Bali: The start of a love affair with the beach

Bali holds a very special place for the hubby and I. We frequented the beach haven while dating, had our pre-wedding shots taken there and now we are returning as parents!

When we took the boys to Bali, Jake was almost 2 years old and James was barely 4 months old. I remember struggling to get a decent picture to make his first passport. With two young kids in tow, Bali is not going to be what we are used to, but lucky thing for us, our boys took to the beach like fish to water.

Still, travelling with kids require a bit more planning and whole lot of packing. Where I used to just throw together my bikini, sarong and sunblock at the last minute, I'm now packing diapers, milk powder and bottles well ahead of the trip. Travelling with tots may not be the most convenient, but I can attest to the sheer joy it brings when you see them light up when encountering new experiences.

The Beach: Seminyak

When we were footloose and fancy, Kuta and Legian were the hangout hotspots for us, but now with 2 tots in tow, we had to leave the buzz and crowd behind for something calmer. Seminyak is a great spot for families and anyone craving for a bit of reprieve from the madness that is Kuta. It's also a bit  upscale so you get a more discerning crowd, which works well for folks with kids.

The dark-coloured sand is a bit of a wonder for the kids as they are more used to the white sand variety but this offers a great opportunity to expose them to something new – I love watching them dig their fingers and toes into the glistening black sand for the first time. They almost can't decide if they like it yet they can't help but go at it. When they get older, it's also a great opportunity to talk to them about nature and how this beach came to be covered in black sand - volcanoes!

The Accomodation: The Purist, Ubud

When it came to where we should lay our heads for the night, it was crucial to choose a place that is child-friendly with a dedicated staff (you never know when you may need assistance especially with young kids). In Bali, there are more high-end villas that cater to families than budget-conscious places that will sleep young tots. You could spend hours deciding but first start with where you want to stay in Bali. We decided on Ubud for it's cool mountain surroundings and quiet landscape. We stayed at The Purist, not exactly wallet-friendly (a bit of a treat from the hubby) but it's definitely kid-friendly without sacrificing the niceties that we love about Bali villas.

The Purist had the feel and exclusivity of a honeymoon villa but they also welcome children of all ages.  Anything you needed was only a request away and our kids became friends with the staff on the ground by the end of our week-long stay. It always felt like we were coming home after a day out exploring. They also arranged for us to spend an awesome day at Paon Bali Cooking Class where we got our culinary fingers to work. If you have kids, just bring them along to Paon, everyone in the village will only be too happy to mind them while you stir and simmer.

The Food
My husband and I are big foodies. A lot of our travelling decisions are based on the gastronomic offerings of a location. Ubud has no short of great restaurants and rustic warungs. Some of our favourites include Ibu Oka for babi guling (rice served with pork crackling and local spice) though this place is not quite child-friendly, and Dirty Duck for bebek bengil (balinese deep fried duck).

This trip we also tried out Warung Rai Pasti - a quaint little warung with a lovely view of rice paddy fields. Here you can enjoy many local delights like soto ayam, ikan pepes, tempeh goreng and babi guling, which comes direct from the her famous sister, Ibu Oka.

We also enjoyed Lamak, one of the Ubud's many fine dining restaurants that marries european cooking tradition with local balinese flavours. You get fine culinary fare like balinese bouillabaisse of barbecued seafood in a zesty starfruit and lemongrass broth. Mmmm....

The Highlight: Family Photography

While travelling with kids, one of the things you'd want to do most is take as many photos to document the moment, but at the same time you'd find it's the hardest thing to do or at least to do well. It may sound like a real extravagance to engage a photographer to follow you around for a day and take pictures of you and your family on vacation, but you'd be surprise in Bali, it is very doable and not expensive at all. We called on Aditi Photography, the guys who did out wedding shoot in Bali some years back to see if they would hang out with us for the day and take pictures that can be keepsake for our boys. We were glad they actually had family photography packages, so looks like we weren't the only ones thinking it. The images turned out amazing and we still look fondly at the album today. The boys are especially thrilled to reminisce about their beach holiday with mama and papa.

You Gotta Start Somewhere

I had this blog started when I became a mummy and realised that travel is never going to be the same again. For those of you who think you're doomed to a life on local shores until the kids can take care of themselves, well, I can attest to the contrary. You just need to start somewhere :)

I won't deceive you of course. The thought of taking any trip with a child can be daunting even with the most cooperative of younglings. Will kiddie be able to tolerate long rides, be it on a plane, train or automobile? What will they eat and how am I going to get this food on the go? Where will they sleep? How am I going to handle bath time? Etc, etc.

Well, you can get a whole load of answers from friends who have experience, parenting resources online and travel forums, but no matter how prepared you think you are, there is only one way to find out and that is to embark on your first trip.

One of our earliest trips that took nerves of steel to say 'Yes we can and will do this!' was to take our 16-month-old boy on a European road trip! When I first told family and friends about our itinerary, most of them thought my hubby and I must be fond of punishment and hard labour. Well, before you think I must be crazy, here's the kicker - I was also 5 months pregnant with No.2. Ok, now you can think I'm crazy.

But jokes aside, I don't really think what we did was anything extraordinary. There are many mamas and papas the world over who take their children on epic trips and I truly admire them for their spirit of adventure and positive mindset. If they can do it, I'm quietly confident that we can too. And if I can do it, I think you can too :)

Jake at the Tracadero, with a shoe missing

Our 2 week vacation covered 4 countries and about 10 cities. We landed in Paris for a couple of nights before heading up to Strasbourg to meet up with friends for the rest of the trip. Then we crossed over to the German side for a look around in Kehl, which is literally just a stone's throw away. The sole purpose was really to pick up some groceries. It's cheaper on the German side!

Our ride for the road trip was a comfy Mercedes Vito van. We packed in 5 adults and 3 kids and drove through the Alsatian wine route for some lovely Pinot Gris, stopping in Colmar for a spot of lunch and checking into Lucern, Switzerland for the night. Then it was on to Italy where we relished our time in Parma and Milan before heading home.

It's amazing what a travel experience could offer in terms of parenting lessons and there is nothing like seeing the world through your child's eyes. With this trip under our belt, we are ready for any destination now.

Have milk will travel