Bali is a treasure trove of culture, shopping, beaches, and more. But one thing we, as a family, enjoyed the most was the adventure activities available for kids.
ATV Riding in Ubud
Ubud has tons of activities – such as white-water rafting and ATV riding. After a brief discussion, the kids decided to try ATV riding alone.
So, we packed them off on a short ride through the forest while Mom, K, and I chilled with a drink. And we sat and waited and waited. Eventually, we got quite worried and started walking around looking for them.
Thankfully, it was not a long search. We soon saw them rumbling along the road. Turns out, the ride was a lot more adventurous than expected. Snubnose stalled twice, then drove them into a ditch, and they needed to be fished out.
Still, they came back with happy smiles and stories to tell. So, it was all good, finally!
Overall, recommend the ATV ride – but maybe for bigger kids.
Water sports in Benoa
Piglet wanted to try some water sports in Bali. And our tour guide Google said that Benoa Beach is the best place for water sports – especially for small kids and beginners.
Piglet wanted to dive, but unfortunately, he was below the age limit and had to stick to snorkeling. He enjoyed the snorkeling experience; it was cool, and there was a lot of fish. He was snorkeling after a long time (more than 3 years), so it was lovely to see him take to it smoothly.
He was a bit disappointed at not getting to dive, though.
Snubnose and I chose to dive, and it was ok. I preferred our diving experience in Sri Lanka to what we did in Bali.
Here, our dive instructor took us straight to an underwater farm kind of place, where fish were gathered and then we were told to feed the fish. It made for lovely videos but not such an authentic experience.
I also thought that the diving experience in Sri Lanka was a lot longer, we went further and deeper, and overall, just a more immersive and satisfying time.
So, yes, Benoa beach diving is strictly for beginners.
Para-sailing was a much more satisfying experience for the kids. It was Piglet’s first time, so Snubnose offered to go “doubles” with him.
Piglet was a little worried, but all that changed once they launched into the sky.
There were tons more activities we wanted to try, but with our limited time, this was just about all we could manage.
One more day, and we would have tried the river rafting in Ubud!
