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School holiday: Bali offers fun, educational holidays for all

AntaraThe local school holiday season arrives a little early this year with the end of Ramadhan where everyone is returning to their hometowns

Ruth Ninajanty (The Jakarta Post)
Thu, June 21, 2018

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School holiday: Bali offers fun, educational holidays for all

Antara

The local school holiday season arrives a little early this year with the end of Ramadhan where everyone is returning to their hometowns. This means holiday destinations like Bali will be expecting more families with children on longer vacation and more days to fill with activities to keep them busy.

The Bali Provincial Government Tourism Office recorded high numbers of incoming domestic as well as foreign tourists in the summer months of June and July. While the island’s panoramic beaches and endless warm weather are the main attraction, there are many fascinating adventures waiting for families. This school holiday, it’s time to do something fun and learn something new.

Young children are often full of adrenaline and the best way to wear them out during a holiday is to find the right activities for the day. While the hotel you’re staying in might have large swimming pools, a kids club and playground, it never hurts to drive out and discover different excitements throughout the island.

Let’s start with the must-visit Waterbom Bali, dubbed as the number one waterpark in Asia. The aquatic adventure destination features thrilling slides like Green Vipers, Boomerang and Pipeline as well as kids-friendly rides like the Lazy River and Funtastic. Waterbom’s popularity and prime location in Tuban will bring a large holiday crowd and require families to come early to enjoy the exciting slides.

Escape the crowded Waterbom and check the Finn’s Recreation Club in Canggu, another recommended spot for those with young children. Despite having fewer slides, the 4-hectare facility has a waterpark, trampoline center, bowling alley and kids club, as well as a fitness center, spa and restaurants. The slides are tall with shorter lines, although your teenagers would prefer Waterbom. There’s a challenging Tarzan-like swinging rope that captures everyone’s excitement, adults and kids alike.

Want to escape water altogether? Drive up and experience an adrenaline rush in cool mountain air. Bali Treetop Adventure Park is located in an open-aired area of Bali Botanical Garden in Bedugul. A perfect stop for the family as it features seven adventure circuits and 72 challenges that accommodate anyone as young as 4 years old. The park is open from 8:30 in the morning, so start your quest early and spend the afternoon walking around the largest botanic garden in Indonesia.

Cooling down from the adrenaline-rushed days, it’s time to spend a day on the island and interact with animals for a holiday mood change. Bali Safari & Marine Park is an award-winning zoo in Gianyar that offers more than just animal watching. Interactive encounters with animals in the wild through the Safari Tram or the Elephant Back Safari creates a holiday to remember for young children. Escape the hot safari sun by resting and splashing at the Marine Park right next door.

Brunch with the birds

However, if your family prefers something outside the mainstream sites, Bali Bird Park in Batubulan is an option. Focusing on birds and other avian species, this park is home to more than 1,000 birds of 250 species, including the beautiful Cendrawasih birds. As the park is located halfway between Denpasar and Ubud, come by early and enjoy brunch with the birds before venturing out to see a lory or pelican feeding on your way.

Older children may find close encounter and interaction with primates more adventurous. Lucky for them, Bali is also well-known for its free-roaming monkeys in these two recommended destinations.

The first is a Hindu temple complex located inside a small forest in Tabanan Regency called Alas Kedaton, where monkeys live freely in the temple’s neighborhood.

Another popular place to meet the monkeys is Ubud Monkey Forest, which despite being home to several temples, is primarily a sanctuary as well as a natural habitat for Balinese long-tailed monkeys. Monkeys in both places are friendly to visitors, who often provide them with food. Still, visitors are asked to be careful when interacting with the monkeys.

Little girls are obsessed more with ponies than monkeys, so it might worth taking your princess on a horse-riding journey. Bali Equestrian Center is a hidden gem. This world-class equestrian facility in Canggu isn’t only for the international champions, but also for families on holiday.

Located just 15 minutes from Seminyak, young children can enjoy mornings or afternoons taking pony rides and horse grooming lessons. The center also offers an all-day Pony Camp that lets young children learn everything about horse-riding from saddling and riding to feeding and safety.

During low tide, families can request a beach tour for an early morning or sunset ride.

While nature is always what Bali is about, the local culture will fascinate children as well. So, while in Bali, why not spend one day visiting the country at Taman Nusa Indonesian Cultural Park in Gianyar?

Aiming for an interactive education on Indonesia’s cultural history, the visit of this 15-hectare site begins in a room filled with photos and artefacts showing the diversity of Indonesia. The history of Indonesia through the ages follows with a Borobudur temple replica and cultural villages, where visitors can explore traditional houses and experience the day-to-day life of local folks. Barong shows and traditional costume photos are also available here.

At the end of the day, careful planning is what it takes to create a memorable school holiday for children. Bali doesn’t have to be about beaches because there are plenty of family fun adventures ahead.

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