Expat Travel Mom

When we landed in Bali, the first thing we noticed was an airport full of surfers collecting their boards from trolleys at baggage claim. Who knew? Bali is a mecca for surfers, beginners and advanced, year round, and it turns out that energy is the first thing that greets you.

Holiday Inn Resort Baruna

We started our stay at the Holiday Inn Resort Baruna, and never in my life did I expect a Holiday Inn to feel quite like this. Minutes from the airport, but the moment you step through the grand entrance gates into the handcrafted lobby, you feel remote and secluded, somewhere in the heart of Bali.

The room fit our family of five, with a king bed, a king sofa bed, and a rollaway for the third kid, situated in a little four-suite villa surrounding a garden. The bathroom alone was bigger than some of our old apartments, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, two sinks.

We took in a few sessions at the spa, including a couples' massage and a Little Traveler's Massage for the kids, who were treated like princesses and a prince and loved every second, even getting their own comment cards to rate the service afterward. On theme night, the pool deck transforms into a full Bali cultural dinner, buffet and traditional dancing included, with local crafters setting up to sell paintings, jewelry, and clothing right on site.

If I'm honest, the ice cream counter, Flavaz, might have been the kids' single favorite part of the whole hotel. Toppings, cones, flavors, all at a reasonable price. Simple things.

Learning to Surf with the Pros

My husband has always dreamed of learning to surf on some tropical vacation, and since we were crossing Bali off our bucket list, we figured, why not now? He said it himself: "Who doesn't dream of riding a wave? Blue skies, blue water, surfing the natural ebb and flow of the ocean? Honestly I wasn't planning it for this trip. I felt like if I went surfing it would be a selfish decision, leaving the kids behind for a day while I check off an item on my bucket list."

But then we asked the kids if they wanted to try it too, and they lit up. As for me? No way. The ocean and I don't get along in any way, shape, or form. But the rest of the family was all in.

Friends recommended Pro Surf, right in Kuta, saying it's the only place they'd trust their own kids to for lessons. We booked a family package, two hours, plenty for kids this age. No time wasted, straight into rash guards and up to the training deck, paddling, standing, foot placement, then into the pool jumping off a high deck with soft training boards before finally heading for the real ocean.

My babies. In the ocean. Was this really about to work?

It did. One at a time, the instructor led them out, waited for the right wave, and sent them off. Even our most cautious kid stood up and surfed right back to shore, no panic, no hesitation, completely trusting the hands they were in. My husband had an equally good time in the adult group, even if he didn't stand up quite as many times as the kids did. Two hours in, the whole family was hooked and begging to go back the next day. That didn't happen on this trip, but my husband did go surfing again on a later business trip to Australia. Let's just say the ocean won that round too.

Family Friendly Luxury at Padma Resort Legian

From Baruna, we moved to the Padma Resort Legian, and it's hard to even call this place a hotel, more like its own small tropical world you could get lost in, in the best way. Statues, gardens, eating areas, relaxing spaces around every corner, all deeply steeped in Bali tradition.

The kids loved hunting down the massive statues scattered through the grounds like a treasure hunt, make sure you find the serpent dragon. Our room was a two-room suite with a triple bunk bed for the kids, in its own separate space with its own bathroom, so the adults actually got a little privacy too. Genius, honestly.

One of my favorite parts: a cooking class for two, the perfect activity for my little budding chef and me, learning to make mixed rice together. The kids' pool had slides and sat right next to the Kids' Club, packed with activities from morning to night, art, board games, fish feeding, swimming.

Dinner-wise, the standout night was the Tenkai Family Buffet, teppanyaki where you choose your own meats, fish, and veggies and watch them cooked right in front of you, plus soup, satay, sushi, fruit, dessert, and a traditional fire dance. It's the kind of night the kids still bring up.

Bali has that magical, once-in-a-lifetime reputation for a reason. Between the surf lessons, the bunk beds, the fire dancers, and everything in between, this trip more than lived up to it.