We love Bali and we love staying in Bali family villas when we are holidaying on this gorgeous Indonesian island. We’ve stayed in some fabulous villas in Canggu, Legian, Seminyak and Sanur and we’ve partnered with Villa-Finder.com to share our top tips for choosing your best Bali family villa. 

Why we love Bali family holiday villas:

There are many reasons why we love staying in villas in Bali. We love resorts too – and Bali sure has some fabulous ones all over the island – but we can’t go past the privacy of staying in our own villa. The kitchen is our own, the pool is our own and everything we need is either just a few steps from our room, or from our villa.

I also love how villas are perfect for an extended family holiday or a holiday with a group of friends. You have absolutely everything you could want and you’re all together. Its easy to keep an eye on the kids and you can have as much pampering by staff as you wish. And this is Bali so they can call in anything you need whenever you ask! Feel like a massage? Just name the time. Need wine or beers delivered? Easy. Dinner? Just name the dish and have it delivered or cooked by the staff.

We recently stayed at Villa Kadek in Seminyak with Villa-Finder where the team there can literally organise everything you need – from airport pick-ups, dinner reservations, transport, tours and anything at all delivered in-house. And because they’re on-site it’s super easy to balance the privacy you want from a villa, with the help you need to have a pampered and carefree holiday.

It’s just so easy.

What we look for in a villa:

Here’s what we check when we are selecting a villa for a stay in Bali. I would suggest adding these to your list too.

Pool and pool fencing

It’s super important to us that we have a nice big pool to play in and lounge around, but in Bali pools are rarely fenced and it can present a risk to smaller children or those unable to swim confidently.

So if you have kids make sure to check if the pool is suitable for pool fencing. You can then ask the villa to organise the fencing for you so it is set up prior to your arrival. This is really important so make sure to get it all sorted before you arrive at your villa. There may be a small additional charge for the fence hire, however this is an important expense for safety and peace of mind. 

Shade

It can get so super hot in Bali so make sure your villa has shaded areas around the pool.  It doesn’t have to be over-pool shade, although many villas do have shade cloth, but shaded areas whether with trees, shadows or cabanas is really necessary – it’s no good having a big pool but no shade for the kids.

Lounges and pool towels

Most villas are well supplied with sun lounges and towels, and some will have gorgeous cabanas. Make sure your villa is stocked with what you need for pool time, like sun lounges with matresses and pool towels. They may also have blow up toys and floats for kids.

Breakfast & water

Don’t just assume breakfast is included – make sure it is and check what it includes. Sometimes villas will include a basic breakfast and charge for any further items, and some don’t include it at all. It’s best to know this before you book. You should be expecting fruit plates and a small selection of dishes like bacon and eggs, toast and jam, fresh juice and the option of local dishes. You should also have unlimited water, tea and coffee etc. 

Rooms and bathrooms

Each room should be spacious, with aircon and have its own bathroom – and we LOVE outdoor bathrooms which I reckon are so necessary in Bali cause it adds so much to the vibe and it’s all part of the tropical bathroom experience. Villas should be able to bring in portacots and single beds for babies and children which can be set up in your room if you prefer or in a designated children’s room. 

Staff 

Check what staff is included with the villa – this is so you know what support you have, but also what staff will be entering the villa each day. Is there a villa housekeeper who looks after you? Will you have someone for the pool and gardens? Will the staff cook meals for you on request? What time will each of them be expected at the villa?

On-site management

It’s particularly important to know how to contact the villa owner or manager. Is there a villa office close by? How will you get in touch with the villa owner or management? Many villas will provide a phone so you can contact the owner/manager at any time. Make sure you have details and can contact the appropriate person should you need advice or assistance. 

Close to shops and restaurants

Make sure you’re reasonably close to shops and restaurants so you can pop out for your morning coffee or wander up for a meal or a $1 magnum ice cream. You also want your villa to be in a spot that is easy to find – there’s nothing worse than having drivers not know where to go. Canggu can also be a little tricky as the transport system is tightly controlled by locals. You can’t order cheap transport online like Grab or Go-Jek – they just won’t come, or if they do they’ll be run off by the locals, who then charge you lots more for the ride. We’ve been stung before. It sucks.

Read the reviews

Go online and search for your villa. Make sure to read the villa reviews and see if anything comes up multiple times that is concerning. For me, if many people noted problmes with cleanliness or if drivers couldn’t find the villa or you couldn’t get transport then that would be a red flag.

How to book your villa:

We’ve booked our villas through online sites like Airbnb, where we have found some fabulous villas in Legian and Canggu but recently we found this gorgeous villa in Seminyak via Villa-Finder.com

It’s a really good service that helps match you with the right villa for your family or group.

Take a look at their website www.villa-finder.com where you’ll find more than 1,000 villas in Bali, Phuket, Samui, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Choose your vila and put in a request and consultant from Villa-Finder will call you to confirm your details and your requirements. They’ll let you know, for example, what villas are best suited to pool fences and can arrange it all for you.

For peace of mind, this is perfect.

 And it gets better – once you’ve booked, Villa-Finder has a complimentary guest relations team that will arrange all your activities for you. All you have to do is pay the service provider. So day trips, massages, dinners – anything – can be arranged. Talk about stress-free!

Villa Kadek

We stayed at Villa Kadek and it was fabulous. There are five beautiful  bedrooms that are huge and really well equiped with outdoor bathrooms (our fave!). Four rooms are around the pool with two on the first floor of the villa with private balconies and views over the rice paddies.

The pool was a really good size with shaded areas, space for a pool fence and there was enough grass for kids to run around and play. There were also lots of spaces in the common areas – a huge dining table, overstuffed lounges, chairs and tables  and little nooks where guests can spread out and have time to themselves within the villa. There’s also a gorgeous over-water cabana at the end of the pool. Stunning huge palms give shade and the rice paddies outside are a lovely view and allow the breeze to flow though the common areas (all rooms are air-conditioned).

The villas here are very quiet as they are away from the main road yet only a short walk up the driveway to the action of Seminyak Street..and not to far away is Jalan Kunti II where Emmie and I grabbed some awesome dream catchers and other homewares

You can check out Villa Kadek and its sisters at Abaca Villas on Villa-Finder as well as seeing the range of Seminyak villas.

And to offset your holiday, Villa Finder is  planting a tree in Sumatra, Indonesia for every booking made.. how good is that! A super relaxing, pampering, stress free holiday with an environmental conscience. That’s the perfect family villa holiday in Bali!

This post was sponsored by Villa-Finder.