Two weeks in Bali might be short, but you would be surprise how many places you can explore in a short period of time. With a little bit of planning, you can explore Bali with ease.
Therefore, we made this blog for you as we visited Bali and explored it in two weeks. I want to tell you about our 2-week holiday in Bali with 2 young children aged 7 and 10. I hope that this will help you plan your holiday to the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali.
Before, we get to the contents, we have made some blogs that might benefit you in planning your two-week Bali itinerary, which are the capital of Bali, Is Bali, Indonesia safe, how many waterfalls in Bali, and the best time to visit Bali.
We also have blogs about the top 10 places to visit in Bali, best beaches in Bali, how big is Bali, what is the climate in Bali and where is Bali located.
How Much Does 2 Weeks In Bali Cost?
The cost of spending two weeks in Bali can vary depending on your travel style, accommodation choices, activities, and personal spending habits. Here’s a general breakdown of the expenses you might incur:
The average cost of hotels in Bali is between $50 to $150 per night. You might find cheaper accommodation and more expensive, depends on your choices.
The food costs $5 to $20 per meal, which can vary depend on the restaurant and the type of food. We have a blog about what to eat in Bali, which break down some food and restaurants recommendation that you can visit.
Transportation might cost around $5 to $20 for short trips by taxi. It might cost more if you are traveling between cities.
The entrance fees to temples and attractions cost around $1 to $5 per visit, while water sports (surfing, diving, etc.): $30 – $100 per activity. The cost for tours and excursions range between $20 to $100+ per tour.
Therefore, expect to spend around $2500 for the whole trip. Now that we covered the expenses, let’s break down how to spend 2 weeks in Bali.
How To Spend 2 Weeks In Bali?
1) Canggu – First Stop In Bali:
Our first stop was Canggu. My wife and I deliberately wanted to stay in one of the busy parts of the island and decided against Seminyak and Kuta.
We read a lot of positive things about Canggu, and we were not disappointed. We rented a villa with pool in Canggu for the first week of our 2-week stay in Bali.
The hardest part of the planning process, was undoubtedly booking a villa. Villas closer to the beach seemed a better choice, but they were also more expensive. In the end, we went with a villa slightly further away from the beach.
Even though it was always a gamble, we ended up booking a villa in a great location. It was in one of the side streets of one of the slightly less busy main streets of Canggu, in proximity to plenty of shops and restaurants. The nearest beach was about 10 minutes away by taxi.
Surfing In Canggu:
For the first few days, we booked private surfing lessons for the kids. The lessons cost around USD 25 per hour per child. The first lesson was on Prererenan beach.
This beach was slightly further away, about 15 minutes by taxi or 10 minutes’ walk from Echo Beach. It was a much more secluded and remote beach compared to the
ones in Canggu.
There were only very few tourists here. One of the reasons it may not have been the most popular beach was that it had black sand. It is rather challenging getting all the black sand off of your feet and out of your swimsuits when coming out of the water.
The waves were excellent, though, and the kids enjoyed
their first ever surfing lesson. Surfing is such a good work out for kids. In one hour, they had done enough exercise for the day.
The next day, we booked through a different surfing school – at a very similar price. This took place at the Batu Bolong Beach in Canggu. The beach was much busier
than the Prererenan beach; it didn’t have black sand. The kids had 2 days of surfing classes in the sea here.
Despite the waves looking calmer than on the first day of
surfing, I struggled to swim along with them whilst they were on the surfing boards. The current was very strong. It turned out that I was the only one swimming in the
see that day. I now know why.
Food In Canggu:
The choice for lunch places close to both beaches was abundant. Some of the lunch places even had a pool where you could cool down in whilst having a drink or some food.
We didn’t try it – and were probably too late to book – but another suitable option with kids could be to book a space at one of the beach clubs where you can enjoy a pool, drinks and food, and have access to the beach.
We all enjoyed the breakfast options in Canggu very much. A smoothie bowl with frozen dragon fruit, granola, fruits, nuts and more, must be one of my favorites.
We also enjoyed one restaurant in particular which offered a nearly all gluten-free menu. This was the Motion Café.
Another favorite restaurant of ours was the LowCal Cheatery in Canggu. It offered beautiful food, live music in the evening and a very nice vibe. The restaurant prides
itself in hiring some deaf waiters and waitresses.
Outings In and Around Canggu:
From Canggu we visited the Tanah Lot temple. It’s a very serene place, good to get a feel of the way the Balinese live and worship.
The area around the temple is rather touristy, though, and filled with shops and restaurants. The locals will ask you to buy or eat something but never in a pushy way. Don’t forget to haggle when buying something.
That is part of the culture. We also booked a sunset ATV quad bike ride through Aussie Bali Adventures. We
drove for a little less than an hour, just north of Canggu, to a remote place surrounded by fields.
We were met by a team of locals who ran the ATV tours. My wife rode on one with my son, and I rode the other one with my daughter.
We followed an experienced guide who led us through some uneven paths to the beach and then through some small rivers to get further up north. We stopped several times to take some breathtaking photos.
The kids loved this outing, especially because they got to control the accelerator themselves. I thought about taking the kids to the Waterbom waterpark but decided against it because of the distance from Canggu.
A taxi ride can sometimes become very draining. Instead, we spent most of the day at the Splash Water Park in the FINNS Recreation Club. This was an excellent option and not too far away for us.
Massages In Canggu:
We introduced massages to the kids too. First, we had two massage therapists come to our villa. Both kids had a 30-minute massage.
