nappies still. I highly recommend taking Huggies nappies as even though they are more expensive they seem to work the best.

• Stroller/carrier

We always used to take our Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller on the plane as having Mason contained was a must! We never had trouble taking it on the plane as hand luggage but we always have the stroller in the carry bag to board the plane and when checking in. A carrier can be a fantastic way to carry bub around while having your hands free so definitely an option for babies and infants.

Other products you may consider taking in your hand luggage that we haven’t personally used but come recommend by other families:

• Kooshy Kids Kooshion (inflatable cushion)
• Trunki (ride on carry-luggage for kids)
• Baby City Tour Stroller (this is a cheaper option for a stroller to take on board as hand luggage)

CHECKED IN LUGGAGE

If you choose to take checked-in luggage like we do you can include the following things in your packing. Again this has changed over the years but different things will be helpful at different ages.

• Packing Cells

So an addition to our family holiday to Bali in 2017 was using packing cells for the first time. I must say I was slightly amused by how they would help my packing but I loved them! I could allocate a cell to swim gear, and clothes for each person. They made our holiday so much easier! Kooshy Kids also have a great range of packing cells available in fun colours.

You can check out the Kathmandu packing cells we used here and prices to buy

• Powerboard/Bali Adaptor

Often bigger resorts will have international power points but it’s always worth packing at least one adapter just in case. The plugs needed for Bali come with two round prongs. A powerboard is helpful for charging many devices at once. We recommend this universal travel adapter as it can be used anywhere in the world.

• Clothes

Dresses, shorts, and bathers are a must when traveling to Bali. We usually pack about 5 days’ worth of clothes as the laundries are so cheap and easy to find. We take a couple of big cotton bags and after we have filled it with 3-4 days worth of clothes we take it to a laundry and they usually have it ready to be picked up by the end of the day.

We also take 2 sets of bathers so when one pair is drying there is still another pair to wear. Be sure to put in a hat each as well. Try not to pack too many clothes as less is best.

• Shoes

I love taking Charlotte’s Saltwater sandals and a pair of sandals for Mason. Then it’s usually a covered pair of shoes like their Walnuts. For us I always take my runners as I love going for a walk each morning, then a pair of sandals and thongs/flip flops as well.

• Baby/toddler products

I always pack 2 Huggies nappies per day (or ones you use at night at home) Nappies are easy to come by in Bali and I tend to buy the Mama Poko ones for day use once I arrive. They tend to not be as absorbent as Huggies so having some packed in our luggage is great.

It can also be harder to find nappies rather than pull-ups. Pull-ups are extremely common in Bali even for younger toddlers. Bintang Supermarkets have a great range if you are searching for different types of nappies.

Wipes are also easy to find but if your bub uses particular ones as they are sensitive to different sorts make sure to bring them too. Makes for lots of room in the luggage to bring home your shopping 😉

• Baby Bjorn Travel Cot

This was a must for us when the kids were younger. So easy to set up and as porta cots aren’t counted in your luggage weight on most airlines, you can also put nappies, wipes, etc. in the middle of the bag at no cost to you.

• Cotton bags

I always pack a couple of reusable cotton bags for when we go to the supermarket or out shopping. Plastic bags are a huge issue in Bali and the rubbish can be quite confronting at times. Try to reduce waste by using your own bag and you might like to consider packing things like metal straws.

• Hard drive

We have a hard drive with our movies loaded onto it for times when we just need to chill in the hotel room or villa. Most TVs have USB points.

• Baby Food

If you have a fussy bub or one just starting solids be sure to pack squeeze packets into your luggage. They can be harder to find in Bali and are great to have when out and about with the kids. We also love Mini Muncher products to order for the kids when we arrive in Bali, check out my review post for all the details.

Likewise, if your bub is on formula it is best to pack a tin in your checked luggage if that’s the only sort they have tried or like. Getting stuck with no way to feed milk to your baby is stressful and even though formula can be purchased in the bigger supermarkets there is no guarantee that the sort you want will be available. You can take food into Bali but you just need to declare it when you arrive.

Mini Muncher products delivered to our villa

• Medicine

We always pack Nurofen, Panadol, Zyrtec, and probiotics. We also use Travelan to help keep Bali belly away. We recently used it on our Bali holiday and I’m pleased to say no one got Bali Belly! I really like that Travelan is listed on the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and that it is clinically proven to reduce travelers’ diarrhea by 90%. We took a tablet before each meal and when we forgot, we took it when we remembered! You can buy it over the counter at major Australian pharmacies or online.

For kids under 6 years, you will need to find another option as Travelan can only be used under medical advice. We have used Ethical Nutrients Travel Bug in the past with no Bali belly too. The other thing that we take is activated charcoal. We use this at home for gut health and it works well when you have an upset tummy in Bali. You can purchase Norit at the Apotek’s (Chemists) if you need something when you are there.

A small toiletry bag with all your medicines kept together is a great idea and we also add in ear drops, gastro stop, bandaids, mosquito repellent, hand sanitiser, and an antiseptic cream to help with things like burns/bites. You can buy a lot of this in Bali so can find it if need be but the last thing you want to be doing is shopping for things like this if you need it desperately! A product that is fantastic with kids is Parakito Mosquito Wristband. A great non-toxic way to protect the kids from bites.

• Toiletries

The usual suspects like toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturiser, lip balm, hairbrush, sunscreen, baby shampoo, and Milton tablets. When the kids were younger I used Milton tablets in the bath to help sterilise the water when the kids were having a bath. I have checked previously with Milton and half a tablet can be put into the bath water then wait 15 minutes and it’s ready to go. For all the Mum’s out there make sure you take tampons with you as they can be hard to find in Bali and are expensive!

• Swimming gear

A must-have, as you will be in the pool a lot, is to bring things like inflatable baby rings/wings or a Wahu swimming vest depending on your kid’s age.

A lot of villas and resorts will have floaties to use or hire plus you can buy them in places like Bintang supermarket Seminyak or Hardy’s Sanur. Not always the cheapest and sometimes you just can’t be bothered to go shopping! Googles are also handy to take as they aren’t always that cheap in Bali.

• Out and about essentials

We always take vomit bags for the car trips around Bali. Both of our kids have vomited while traveling in cars in Bali so they are the first thing I pack! I also use the wraps that we take on the plane in the car that can act as sun shades, pillows, or even towels to wipe up any mess!

Another thing to consider is taking a car seat. They can be great to take on the plane for younger kids, check with your airline, and handy if you are going to have your own driver for the whole trip. Check out our post on Bali drivers that we recommend. If you have a bub in a stroller you should pack a pram fan plus a mozzie/sun net.

So here is my Bali packing list of what we have taken with the kids especially when they were younger. As they get older we can pack less and less which is fantastic!

I would love to hear of any suggestions you have 🙂 Feel free to join our Facebook group to chat about what to pack on your next Bali family holiday.

Kate xx

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