Information for Parents
We hope you are excited about your Bali Family Villas stay!
The Balinese love children and we too aim to make your little travelers feel as welcome as adults. Congratulations on planning a holiday to the Island of The Gods with your children. We believe in collecting moments not things, and what better place than a tropical island to create childhood memories to last a lifetime!
Here is some practical information for those travelling with little ones, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any further queries. We are here to help and no question is too big or small xxx
Baby Sitters
The Balinese love children, and your little travellers will receive plenty of attention and smiles. Trusting a nanny or Babysitter is a very personal process, and you have to the feel comfortable. Once you find the right fit, you can enjoy your holiday with the luxury of some help along the way.
We have a group of lovely freelance nannies we are happy to recommend. Please note, although we believe them to be wonderful, we can not take any responsibility for their services. For this reason all communication, arrangements and payment is direct between you and the babysitter. We can provide their details on request for our confirmed guests.
We do not recommend asking the Villa staff to babysit or watch your children, they already have a full time job and do not specialise in child care. Of course many will dote on the children regardless!
There are also several Babysitting and Nanny agencies in Bali. Below are the three agencies we generally use and recommend. Agencies are good in that if your first nanny doesn’t work out or becomes unwell, they have a team of others as back up.
You can request a babysitter who swims, but we advise to save water time for when a parent is present.
Be clear and simple with your instructions as English is a second language. You can always start my going out with the nanny and the kids together. She can be an extra pair of eyes and it’s a nice way to get to know your new friend. Most importantly enjoy your adult time, you deserve it!
Pool Fences
These days there are countless pool fences in Bali, which is a good thing. Some Villas provide their own custom designed fencing and other Villas allow for external suppliers to be used. Please note that this is a case by case scenario and our concierge team will guide you, specific to your holiday Villa.
We do not take any direct responsibility for the installation or quality of pool fences, and insist that they are to be considered as a pool barrier only. Children must always be watched around the pool. We are however consistently reviewing our recommended suppliers and making sure fences are installed before your arrival and taken down after your departure. Fences should be securely fitted and include safety gates. The quality review is a complimentary service by our team.
Bedding
Either the Villa or Bali Family Villas will provide a standard portacot / travel cot on request. This is supplied with a fitted mattress and basic linen (fitted sheet and blanket). These cots are generally suitable for babies until two years. If you have a young child that is better suited to a mattress on the floor, please discuss prior to your arrival and we will see what can be arranged. We ensure our customers baby cots have mosquito nets, but we find the best defence against mosquitos is to have the air conditioner on and to spray the room with HIT spray (bug spray) around one hour before bed and close the door. If you dress your little travelers in long sleeved cotton pyjamas it also helps. We check the baby cots are of good quality for a safe and comfortable stay. The quality review is a complimentary service by our team.
Extra Baby Equipment
Bali Family Villas has in-house stock of baby baths, stair gates, bottle sterilizers, baby bouncers and high chairs. These items are provided to clients free of charge whenever possible. Please request in advance with our concierge team.
Bali Baby Hire is who we recommend for extra equipment and our team can send an introduction email for you, so we can assist their team with delivery of equipment and address of the Villa etc. We try to have the equipment delivered and ready for your arrival. If you have a Mclaran stroller or similar (umbrella style) these generally work better in Bali than a Phil & Teds or Mountain Buggy models… as they are light you can lift them over holes in the road and they fit better on the narrow side walks, in a taxi etc.
As part of your welcome gift you will receive blow up pool toys from Bali Family Villas, and you can also buy cheap beach toys etc at mini marts to use during your stay. We also provide a complimentary toy box for your little ones to borrow during your stay.
If there is something in particular you need or are looking at more substantial hire items please see below.
Car Seats
Please advise the ages of your children prior to arrival and we will arrange forward or rear facing car seats for airport transfers. Car seats are not required by law, and you may find taxis and hire cars even without seat belts. Our complimentary car seats are suitable for children up until the age of 3 or 4 years. We also have some stock of complimentary Booster seats for older children on request. All of our cars are fitted with seatbelts.
Nappies
At minimarts and supermarkets you will find nappies available. However the Huggies brand is not the same quality as you will find in Australia or the UK. We prefer Mama Poko brand or Pampers. It is not so easy to buy swimming nappies in Bali. My tip is to safe your home nappy supply for night time as they are likely more absorbany and use the Bali nappies for during the day.
Baby Food
Baby Food such as Raffertys Garden Squeeze packs are available but in limited supply and priced at approximately $5 per packet as they are imported. Milk formulas are available, however a different selection than in Australia or other Western countries. If your baby likes particular milk and snacks we suggest bringing a supply from home. You can buy cheese, yogurt and regular pasteurised milk as well as fresh produce readily but rusks, corn cakes, muesli bars, fruit bars and sugar free toddler snacks available as well, although not with the same variety as in other countries.
The Villa staff can often make the usual baby mashes and basic meals with your instructions.
Safe Drinking Water
The tap water is not safe to drink. Do not even rinse your tooth brush with it if you can avoid it. It is common for all dishes and cutlery to be washed in tap water at restaurants and Villas, however you can request that your children bottles can be washed in bottled water and sterilized in boiling water. The Villas provide bottled drinking water. Microwaves are not common in Bali as they use a lot of electricity so you may sterilise the old fashion way, by boiling water on the stove.
Health
The main points of contact for doctors and hospitals are Siloam and BIMC. They have several branches across Bali. If you experience a medical emergency or situation while staying with us and require our advise, please get in touch.
Our personal family Doctor is Mrs Wayan and her number is +62 (0)8123921813, she also comes to your Villa for house call. For something more serious the Pediatrician I recommend at Siloham hospital is Doctor Irene. For smaller ailments such as “bali belly” or an ear infection the Bali Clinic on the main street in Seminyak is popular with tourists.
Please be sure to have comprehensive health insurance and bring any regular medication your children may need. We also suggest bringing your own baby Panadol or Nurofen just in case. The medical system in Bali is vastly improving, however it is not the same as in other parts of the world.
There are several pharmacies, called Apoteks where you can buy general items such as sunscreen, insect repellant, disinfectants, soaps, bandaids etc. if required.
Family Meals In The Villa
Depending on which Villa you are in, you may be lucky enough to have a chef at hand to cater to you and your fussy eating little friends!
Please also download go-jek from the app store once you are in Indonesia. It really is a great service and you can have fish n chips, burgers, satay, pasta, pizza and all the kids usual favourites delivered to the door.
Enjoy Bali’s Best Restaurants at Home in your Villa!
We would like to introduce you to Gojek which may come in handy during your Bali Villa stay! If you would like to order food or coffee to the door or arrange transport to and from the Villa – Gojek is your go to!
The delivery fee is between $1-3 on top of the cost of your food and transport is the same cost or less than a traditional taxi. All payments are listed upfront at the time of order.
Download through the APP store and use when connected to WI-FI or mobile Data.
It is easy and free to set up an account and select payment method as ‘cash on delivery’.
As well food delivery you will see options for both Motor-Bike Taxi and 5 or 7 seater cars. All communication is done through the APP and it makes payment and location simple and safe.
You can follow the location of the driver through the app too, so you can follow their progress.
Enjoy!
If you are wanting grazing platters or birthday cakes in the Villa, please let our concierge team and we can provide some recommended suppliers.
Other
We hope you find these initial ideas helpful. We assist our clients with queries on local gyms, birthday cakes, health food & dietary needs, restaurant recommendations, shopping tips, yoga studios, toy shops, and the list goes on. Let us know how to make your holiday the best it can be for you & your little tribe!
