I often complain about the lack of things to do in Bali with toddlers. Jenggala paint a pot in Jimbaran won’t really help you with a two-year-old (that’s what Jari Menari is for…) but I’ve taken a three-year-old there with great success. Added bonus: the excellent coffee and cake at the cafe, and the ceramics … read the full post

Jari Menari, with two branches in Seminyak and Nusa Dua, is one of our top picks for massage in Bali. The all-male therapists are truly well trained, so you actually feel like you’re getting a massage for your particular knots and aches and pains and anatomy, not just a one-size-fits-all rubdown; the style of their … read the full post

In my experience as a six-foot-tall woman, shopping in the enticing-looking boutiques along Jalan Laksmana in Seminyak can be rather disappointing, with not too much available in my size. Shopping for kids, however, is another question entirely. Quite a few lovely shops selling children’s clothes have sprung up in this area over the past few … read the full post

The Ubud Botanical Gardens had its “soft opening” in mid 2006 and from the look of their website and the pics on the wall at the main reception area, it must have been quite a place through the next year or so… Fast forward to early 2011 and the gardens are, well, a bit the … read the full post

The simple answer is yes. Bali’s rabies outbreak began in 2008 and by the end of 2010 more than 100 Indonesians had died of the disease. Many of those who died were bitten by dogs but had not sought treatment and once physical symptoms appear the disease is 100% fatal. Attempts to get the outbreak … read the full post

Turtles in Bali are a sensitive issue. Traditionally some Balinese like to eat them and turtle meat has often been used in religious ceremonies. Unfortunately, turtle numbers have plummeted around Bali, in part due to hunting but also because their hatcheries are disappearing due to over-development, as  Bali continues to cram more and more (willing) … read the full post

It’s a bit tedious, the kicking off portion of organising yourself at Waterbom Park: the lining up, the entrance fee payment (phone lines were down for Amex when we were there), the paying for the splash tag (a barcode-marked bracelet that lets you pay for stuff without your wallet), the getting changed, the hiring a … read the full post

Fun World is a massive indoor (and un-air-conditioned) playground in Sukawati. It’s a bit out of the way for the average tourist, but if you’re staying in Ubud or Sanur you might want to consider it if you’ve had enough of trawling the sites with your kids and kind of just want a day off … read the full post