Mandira
www.balimandira.com/
Kids club, on the beach in Legian, close to Kuta but just far enough and good vibe.
Dont eat and drink to much at the hotel (any hotel that is) but do try there woodfired pizzas. Hotels charges double to triple on everything.

Pitbull said...

The wife is trying to talk me into taking her and the two kids to Bali. Haven't been there for 10yrs. Just wondering if much has changed and any thoughts for which hotel to stay at.

Crikey, changed much........

You will get the shock of your life. You can not go for 6 months and it changes so much.

The main thing now is the traffic. The Island is choked. Your best bet is get a hotel right near where you want to be the most and stay there. Early mornings are OK to travel for surf still though.

hi, check the hard rock in kuta bali.hardrockhotels.net/ .

i have a 5 year old boy. we stayed there 3 times ( last visit 3 months ago ) and hopefully will be coming back . good hotel, good location. it's got a huge pool with water slides and sand island in the middle. they do some fun activities for kids ( and adults ) at the pool. plus their kids club is good too. just don't take ground floor rooms 'cause they are little bit damp.

been perfect family holidays so far. surfing reefs in kuta from 6 till 9 am. then chill out with my son at the pool whole day while my missus was doing whatever she wanted to do. shops, massages, etc. we love bali

Pitbull said...

Had a friend stay at the Hard Rock a few months back. She wasn't impressed with the toilet backing up and the constant smell of sewerage. Maybe it was a one off?

Dunno about Hard Rock but that is the main change I found with Bali (Kuta/Legian region) in general.

The wife is driving 'round the bend looking at eveything. Quite like Nusa Dua, Benoa and Seminyak just to keep away from the hustle and bustle.

Don't stay in Kuta. It's **** especially if you've got groms. Stayed at breezes in seminyak last trip. Was nice. Lots of families with kids there, two pools. Just ask for a room that's not on the 3rd floor but. Stairs suck.
Have also stayed at Pelangi and puri saron in seminyak. Both good, right on the beach. Puri Saron is starting to get a bit aged but.
I'd definitely recommend legion or seminyak these days. A lot more chilled out up there.

Last year, or maybe year before...?
Stayed at sheraton laguna in nusa dua for an integrity in journalism (cough cough) conference, was there three days in the room next to the presidential suite.

Only problem was bang bang was paying a visit, our was supposed to.

kompassas everywhere, essentially lovely young guys, joked around and posed for photos with their automatic rifles pointed at our heads (seemed funny at the time) and a massive war ship moored in the harbor just off the reef out front of the hotel.

But man it was expensive, large bintang cost me twelve bucks.
It was ice cold, served in an ice cold glass with this dude who stood ten feet away and interrupted me everytime I took a sip to refill my glass..
But it cost TWELVE BUCKS..!!!

That same trip spent a week at the novatel in tanjung benoa and a week at jankies hotel in sanur..

Novatel was awesome, Laguna was over the top but for me jankies place was the best, you should pm him and get him to send you info...

Pitbull said...

The wife is driving 'round the bend looking at eveything. Quite like Nusa Dua, Benoa and Seminyak just to keep away from the hustle and bustle.

Nothing wrong with Seminyak. Heaps of good pig out joints and more up market shoppin. Take her to Ultimo's for a posh night out or Ku De Ta, costly for Bali though, Ku De Ta set us back $300 for a meal, 2 mains a couple of gt's, 1bintang and shared desert, but a feed like it cost ya up to $800 in Oz and it was awesome.

Thing with the novotel, well it worked for us anyway...

Stay over the road, it's cheaper cause it's not ' on the water'

But it was deserted, the pool was e m p t y, if I had kids and didn't drown them at birth, that's the kind of place I'd want to take them on holidays... Totally quality pool and absolutely no one, they could run riot and you wouldn't be apologizing every five minutes for your obnoxious yet totally normal kids. walk over the road and the pool is nice butt packed with idiot russians and oiled up morons on deck chairs reading from their electronic books who tsk tsk everytime someone makes a splash

BabaORiley said...

BabaORiley said...

Pitbull said...

The wife is driving 'round the bend looking at eveything. Quite like Nusa Dua, Benoa and Seminyak just to keep away from the hustle and bustle.

Nothing wrong with Seminyak. Heaps of good pig out joints and more up market shoppin. Take her to Ultimo's for a posh night out or Ku De Ta, costly for Bali though, Ku De Ta set us back $300 for a meal, 2 mains a couple of gt's, 1bintang and shared desert, but a feed like it cost ya up to $800 in Oz and it was awesome.

www.kudeta.com

Looks flash.

Pitbull said...

BabaORiley said...

BabaORiley said...

Pitbull said...

The wife is driving 'round the bend looking at eveything. Quite like Nusa Dua, Benoa and Seminyak just to keep away from the hustle and bustle.

Nothing wrong with Seminyak. Heaps of good pig out joints and more up market shoppin. Take her to Ultimo's for a posh night out or Ku De Ta, costly for Bali though, Ku De Ta set us back $300 for a meal, 2 mains a couple of gt's, 1bintang and shared desert, but a feed like it cost ya up to $800 in Oz and it was awesome.

www.kudeta.com

Looks flash.

Yeah a bit to flash. Took the mrs there for her birthday. Wouldn't go there other wise.

Not a bad spot that one,I've stayed next door at The Legion Beach Hotel a few times,just out of the rat race.Padma street bank is a wave in case you need to duck out for a quick one,beer tents on the beach

If you havent booked yet, look at the Breezes(Seminyak) stayed there w/sprogs really good, great big pool, kids club(average), babysitting(great).

Shopping aint that good anymore in Bali, decent quality stuff is only a bit cheaper.
The Safari park/Waterbom is worth a look with kids

If your kiting/surfing take a trip up Canngu/Seseh wind this time of year is good. Its quieter up there probably 1 hour from Sanur($12ish taxi). Villas up that way are a bit cheaper.

If you havent been to Bali for 10years you will have the shock of your life, be prepared(be patient) its madness now. Always fun, have a good one

the gibbo said...


If you havent been to Bali for 10years you will have the shock of your life, be prepared(be patient) its madness now. Always fun, have a good one

first time in bali for 20 years at the start of the month , Airport the same lol but that's it . I am just glad we stayed in amed well away from kuta etc .

stay at breezes. it was the best so far. staff are all friendly at the pool bar and night club attached to the hotel. have been back there 3 times and each year they remember me