The experiences you gain when traveling are unforgettable and often a formative experience for children. Families in Shanghai are blessed with having many incredible destinations right at their fingertips and the opportunity to share these wonders with their children. We asked families around Asia to tell us their most treasured memories and favorite family-friendly destinations. Read on for some fun stories and insider tips!
In the summer of 2013, our family traveled through Bali for three weeks and we absolutely loved it. Last year during the October holiday, we decided to visit again, but combined it with Lombok (Kuta Lombok) and Gili Air this time around. We first flew from Denpasar to Lombok and stayed for four days. From there, we went to Gili Air by boat for another four days, and spent our last few days in Seminyak on Bali.
These destinations are great for families because it makes for easy traveling, it’s safe and you can book everything you like through travel agents while you are there.
There are many great places to go to in Bali. Sanur has beautiful white sandy beaches and different activities like kite surfing, canoes, paddle boats and water scooters, which are great for the whole family. Ubud is more central (no beach), but it has a great environment as it is surrounded by rice fields. You can rent bikes and go for half or full day tours, either guided or by yourselves. One of our favorite experiences was walking through the monkey forest; however, I will recommend doing this toward the end of the day because monkeys can get a bit aggressive when they are hungry.
On Lombok, we went to Kuta on the southern coast. One of the more popular destinations on Lombok is Senggigi, but we were looking for a more quiet, authentic place. So, we opted to stay at the Novotel Lombok Resort & Villas, which was built in traditional Sasak-style. It has a great beach and the hotel is not too big – very family- friendly.
From there we went to Gili Air, one of the three small Gili Islands, which are part of Lombok. Since Gili Meno is very basic and doesn’t have any electricity, and Gili Trawangan is usually very crowded, we decided to go to Gili Air. You can walk around the whole island in one hour and we loved it. There are a lot of organic and fresh juice bars and seafood restaurants right on the beach. And the main benefit: cars are not allowed!
We recommend always getting hotels with a pool and only doing half-day trips (such as visiting a palace or temple), so you can spend the other half at the swimming pool or the beach. This part of the trip was always more fun for the kids.
Out of all the highlights of our trip, my piece of advice is to bike through the rice fields in Ubud, chill at (one of) the Gili Islands and indulge in drinking Sundowners on Seminyak beach while watching the sun go down by the sea. You won’t regret it.
Best age group: All ages
Best way to get around in-country: By car or driver
Travel time from Shanghai: 6.5 hours minimum
Suggested minimum stay: One week
Read more Family-Friendly Travel Destinations here.
