Have a Blast in Bali in the Low Season
Didn’t we already spend 5 weeks in Bali?
If you’ve been following our adventures for awhile, you probably remember that we spent time in Bali around October last year. So why are we back so soon? Easy! Bali has tons of non-stop flights to Australia, our next destination. Rather than connecting through Bali for a long travel day, we opted for a 4 day layover (the perks of slow-travel!). We were super excited to come “full circle” and end our adventure in SE Asia in the same place we began.
Weather: December – February is the low (rainy) season in Bali so temps hang out in the 30’s C (or low 90’s F) with lots of humidity and short, frequent rain showers. During our late-January visit, it rained almost every day for at least 15 minutes (and up to a few hours). Despite the light rain, there’s never really a bad time to visit Bali. Here are our tips on enjoying Bali with kids during this low season.
Rainy days in Bali often lead to gorgeous sunsets
Where to stay
We stayed at the Grand Mirage Family Paradise. It’s located in Nusa Dua on the Benoa peninsula, and all the rooms face east so you can watch the sunrise over the ocean from the comfort of your bed every morning. It’s also an all-inclusive resort, so you don’t need to leave unless you really want to. Beyond that, we loved our stay here for two reasons:
Family-friendly room options: We all sleep best when Liesel has a separate sleeping area. It’s not always an option for us, but at Grand Mirage, we were able to stay in a junior suite, with a separate bedroom for Liesel! The suite was huuuuge and Liesel really loved the bean bag chair in her room!
So many activities: With lots of short rain showers this time of year, we knew we wanted a place with plenty of options both outdoors and indoors to keep us all happy. The Grand Mirage fit the bill for us and overdelivered in the indoor-fun category. They have a kids club and plenty of activities for everyone throughout the day. They made it super convenient for us to enjoy being outdoors but able to duck inside quickly if the rain started coming down.
Liesel loving the Kids Club
So, what to do here?
Dine in: Grand Mirage provides buffets during meal time and also a la cart options throughout the day. Our favorite meal was the huge breakfast buffet every morning. In addition to the standard brunch spread that many resorts in Bali provide, Grand Mirage also had a granola / smoothie bowl station and a fresh pressed juice bar! Room service is also included as part of the deal. After a busy day of activities, it is such a treat to have food delivered to the room just before (Liesel’s super early) bedtime.
Play Inside: This was our first resort experience with a kids club and it lived up to the hype! In addition to the fun indoor playground, they had a organized activities, crafts or fitness classes every morning.
Namaste right here at Grand Mirage!
Play Outside: Grand Mirage currently has 2 swimming pools (with a 4th scheduled to open later this year). There’s also a mini waterpark with a few water slides that were perfect for Liesel to cruise down on her own!
Hit the beach: Grand Mirage’s beach front location makes it easy to relax in the sand during nap time. But if you’re looking for a little more action, they also offer water sports right on the beach. Guests at the Grand Mirage can enjoy paddle boarding, kayaking and even mini sail boats as part of their all-inclusive package!
Explore outside the resort: Did you check out all the activities on the resort property and are ready to go out and explore a bit on your own? There are plenty of options within a short walk from the Grand Mirage. The resort is located on an active stretch of JL Pratama on the Benoa peninsula in Bali. Just steps from the resort is a Coco Mart for supplies, a few souvenir shops, and of course, several delicious warungs for some authentic Indonesian food.
With a waterpark like this, who needs to leave?
Bonus tip: Late January and the first two weeks of February are the Chinese New Year holiday. We had no idea how much this would impact our trip, but suffice it to say we had a hard time getting hotels and flights (beyond Bali, the Philippines and Australia were also almost totally booked up months in advance). If you know you are traveling during these months, we’d advise making your reservations as early as possible (6 months to a year, if you can)!
Overall we were super happy to experience our “farewell to Bali” in such a great family setting.
Note: Lodging was provided by Grand Mirage Resort, but all opinions are always my own!