Im going to Bali in October with my 17 month old son. He will be up to date with his immunisations according to Australian Standards. I know not to drink the water or use it to brush teeth etc. Any tips for the temperature, what to bring, what to do etc? Im staying in the Novotel Bali, has anyone had an experience with them?

We just got back Sunday from a short holiday in Bali. We stayed at the Sheraton Laguna in Nusa Dua (which I really recommend), so I’m sorry – I don’t know much about the Novotel.

I’d recommend bringing with you:

-antibacterial gel/wipes
-bug repellent
-suntan lotion
-travel tissues/roll of toilet paper (WC situation at temples may not always be top notch)
-snacks (crackers or the like in case the spicy food catches up)
-immodium/pepto bismol (spicy food)
-sinus medication/panadol (our hotel was lovely, but a bit musty)
-handkerchiefs (even my eyeballs were sweating!)

We brushed our teeth with the tap water, which is filtered in most hotels, but didn’t drink it.

Safety concerns – hire drivers from your hotel for the day, be aware that some extremist groups seek out Americans to target (and often cannot tell the difference between Aussies, Americans, & Brits), and guard yourself and little one against dengue fever with the bug repellent.

Heat – I’m not sure of temperatures when we were there, but there was precious little breeze when we were at temple sites, and the humidity is EXTREMELY high. Especially with a little one, try to stop in the shade, under fans, and keep large bottles of water with you. We found that we’d only get out and do 2-3 activities during the day, before we pooped out at the hotel in air conditioning.

With a child that young, I would *not* recommend the "Enchanted Monkey Forest." It’s in all the books, but is a very small area, some distance from Nusa Dua/kuta and the monkeys will jump all over you. I can attest to smelling of monkey waste for an entire day, and while a unique experience, you’re not really missing much.

You absolutely should try to catch the sunset Ramayana Dance at the Uluwatu temple (every evening at 6pm), but again – beware the monkeys, one stole the sunglasses right off my head!

As long as you’re careful, you’ll have a wonderful time – we only encountered the best on our trip – it was beautiful and the people were so kind.

Take a Spiritual Vacation in Bali!