Bali is a great place to take the kids. Most hotels cater to young families and a number of resorts are explicitly child friendly. As ever, kids are primarily their parents’ responsibility and few hotel pools and none of the public beaches offer any kind of lifeguard supervision.

The Balinese simply adore children and locals will happily offer to hold your babies while you shop or swim. Even local children are very friendly with foreign children and will happily include them in games and sports. Certain hotels like the Hard Rock or any of the resorts in Nusa Dua have exceptional child care facilities and even dedicated shallow water pools and playgrounds.

Hiking or surfing in Bali can be done with children and it is up to the visiting parent to decide what they may like to do in this case. There are few locations or places in Bali that are prohibitive for people visiting with their young ones and the Monkey Forest in Ubud is one of the most enduring kid-friendly attractions in all of Southeast Asia.

24 hour emergency health care clinics operate in Kuta and the main hospital in Denpasar is well-equipped to cater to any health problems encountered by parents or their children. Care should be taken is doubling kids on the back of a motorbike and visitors should use their discretion regarding seat and safety belts in taxi cabs and mini buses.

The main danger to health and safety in Bali is the climate. Visitors who arrive here from winter or any time of the year in cooler Europe or the United Kingdom may be woefully underprepared for the heat and humidity that will greet them the second they arrive at the airport in Denpasar.

Bali is very hot and humid all through the year and though this makes for a tropical island party paradise it also brings substantial health risks. Sunscreen, hats and protective clothing need to be worn by all visitors to avoid sunburn which can happen only after a few minutes unprotected exposure to the hot, tropical sun.

Sunstroke is a real possibility too and the symptoms of this are headache, lethargy and fatigue. Dehydration can also result from excessive perspiration or alcohol consumption and cooling down in a swimming pool or the surf can be deceptive and waiting until thirst occurs is usually an indication that dehydration is already underway. Salts and plenty of water will help both sunstroke and dehydration but in severe cases medical attention should definitely be sought.

The notorious Bali Belly is encountered by many visitors due to spicy food or food that has been reheated improperly and as a result filled with bacteria. Anti-diarrohea medication should be carried by most visitors but it is available for purchase in all chemists in Bali.

Motorbike rental is popular all over Bali and many visitors enjoy putting around the island for a day or two. Accidents are very common and abrasions resulting from gravel rash or impact with dirt roads should be treated with antiseptic wipes and of course serious injuries or broken bones need medical attention.

There is a 24 hour emergency clinic in Kuta, at 100 Ngurah Rai 100 at the Kalan Bypass. Staff here speak English but the treatment is not free – travel insurance will need to cover things like motorbike accidents (most policies will not) and other such accidents.

Bali is primarily reached by air, since many visitors fly directly in and out of Denpasar. Other travellers come to Bali as part of wider journey through Indonesia and the region, and they invariably arrive by boat.

Getting to Bali by Air | Getting to Bali by Sea

By Air

Ngurah Rai is the name of Denpasar International Airport, one of the largest and busiest airports in Indonesia. The main arrival point for around 90% of visitors to Bali, the airport has 17 gates and is served by a very wide range of carriers and destinations including:

Domestic
Garuda Indonesia (who fly to Jayapura, Makassar, Mataram, Balikpapan, Jakarta, Surabaya, Timika, Yogyakarta)
Lion Air (Jakarta, Makassar, Manado)
Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Bandung, Bima, Mataram, Maumere, Merauke, Jakarta, Kupang, Surabaya, Waikabubak, Waingapu)
Wings Air (Surabaya, Yogyakarta)

International
Air Asia (Kuala Lumpur)
Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong)
China Eastern Airlines (Shanghai)
Eva Air (Taipei-Taoyuan)
Garuda Indonesia (Hong Kong, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Singapore,  Nagoya-Centair, Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita)
Japan Airlines (Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita)
KLM (Amsterdam, Singapore)
Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon)
Malaysian Airlines (Kuala Lumpur)
Qatar Airways (Doha, Kuala Lumpur)
Royal Brunei Airlines (Bandar Seri Begawan)
Singapore Airlines (Singapore)
Thai Airways International (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi)
Transaero (Moscow-Domodedovo)
Uni Air (Kaohsiung)

The above is by no means an exhaustive list. Many more airlines are queued to start regular services out of Ngurah Rai and also, many seasonal and charter jets serve Chinese and Australian locations.

