This is a continuation of our Bali & Tokyo trip. You can find the full trip itinerary here.
Bali Safari & Marine Park
Since we traveled to Bali as a family with 2 toddlers, we wanted to do a fun kid-friendly activity. I had heard about the Bali Safari & Marine Park, and we decided this would be a good option.
My mom rented a van so that all of us could fit in one vehicle. The drive to Bali Safari & Marine Park took about one hour.
I was pleasantly surprised with the park. The first half was walkable and I loved that overall it's quite shaded. They also styled the park very Balinese, but you can tell that this was a professionally managed park.
M especially loved the bird section near the lobby.
There's also various eating options, ranging from very cheap stall food to actual sit down restaurants. Dan tried Nasi Djinggo (traditional Balinese rice) for the first time!
Like I said, the first half of the park was walkable, which then directed us to the line to take the safari ride. The safari ride was air conditioned (a huge plus since it's so hot & humid in Bali!) and was enjoyable. We did have to wait in line for around 40 minutes though!
The ride was enjoyable and we got to see lots of animals!
Overall it was a wonderful day and I would highly recommend it if you have young children!
Bumbu Bali
Bumbu Bali is probably the quintessential Balinese tourist experience. The place is clean, has Balinese feel, and serves traditional food. Make sure to get a reservation here, as we had tried to get in for several days without reservations and were unable to.
My main gripe with this place is that since the setting is outdoors, there's lots of mosquitoes, so be prepared to wear long pants and/or use lots of bug repellent.
Food is wonderful. We've usually ordered several Rijsttafel (Rice Table set menu) to share. It's a good way to try different food for everyone at the table. Price is a bit more expensive than a typical Balinese restaurant, but it is a good quality.
Potato Head Bali
Potato Head is a famous bar by the sea that is always full of locals and westerners. Make sure to get reservation in ahead as well as this place is always packed! They have a section for "western food" and another section for "local food".
Finn's Beach Club
My sister told me about this Beach Club, and I made the mistake of trying to go without reservation. By the time we get to this place, they were fully booked. One thing I learned from this Bali trip during the high season is to always make reservations in advance!
So we didn't end up going to the beach club, but I did spend time at the spa at the hotel.
Amanusa
Our hotel was across the street from Amanusa, and we were intrigued to see what the hotel is like since it's very upscale ($1000/night) and had heard wonderful things about it.
I booked lunch at the restaurant for our family. The resort and the restaurant was located up on a hill. The resort seemed very quiet and had a strong Balinese influence. Unlike our resort at the Mulia, we barely saw other resort guests at this place. I think they only have around 80 rooms or something like that. The view from the restaurant was amazing! I'll let the picture do all the talking.
Food was pretty good (not outstanding, but definitely good). Price was typical hotel price.
It was a good lunch and definitely a good way for all of us to take a peek of how the ultra rich live. :)
One thing for sure that was obvious was the service here was much better than at the Mulia.
The Rock Bar
If you are going to Bali, you must go to the Rock Bar at the Ayana. Unfortunately, when we came, the line was too long and we didn't want to wait hours to get seated. So we ended up reclining at the lounge area. If you are guest at the hotel, you have priority to get in. The Ayana is definitely a beautiful resort worth checking!
Ah Yat at the Ayana
This place serves really good, upscale, Chinese cuisine at the Ayana resort. The place was quite empty when we went. I'm typically not a big fan of Chinese food, but this place was actually good. :)
Here are more list of restaurants that people have recommended me, but unfortunately we didn't get a chance to try all....but maybe you can! :)
Bali Safari & Marine Park
Since we traveled to Bali as a family with 2 toddlers, we wanted to do a fun kid-friendly activity. I had heard about the Bali Safari & Marine Park, and we decided this would be a good option.
My mom rented a van so that all of us could fit in one vehicle. The drive to Bali Safari & Marine Park took about one hour.
 |
| Bali Safari Lobby |
I was pleasantly surprised with the park. The first half was walkable and I loved that overall it's quite shaded. They also styled the park very Balinese, but you can tell that this was a professionally managed park.
M especially loved the bird section near the lobby.