My 7-year-old son absolutely loved it and asked for more. On another day, we went to a spa, where my son enjoyed a foot massage and a head and shoulder massage.
My 10-year-old daughter, in the meantime, had her nails done for the first time in her life.
2) Ubud – Second Stop In Bali:
Sightseeing On The Way To Ubud:
After our amazing week in Canggu, we took a private car to take us around to a few sightseeing places before dropping us off at our hotel in Ubud.
First, we visited the Taman Ayung Temple, one of the oldest temples on the island. The kids enjoyed the
walk around the temple, which was not too long. The short video at the end of the walk was informative and good for the kids to see as well.
Our next stop was the Leke Leke waterfall. We were recommended to go to this waterfall as it is supposed to be less touristy than some of the waterfalls very close
to Ubud.
A must-do in Bali is one of the many Bali swings. On the way to the waterfall, there was one of those swings. We did the family swing first then my wife and kids went on the single swings.
Swinging over the lush rainforest was an amazing experience – and provided some breathtaking photos. The waterfall was another 15 minutes’ walk away.
It was a lovely setting where my little ones and I went for a cool dip in the water. Just make sure to reserve some energy for the walk back up.
Our last stop on the way to Ubud was the Monkey Forest just outside the town center. The Monkey Forest is very touristy, but it is a fun thing to do for the whole
family.
The monkeys are fascinating to watch as they play, eat, jump around and, at times, harass the visitors.
Ubud City Center:
Our few days in Ubud were a bit of a washout, literally, as it rained most of the days. This made it hard for us to come into the city center: our hotel was a good 30
minutes away from the city center, but due to the rain, it took over an hour.
The main shopping street in Ubud is still worthwhile, even though it gets a bit too busy to be comfortable walking around with 2 kids. Our kids did enjoy the dead-skin-sucking fish foot therapy.
I tried it and found it awfully weird. The Ubud Art Market is a great place to find local craft products. Most recommendations to do in Ubud with kids were tours just outside the town, such as rice paddies tours or similar activities to what we did on the way to Ubud.
Elephant Sanctuary:
We decided to go to one of the main attractions north of Ubud, an elephant sanctuary. This one was recommended to us, and it was well worth the day trip. You should definitely add it to your 2-week Bali itinerary.
We went to Mason Elephant Park and Lodge. It was rather pricey to book some of the private experiences, but it was such an amazing adventure for both of us and the kids.
We started the day with a private photoshoot with one of the elephants, followed by giving an elephant a wash. Then we were able to feed the elephants. The highlight of
the day was the bathing of the elephants.
My kids and I each went on the back of one of the elephants, accompanied by the elephant’s owner. The owner then led the elephants into a big pool of water, where the elephant did some tricks.
Sitting on an elephant is not the most comfortable thing in the world, but the entire experience was simply extraordinary. It was also great to hear how the elephant owner loved and cared for his animal.
He told me that he usually used the tips he gets from tourists, partly for food for his family, partly for a treat for his elephant. We got a package that included a lunch buffet. After lunch, we finished the day with an elephant ride.
It was again great to hear more about the local elephant tamer, about his family and his experience at and reasoning for working at the elephant sanctuary.
3) Nusa Dua – Third And Last Stop In Bali:
Pool, Beach And Food:
After 4 nights in Ubud, we moved around to Bali one last time and spent 3 nights in a hotel in Nusa Dua. This area is well-known for its resorts with access to the beach.
Most tourists relax in their hotel and enjoy the hotel facilities, the gorgeous beaches and the clear sea.
In Nusa Dua, we tried out some of the restaurants in our hotel, and ventured out for one dinner to the Bai Yun Dim Sum and Hot Pot restaurant, which is set in the Kempinski Hotel.
The kids already love a good hot pot meal, but this was topped off in this restaurant, by them having a pot each to themselves. The food and the experience were great.
We spent most of our time in Nusa Dua in the pool or at the beach. There were also plenty of water sports options to choose from.
Kecak Dance At Melasti Beach:
After having missed the dances at the Ubud Palace due to the weather, we booked tickets for the Kecak Dance at the Melasti Beach in Nusa Dua.
The dance started at 6pm, so it gave a chance to enjoy the sunset overlooking the ocean as well. The kids
could read about the story told in the dance beforehand, which was useful.
They enjoyed the show a lot, especially when some of the characters came into the audience. Taking some photos with the characters at the end was another highlight
of the kids.
Final thoughts On 2 Weeks In Bali With 2 Young Children, Aged 7 And 10:
Here are some of my final tips on making the best of a holiday in Bali with 2 young kids:
- Avoid long distances by taxi: the rides are sometimes not that comfortable, and it can really get on your kids’ – and your – nerves.
- 3 different locations are probably the maximum I would recommend with kids. Moving villas and/or hotels can get rather stressful.
- Don’t cram too many things into your schedule. Allow plenty of time for relaxation and enjoy long lunches and dinners.
The Best Tours In Bali:
Author Bio:
Wouter Mayeur left his home country of Belgium for the first time in 2000 when he went to study in Berlin. Since 2000, Wouter has lived in 4 different countries and has regularly taken time off to spend lengthy times abroad.
He travelled to North and South America, spent several months in Australia and New Zealand, toured around Europe for one of his jobs, and worked from Hong Kong and China for several months every other year.
He can guide you on How to buy property in Indonesia as a foreigner and much more. Fellow his blog to learn more about that.
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