Travelling with children on Java and Bali
Indonesia is a wonderful country to visit with children. Children are curious and naturally get in touch with the rich Javanese and Balinese culture. They will come home with stories about funny monkeys, jungle adventures, cute baby turtles, mysterious temples, impressive vulcanoes and exotic beaches with crystal clear water. Memories never to be forgotten. It will be an experience for life.
Everybody in Indonesia loves children. Children are always welcome and treated with care and kindness. When you travel with children it is really easy to get in contact with local people. Children are often asked to join local activities.
Travelling by car
An individual tour with your own private driver will give you the maximum freedom to discover Java and Bali with your children at your own pace and according to your own wishes. Your own private driver is flexible and you can always adjust your program to the needs and interests of your children. You can take as many breaks as you like, and don’t have to hurry. You can be as relaxed as you want to be during your holiday. You decide how you travel, where you go, and where you stay. Dadang Supardi (Pardi) can give you advice and suggestions about your itinerary, accommodation and places to visit.
Create your own unique family tour, fully tailored to your wishes and the needs of your children.
Pardi has a safe and solid driving style. His driving style avoids car sickness. Also his special selected colleagues all have this safe and solid driving style. With a private driver like Pardi, you can stop whenever needed to get some fresh air or go to the toilet. The car has airconditioning and tinted windows in the back, to keep you cool, protect you from the sun and to give you privacy.
While travelling by car you and your children won’t get bored; you will be surprised by what you see along the road. Beautiful rice fields (sawa’s) mountains and temples. Don’t forget to enjoy the many different people you see while passing by; children walking to school in schooluniform, women in the back of a truck going to the market to sell their home grown products, people eating at foodstalls and enjoy the latest gossip. Try to count how many different products can be transported on a motorcycle. And when your children get tired of the many impressions, they just take a nap.
Car seats
In Europe all children under a length of 1,35 m need to be transported in a special car seats. In Indonesia there is no such law. Special car seats for children are not common and hard to find in Indonesia. Even seat belts are often unavailable or unused. Pardi understands you want your children to travel safe. He can provide you with a car seat for children from 12 months till 4 years old (9-18 kg) and from 3,5 years till 12 years old (15-36 kg).
A special car seat is not only safer, but also more comfortable for children. They sit higher and can enjoy the beautiful views. Book in time, to make sure the car seats are still available.
Happy children make the journey much more enjoyable.
Train and plane
Discuss your itinerary with Pardi in advance and ask for advice about the distances and time you need to travel. Depending on your wishes, travelling by car can be combined with travelling by train or by domestic flights to make your trip as comfortable as possible for your children. Pardi will always advise you about the best options for you and your children and can help you booking the correct tickets.
When your children are still young and not obliged to go to school yet, consider planning your holiday outside the school holidays. In the low season, there are less tourists, so you can travel more relaxed.
What is more fun than being active with your children and explore and enjoy the many possibilities that Java and Bali offer you?
What are the best places to visit with kids on Java and Bali?
With the kids on adventure in Java and Bali
On Java and Bali there are many options to take your children on adventure. Get inspired and let Pardi know what you like:
Take an exciting raft trip across the river, make a sporty jeep tour on a volcano, or bike relaxed through the rice fields and visit authentic villages. Take a hike through the mountains and enjoy the coolness and amazing views, descend into an undiscovered cave, or a gigantic sinkhole with the sun rays shining through, creating amazing light beams. Go snorkeling at an uninhabited island and get surrounded by tropical fish, cool off at impressive waterfalls, swing above an abyss or simply enjoy the impressive views. Take surf lessons and visit a water park with many pools, with spectacular slides.
Ask Pardi about the possibilities, he will give you free advice so you can be as adventurous as you choose.
Go Local; meet the authentic Indonesia
Children easily get in contact. Give them an experience for life and not only provide a great holiday, but also let them get in contact with the authentic Indonesian life. Visit a school and join the English class, visit a village and see how people live in the village. Take a tour through the hidden neighborhoods in the city and meet a side of Indonesia you won’t easily find yourself. Discover where your daily cup of coffee or tea is produced. Do your children know that rubber is taken from a tree? Visit a plantation or an old sugar factory. In the evening you can go to the centre square in the city and join local activities for the youth. Ask about local festivals and exhibitions. Go to places tourists normally don’t go and make your holiday unique.
The rich Javanese and Balinese culture
The Indonesian culture is very accessible for children. Visual and colorful and you will always meet friendly and inviting people. Visit a dance performance or let the children participate in a workshop where they make their own batik or learn how to cook. A trip through the city with a becak (pedicab) is a good experience for every age, and of course a visit to the Borobudur can not be missed. Be present at a ceremony in a temple, go swimming in a holy hot sulfer spring or take a trip in a horse cart.
Discover animals
Children and animals are a good combination. On Java and Bali there are many opportunities to enjoy animals. Take a tour through a national park with a special guide who can explain how the wild animals live. Leave with a local fishing boat before sunrise and spot dolphins in the sea, watch how turtles come ashore at night to lay eggs. Visit the monkey forest, learn and see how civet coffee (coffee Luwak) is made.
Get in contact for free advice!
Just let Pardi know what your children would like to experience and ask about the possibilities to add these activities to your holiday.
Pardi and his colleagues all have children of their own. They have great ideas and can give you professional advice. They know where to go and which places you would enjoy.
If you are interested in a car seat get in contact in time and ask about the possibilities.
Walking
When your children are still too young to walk themselves, you can take a stroller with you, or decide to carry your child in a “child carrier”. The sidewalks in Indonesia are often narrow, and not always suitable for a stroller. Indonesian women carry their young children in a shawl called “selendang”. Some people do prefer a stroller because their child gets too warm being carried around and can sleep calmly in their own stroller protected from the sun with a sun screen or parasol. Other parents choose to leave their stroller at home and follow the Indonesian tradition and carry their child during the day. Since the opinions are divided there is only one good advice: you know your child the best and make the choice that suits you and your child the best.
Restaurants
Restaurants offer good options for children. Let them try the authentic Javanese or Balinese dishes. Not all the Indonesian dishes are spicy and adjustments are easy to make. Just ask the waitress. Of course dishes with rice and eggs are popular with young children, but often it is also possible to order pancakes or french fries. Also try a martabak. There is martabak manis (a thick sweet pancake with cheese, chocolate sprinkles, peanuts and sesame seeds) and martabak telor (a savory martabak with dough, egg and a minced meat filling). You cannot choose? No problem. Try both, they are equally tasty.
Special chairs for children are not common in Indonesian restaurants. If you brought your stroller, your stroller can serve as a chair.
Hotels
In hotels it is often allowed to have your children sleep in your room. Hotels offer extra beds or can put a mattress on the floor. Special beds for babies and toddlers are hard to find, in Indonesia young children often sleep in the same bed as their parents. Check the hotel policy and possibilities in advance.
If you like advice about family-friendly home-stays, hotels with great swimming pools, or if you have other questions, feel free to ask Pardi for free advice.
Create an unforgettable holiday for your children; give them an experience for life.