Travel for Kids: Bali, Indonesia





		Bali



		Bali, "the morning of the world," is the perfect place for families. I lived in Bali for an extended time as a student. Years later, I took my children to Bali for their first trip abroad. Traveling in Bali with kids, I found a whole new magical world, as we spent hours watching water flowing in the rice fields, or listening to frogs chirping in the dark, mingled with sounds of the gamelan in the nearby village.

		Tip: Don't miss our top picks for children's books on Bali, recommended by the staff of Travel for Kids, see below.


			Temples in Bali – Bali has scads of wonderful temples and they are always having festivals. Smaller festivals in the villages have a homey, intimate feel to them. Wearing a sash and sarong is appropriate to enter the temple and part of the fun is dressing in Balinese clothing. Stopping to watch the processions is always exciting too.

			A great festival for the splendor and splash, is Kuningan at the Pura Taman Pule in Mas. We did have to wait to go inside the temple courtyard, but while we were waiting, I had great conversations with Balinese families standing in line with their kids too.

			My favorite temple is Pura Batukau, off the beaten track on the edges of the mountains high above the lowlands. Few tourists go to Batukau (the roads are pretty bumpy), but it is a large, temple complex with an artificial lake and island in the middle, and is surrounded by dense, dark green jungle.


			Fun food –

			At any roadside stall (warung), stop in for peanuts, pisang susu (milk bananas), crackers and bottled water or soft drinks. There are also delicious tropical ice tea, milkshakes, lassi (yogurt fruit shakes) and coconut ice cream in the restaurants. (Adults, if you are a coffee drinker, Balinese coffee is excellent. Drink it at a warung in Balinese style, a glass filled with finely ground coffee that sinks to the bottom, with or without milk and plenty of sugar.)

			Shopping –

			Bali is full of wonderful things to shop for souvenirs – fans, sarongs, sashes, carved wooden owls, frogs, ducks, kites, musical instruments such as bamboo flues, drums and gangsa (small xylophones), toy outriggers, and CDs of Balinese music. Kids will have a great time picking out their own treasures to take back home.

Gecko's Complaint: A Balinese Folktale
Ann Martin Bowler, I Gusti Made Sukanad

Entertaining tale of a chubby gecko who can't sleep at night because the fireflies in the jungle are keeping him awake. Lush drawings by a Balinese painter, Sukanada. (Picture book)

Rama and Sita
David Weitzman

An exquisite retelling of the Rama and Sita legend. Sita is kidnapped the red demon king Ravana and dramatically rescued by Hanuman, the magical monkey king. Pages glow with gilded shadow puppet illustrations. (Picture book)

A Journey to Bali
Gaia Grant

Color your way through Bali – the rice fields, life in the village, temple offerings, dance performances. Each scene is a full-color painting by Balinese kids, paired with a line drawing to color in. (Coloring book)

For more coloring fun: A Balinese Dream

Komodo!
Peter Sis

Irresistible story of a boy and an engaging Komodo dragon, surrounded by a magical tropical jungle. After you've read this book, you'll want to catch the next boat from Bali to Komodo Island. Fabulous illustrations. (Picture book)

Indonesia
Tamra Orr

Get to know the fascinating country of Indonesia – Bali is only one of 18,000 islands. Indonesia is home to exotic animals (orangutans, geckos, pangolins, cassowaries, Komodo lizards) and the world's largest flower, fun facts about the history, diverse culture and religious traditions, food and clothing, festivals and sports. Good for older kids. Excellent color photographs. (Illustrated chapter book)

(More children's books on other Bali)

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