One of the most common questions I get asked is where are the best places to stay in Bali? This question has many answers depending on the amount of time you have, what your interests are, what you want to get out of your holiday and your budget. The following is a quick rundown on the most popular spots to stay. Over my last 7 trips I have stayed in Ubud, Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Sanur and Benoa. I have also visited Jimbaran, Uluwatu, Legian and Nusa Dua. This should help you decide the best places to stay in Bali and if you have anymore questions feel free to message me. If you are traveling to Bali with kids also check out my post on Bali Hotels with Kids Clubs here. If you would like to book any of the hotels mentioned below I would love if you would check out Hotels.com for the best prices possible. This is an affiliate link and if you use this link I will make a small amount of money. It won’t cost you anymore to book but is a way to show your support for all the info on our blog. I would love to know your favourite location to stay in Bali.

Seminyak

One of my favourite spots to stay mainly for the food and shopping! The restaurants and cafes are exceptional and it’s so hard to decide where to eat. My general rule is to stay beach side of Sunset Road as it’s extremely difficult to cross especially with kids. The only exception I make here is the Trans Resort as it’s right on the northern end and crossing the road is a lot easier. Eat Street, otherwise known as Jl Kayu Aya, is a great central area to focus on. In northern Seminyak is the area of Petitenget which is by far my favourite area. So many upcoming restaurants, cafes and shops. Batu Belig, can also be classified as Canggu, is also a good option but be wary of how difficult it is to walk along, there are not really any footpaths on Batu Belig.

This can be a common theme of Seminyak that it’s difficult to walk with a stroller. The footpaths aren’t the best, slowly being improved, so it can be hard walking along. Taxis are easy to get and in the heat we don’t make it walking very far anyway. Great hotels to check out with kids are the Courtyard Seminyak, Breezes Resort, Montigo Resort and Royal Beach Seminyak. So many villas to choose from and check out my previous posts about toddler friendly villas in Seminyak, will try to update this soon as more and more keep opening every month!

Sanur

Fantastic area with young kids. The footpaths can actually cope with a stroller quite well and the beach path is excellent. Great restaurants and cafes with enough shops to put a dent in the credit card! I always recommend staying beach side of the main bypass road as it’s quite tricky to cross. Hardy’s supermarket is a handy place to pick up supplies and is well known. A couple of beach resorts that are great with kids are Fairmont, Prama and Mercure. Also for a great budget friendly option have a look at Sanur Paradise Plaza Suites as it has 2 and 3 bedroom apartments to choose from that are great value for money. We usually choose a villa set in the residential neighbourhoods of Sanur behind Hardy’s supermarket. They tend to be a 15 minute walk to the beach which works for us. Can you believe in my last 5 trips I haven’t swam at the beach once!! The good things about most of the villas in Sanur is that they are single level so much more suited to young kids than Seminyak villas. We love Villa Kawan and Villa Keluarga looks great too.

Kuta/Tuban

So Kuta often cops a bad rap for being the place to steer clear of! Yes there are certain aspects that are best avoided with kids especially at night but there are some great resorts to check out. Our stay at the Holiday Inn Baruna in September 2016 was excellent and there was so many activities in the area. Great shopping malls, Waterbom Park and the beach is right there. The beach path out the front of the Holiday Inn, Dynasty and up to the Beachwalk, was great to walk along with the pram. Other resorts to check out to stay with kids are Sheraton Kuta Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, Bali Dynasty resort, Febri’s and Ramada Bintang Resort.

Legian

Legian is situated in between Kuta and Seminyak. It has a great balance of yummy food and great shops while avoiding the chaos of Kuta. My number one choice for Legian would have to be the Padma. Waterslides, kids playground, kids club, happy hour for mum and dad, what more could you want?! It can get very pricey with bigger families but check out their website regularly for longer stay deals and a tip I was told the other day is their prices can tend to drop closer to the date?! Also Bali Mandira Beach resort is a great one to look in to.

