As a single parent wanting take my kids overseas, naturally my first thought was "how am I going to do this and have fun at the same time??"
My first thought was a resort with a kids club, and my second was "what is my budget?"
I waited until they were 8 and 11 and able to at least be able to go to a kids club to give me a few hours of respite to lie by the pool and read a book without the constant "Daaaaaad" cry. But being on a bit of a budget I had to work out all the intricacies.
They had never been overseas, and had only been on a plane a couple of times. Living in Perth, Western Australia, the natural option was Bali - just a three and a half hour flight, and a very cheap destination.
Now, I know a lot of people who have been to Bali and talk about doing a trip there for about $1,000, or less. But this was a special trip, so I decided to fly with a reputable airline, Garuda, and stay 5-star. The option we chose was the Padma in Legian, very secure, great kids club, massive all-you-can-eat breakfast, and amazing staff. Ten days for three people, total cost was less than $5,000 - not bad for what we got.
The flight was easy - seatback choose-your-own entertainment systems are easily the best travelling-with-kids invention in, well, ever. So that part was simple. The resort arranged the transfer, and then once we got there, it took the staff no more than about half an hour to know who we were and that we belonged. It made me feel so comfortable that I was happy to let the kids wander the resort, or stay in the room, while I just laid by the pool - they knew where I was and how to find me, and all the staff knew the same in case the kids got into any difficulties.
As for venturing outside the resort, my brother was a seasoned Bali traveller who knew a great driver, and he took us out on a number of days. When he knew I had young kids he even arranged to take them to a traditional village to fish!
The highlights of the trip were the safari park, the view over spectacular rice paddies, the butterfly house and temples that are only tourist attractions for people from other parts of Indonesia, and the monkey forrest in ubud. I can recommend getting a local driver who knows all the tourist attractions not normally frequented by westerners as these were the the highlights of the whole trip.
Bali is a great destination which is very affordable. Meal costs are so cheap, as are clothes and transport. I can't wait to go there again, but will make sure I stay off the beaten track because the western tourists can be a bit too much!
My first thought was a resort with a kids club, and my second was "what is my budget?"
I waited until they were 8 and 11 and able to at least be able to go to a kids club to give me a few hours of respite to lie by the pool and read a book without the constant "Daaaaaad" cry. But being on a bit of a budget I had to work out all the intricacies.
They had never been overseas, and had only been on a plane a couple of times. Living in Perth, Western Australia, the natural option was Bali - just a three and a half hour flight, and a very cheap destination.
Now, I know a lot of people who have been to Bali and talk about doing a trip there for about $1,000, or less. But this was a special trip, so I decided to fly with a reputable airline, Garuda, and stay 5-star. The option we chose was the Padma in Legian, very secure, great kids club, massive all-you-can-eat breakfast, and amazing staff. Ten days for three people, total cost was less than $5,000 - not bad for what we got.
The flight was easy - seatback choose-your-own entertainment systems are easily the best travelling-with-kids invention in, well, ever. So that part was simple. The resort arranged the transfer, and then once we got there, it took the staff no more than about half an hour to know who we were and that we belonged. It made me feel so comfortable that I was happy to let the kids wander the resort, or stay in the room, while I just laid by the pool - they knew where I was and how to find me, and all the staff knew the same in case the kids got into any difficulties.
As for venturing outside the resort, my brother was a seasoned Bali traveller who knew a great driver, and he took us out on a number of days. When he knew I had young kids he even arranged to take them to a traditional village to fish!
The highlights of the trip were the safari park, the view over spectacular rice paddies, the butterfly house and temples that are only tourist attractions for people from other parts of Indonesia, and the monkey forrest in ubud. I can recommend getting a local driver who knows all the tourist attractions not normally frequented by westerners as these were the the highlights of the whole trip.
Bali is a great destination which is very affordable. Meal costs are so cheap, as are clothes and transport. I can't wait to go there again, but will make sure I stay off the beaten track because the western tourists can be a bit too much!