The airport is located about 13kms south of Denapasar and holiday makers relaxing on Kuta Beach can see the jumbo jets landing just towards the cape at the very far end of the main beach.

Bali by Boat

The main ferry service to and from Bali runs from Ketapang, a pier on the west side of Bali, to Gilimanuk in the island of Java. These services run very regularly – several times an hour – and the jounrey takes about thirty minutes. The three-and-a-half hour ferry journey from Padang Bai to the neighbouring island of Lombok and these leave every three hours.

The Balinese capital of Denpasar is not the world’s most exhilarating city. It doesn’t really hold up to other Southeast Asian capitals like Jakarta or Bangkok and this is perfectly understandable considering that it isn’t a national capital and also that it has a very small population of just under half a million people. Those expecting something along the lines of Manila or even Pnomh Penh may be disappointed in the relatively underwhelming surrounds of Denpasar. Not that many take time to notice considering that the only reason many visitors to Bali even pass through Denpasar at all is to come in or out of the island’s international airport. This isn’t to say, however, that Denpasar is without attractions at all.

The main international airport of Bali is here at Denpasar and this airport is called Ngurah Rai airport. Kuta and Legian are just a little over ten minutes drive from the terminals.

Denpasar was, historically, the ancient capital of Badung until it was taken over by the Portuguese triggering what is called in Bali a puputang which is a mass suicide to avoid being captured or killed by an invading enemy. Today a plaza stands on the site of the former royal palace and a statue commemorating the puputang is right there in the centre of this plaza.

Denpasar’s central market thrives in the morning. Follow the crowds to grab fresh produce, silks and arts and crafts. The locals of Denpasar are known for their friendliness. For a more formal shopping experience try the Duta Silk store which is known throughout Indonesia for its extremely competitive prices.

The Bali Museum is an outstanding collection of Hindu and Balinese history, art and culture. All visitors to Bali should take some time to see this great museum. Temples of note include Pasar Badang, Pur Maospahit and the steel towers of Pura Jagatnata. Try also the palaces of Pemekutan and Satria.

Drug and narcotic laws in Bali are infamous and severe. Arrivals at Denpasar airport are greeted with a billboard decorated with a skull and crossbones and with the slogan “Penalty For Drug Trafficking Is Death” and Denpasar’s Kerokoban Prison is home to convicted drug smugglers from Australia such as Schapelle Corby (marijuana) and Renae Lawrence (heroin).

Penalties for owning, buying, selling or smuggling any quantity of any drug are extreme. Small quantities of any drug found on a traveller as they pass out of Bali’s airport can result in minimum 20 year sentences and the death penalty is routinely applied for heavier cases. Appeals can be futile and the only way to earn remissions is via admission of guilt and appeals to the Indonesian president for clemency.

Drugs are available all over Bali and most especially in tourist centres like Kuta. The visitor should be mindful of the penalties that apply, even for drug use and possession. Also, that Indonesian jails are full of foreigners imprisoned on drugs charges. Penalties including the death penalty are usually more severe for non-Indonesians

The Bali Nine – teenagers from Australia – were followed for some months by Indonesian and Australian police before being apprehended carrying heroin strapped to their bodies at Denpasar airport. The drug laws in Indonesia and Bali are as severe as those in other countries in the South East Asian region.

Beautiful Bali

One of Asia’s most popular destinations continues to draw the crowd, with its fantastic beaches, excellent hospitality, lovely landscapes, intriguing temples, tropical gardens and exotic Balinese culture. Whether you’re coming for a party or some peace and quiet, the island offers all that and more, both in the mountains and beside the sea.

This Bali guide and blog is the pre-cursor to a full travel guide to the island, featuring dozens of pages and images to help you plan your trip and get the most from your visit. From spas to surfing, food to festivals we have it covered here with our expert travel writers. It’s part of a larger series on Southeast Asia travel destinations.

Bali has recovered from it’s terrible bombing and offers a safe and relaxed destination that epitomises the best of tropical Pacific islands. Come on in to this site to see it for yourself before you’ve left home. Before planning your trip consider saving money on flights, travel deals and hotels with discount vouchers offered by some sites.