Jl Legian

View from Double Six rooftop looking down towards Legian Beach

Canggu

I love the relaxed vibe of Canggu and it seems like each week a fantastic new cafe is opening! It is spread out over quite an area so having access to transport is a must. It can be a bit tricky getting around on a scooter with young kids but a lot of the villas include a driver and van for at least a few hours a day. Canggu Club has some great facilities including Splash, Bounce, Strike ten pin bowling and Cubby House kids club. Charlotte loved the Bali Equestrian Centre as well so lots of things for kids to do! Not as many big resorts in Canggu so private villa is usually the way to go. A couple of fantastic kid friendly ones are Villa Echo Padi and Pantai Indah Villas.

Splash at Canggu Club

Pool at Bali Equestrian Centre

Rice fields in Canggu

Sunset at Echo Beach

Echo Beach

Jimbaran

Just south of the airport Jimbaran offers beautiful sunsets and seafood at the many beach side cafes. A great spot to relax and enjoy everything the resorts have to offer. While researching for our upcoming trip I looked into the resorts and Intercontinental Resort seemed to tick all the boxes. On the beach with a fantastic kids club. Sea Shanty Villa is a kid friendly villa close to the beach and if you need 4 bedrooms well worth a look. Check out Cuca for lovely food experience and Fat Chow at Temple Hill for delicious meals.

Uluwatu

South of Jimbaran is the area full of luxurious resorts along the stunning cliff edges. Ayana resort is one to check out and its sister resort Rimba a more budget friendly option. A couple of villas that I have always been keen to stay in but not got around to yet are Indah Balangan Villa and Fraser Baye Villas. There are some fantastic beaches to explore on the coast and Finns Beach Club is a great spot for the kids.

Ayana Resort

Rock Bar at Ayana Resort

Pool at Karma Kandara Resort

View from spa room at Karma Kandara Resort

View down to Nammos beach club at Karma Kandara Resort

Tanjung Benoa

Benoa is a short drive from the airport and is known for its watersports and beach activities. We stayed at Holiday Inn Benoa and loved it. There were still local shops and restaurants close by and the sunrises were gorgeous. The beach path was easy to walk along with the stroller and very toddler friendly. A couple of other resorts to have a look at are Conrad and Novotel Benoa which is well known for being a great spot to stay with kids.

Beach path out front of Conrad Hotel

Beach path in front of Holiday Inn Benoa

Looking up the beach from Holiday Inn Benoa

Jl Pratama Benoa

Nusa Dua

Just south of Tanjung Benoa is the gated Nusa Dua community full of 5 star resorts. This is the place to go for relaxation and amazing in resort facilities. While you may not see the ‘real’ Bali here, it is still a great option for families wanting to spend time together and relax. Club Med, Westin, Sofitel and Grand Hyatt are just a few of the big resorts with a price tag to match. Novotel Nusa Dua is a more budget friendly option and while not on the beach family and friends who have stayed there have loved it. There is also the choice of privately owned apartments available so check out Flipkey and other booking site for these. Courtyard Mariott is another one as well.

Nusa Dua Beach

Ubud

I love Ubud. One of my favourite spots in Bali due to great restaurants, spectacular spas and stunning views around every corner. The one issue I have though is the foot paths are crap with strollers! Look they are doable but hard work especially in the heat!! Check out my previous post on toddler friendly villas in Ubud.

Jl Monkey Forest early morning

Rice fields on Camphuan Walk

Jl Raya Ubud

Jl Hanoman

Jl Sri Wedari

The Rest of Bali

I haven’t covered all of Bali, there is still Amed, Candidasa, Lovina, Sideman and many more that deserve a mention. The places mentioned above are more realistic with young kids as they aren’t too far from the airport. The longest drive is to Ubud which can take 1.5hrs in peak traffic.

BEST PLACES TO STAY IN BALI

Below are the typical words that people use to describe what they want from there holidays with family and my personal opinion on what matches what.

• Amazing food and shopping: Seminyak

• Great food, shopping and not too busy: Sanur

• Relaxation and family time: Nusa Dua or Benoa

• Culture and great food: Ubud

• Not too busy with yummy food and surfing: Canggu

• Lots of activities for the kids to do: Legian or Kuta

• Beautiful sunsets with a relaxed vibe: Jimbaran or Uluwatu

Well I hope you enjoyed this brief run down of tips of where to stay. Let me know through Facebook or Instagram if you have any questions or need help deciding on the best spot for you and your family, it’s hard work deciding!! If you prefer to email send me one here 🙂

Kate xx

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