Guest Post written by Colin Clapp and Elly McGuinness

After spending almost six months in Bali with our four year old daughter, we wanted to share some of the cheap things to do in Bali with family. When we first arrived we realized that the activities we normally do weren’t necessarily on offer in our new location. Previously, we’d spend time hiking in the hills, and visiting parks and playgrounds. However we soon found out that we’d need to find some new fun things to do because these activities weren’t on offer in the area we stayed.

We did discover a couple of playgrounds in Denpasar, and there are gorgeous hiking trails around areas like Ubud. However we were located in Canggu and mostly got around on foot (despite the lack of pavements!) and with the occasional taxi when we needed it. So the family activities in Bali that we’re about to share with you, are all located in the Canggu area. We hope you enjoy Canggu things to do as much as we did!

Skate Parks and Concrete Bowls

Despite the lack of pavements in Canggu, we were intent on finding somewhere for our daughter to enjoy riding her scooter! The best place we found was Amplitude school of skate and bike. There are two main areas to the skate park. You can try out the street course including a mini bowl, ledges, rails and more. There’s even a restaurant nestled in the middle of it, serving local and Western food, and a few spots for spectators to sit.

The second area is the pump track, with a huge concrete bowl in the center of it. Designed for all things on wheels, riders of all abilities can have fun on the pump track. If your kids don’t have their own wheels, balance bikes can be hired for 100k. Entry to the park ranges from 30-50k depending on whether you’re a member, rider or spectator. However, we used to go every Monday where entry is free between 3pm and 5pm. There is also a “girls ride free” session on Tuesday afternoons. Check prices and details before you go in case things have changed.

Konkrete store, bar and café is another spot worth visiting if you’re kids are into skating. They have a big concrete bowl, which is free to use. Our daughter isn’t quite ready to skate in the bowl yet, but she loved watching others skate around in it.

Local Swimming Pools

We didn’t have a swimming pool at our accommodation so we quickly hunted out the best local family friendly spots for a dip and play. If you’re after big waterpark experiences, you can try the ever popular Waterbom in Kuta, or the Splash Water Park at Finn’s Recreation Club in Canggu.

However, if you’re looking for family things to do in Bali and you’re on a bit more of a budget, we found a couple of fantastic local waterparks. Entry fees are a tiny fraction of the price to get into Waterbom or Splash Water park. First of all, located in the heart of Berawa is a lovely little guest house called Bethesda. You’d be unlikely to realize it by simply walking past but they have a mini swimming park out the back, which is open to the public. For only 20-25k you can enjoy a kids’ swimming pool with waterslide, and a deeper pool with a waterslide, where you can also swim lengths if desired. Swimming lessons are also available at an extra cost. There is a cheap restaurant on site serving good local and western food.

If you’re after a few more options for water slides there are about six of them to choose from at Taman Segara Madu waterpark. Entry is 40k per person and they have an Olympic swimming pool, tubes for hire, and an on-site restaurant and shop. It makes for a great day out.

Finally, we also visited the Grand Balisani Suites a few times. They offer accommodation right on the beach, so you can pop down and enjoy the sunset after your swim. For 50k entry per person (our daughter was free), we got towels, a drink and a lounger to relax on. You don’t need to be staying there to use the pool.

Canggu Cafes with a difference

Although we didn’t find many playgrounds when we were looking for family things to do in Bali on a budget, we did find some good cafes with play areas. The Joglo has a mid-high range price point on their food but the outdoor playground should keep the kids entertained for a while! Featuring swings, a slide, sand pit, trampoline and see saw, plus an indoor play area with toys and a rocking horse, it’s pretty well set up. They also have Pilates on site and free outdoor movies on Friday nights for the kids.

La Casita Peruvian café and playground was probably our daughter’s favorite play spot. The food prices are reasonable and the set-up is amazing for kids. There’s a playhouse, “boat”, arts and crafts area, dress up clothes and more. They even have a free kids’ cooking class (usually to make pancakes) every Wednesday at 4pm.

At a much higher price point, but also with a great playground and swimming pools is La Brisa. Set right on Echo beach it’s a beautiful place to watch the sunset. Other cafes with swimming pools that we enjoyed hanging out at were Segara Bali, Panama Kitchen and Pool, and Pomelo.

Canggu is expanding quickly and just a few years ago it wasn’t even on the radar for Bali family holidays. It will be interesting to see how its offerings for family activities expand over the coming years. We hope you enjoy your stay and this blog post helps with deciding what to do in Canggu with kids!

Colin Clapp and Elly McGuinness are partners, proud intentional parents and maturing digital nomads! Colin is an online marketing ‘solutionist’ and the host of the Parenting, Passports & Profits ‘Pop-Up’ Podcast. Elly is a holistic health practitioner as well as a writer, coach and creator of the Holistic Health Highway. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

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