There's also various eating options, ranging from very cheap stall food to actual sit down restaurants. Dan tried Nasi Djinggo (traditional Balinese rice) for the first time!
 |
| Eating Nasi Djinggo |
Like I said, the first half of the park was walkable, which then directed us to the line to take the safari ride. The safari ride was air conditioned (a huge plus since it's so hot & humid in Bali!) and was enjoyable. We did have to wait in line for around 40 minutes though!
 |
| Our ride! |
The ride was enjoyable and we got to see lots of animals!
 |
| Lion at Bali Safari Marine Park |
Overall it was a wonderful day and I would highly recommend it if you have young children!
Bumbu Bali
Bumbu Bali is probably the quintessential Balinese tourist experience. The place is clean, has Balinese feel, and serves traditional food. Make sure to get a reservation here, as we had tried to get in for several days without reservations and were unable to.
My main gripe with this place is that since the setting is outdoors, there's lots of mosquitoes, so be prepared to wear long pants and/or use lots of bug repellent.
Food is wonderful. We've usually ordered several Rijsttafel (Rice Table set menu) to share. It's a good way to try different food for everyone at the table. Price is a bit more expensive than a typical Balinese restaurant, but it is a good quality.
The Rijsttafel includes various curries, satays, cooked veggies, etc. Yum!
The Rijsstafel also came with a selection of yummy Indonesian dessert!
Potato Head Bali
Potato Head is a famous bar by the sea that is always full of locals and westerners. Make sure to get reservation in ahead as well as this place is always packed! They have a section for "western food" and another section for "local food".
Finn's Beach Club
My sister told me about this Beach Club, and I made the mistake of trying to go without reservation. By the time we get to this place, they were fully booked. One thing I learned from this Bali trip during the high season is to always make reservations in advance!
So we didn't end up going to the beach club, but I did spend time at the spa at the hotel.
Amanusa
Our hotel was across the street from Amanusa, and we were intrigued to see what the hotel is like since it's very upscale ($1000/night) and had heard wonderful things about it.
I booked lunch at the restaurant for our family. The resort and the restaurant was located up on a hill. The resort seemed very quiet and had a strong Balinese influence. Unlike our resort at the Mulia, we barely saw other resort guests at this place. I think they only have around 80 rooms or something like that. The view from the restaurant was amazing! I'll let the picture do all the talking.
Food was pretty good (not outstanding, but definitely good). Price was typical hotel price.
It was a good lunch and definitely a good way for all of us to take a peek of how the ultra rich live. :)
 |
| Nasi Campur Bali |
One thing for sure that was obvious was the service here was much better than at the Mulia.
The Rock Bar
If you are going to Bali, you must go to the Rock Bar at the Ayana. Unfortunately, when we came, the line was too long and we didn't want to wait hours to get seated. So we ended up reclining at the lounge area. If you are guest at the hotel, you have priority to get in. The Ayana is definitely a beautiful resort worth checking!
Ah Yat at the Ayana
This place serves really good, upscale, Chinese cuisine at the Ayana resort. The place was quite empty when we went. I'm typically not a big fan of Chinese food, but this place was actually good. :)
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Here are more list of restaurants that people have recommended me, but unfortunately we didn't get a chance to try all....but maybe you can! :)
- Metis
- Kudeta: Really nice to catch sunset on the beach.
- Nuri’s ribs: Famous ribs, they have 2 locations. One in Ubud and another one in Seminyak.
- Bebek Bengil or Bebek Tepi Sawah: We love either one! Really good, in Ubud area. They both now have branches in Jakarta too
- Nasi babi bu Oka: I thought it was overated but this place is very popular.
- Mozaic or Mozaic Beach Club: Mozaic is the fine dining restaurant in Ubud, and Mozaic Beach Club is the beach side restaurant in Seminyak
- Brunch at Soleil: The Sunday champagne brunch is very popular and very good
- Merah Putih: Upscale Indonesian restaurant in Seminyak
- Biku: Casual, good food in Seminyak
- Menega: This place is famous for seafood/beach dining
- La Lucciola: Really good Italian food in Seminyak
Thanks for this amazing post. Hope so that this could be my next travelling destination after Australia. This could help me in enjoying some amazing time with my family. I will plan this trip well as I m planning the Australian trip with a detailed Australia Road Map so that I don't even miss a single place.
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