Is Bali safe
for families with young kids?
Yes. We have taken our own girls and would go back. The honest version of this question is not really about danger; it is about three specific, planable things.
The real risks are logistical, not personal.
Traffic is the one that actually matters day to day: roads are busy and sidewalks are inconsistent in tourist areas, so we base ourselves somewhere walkable and keep daily drives short rather than plan a packed, spread-out itinerary. Tap water is not drinkable, which means bottled or filtered water becomes routine, the same as it is across most of the island for visitors and locals alike.
Check the current advisory, then go.
We check the current State Department travel advisory level before any international trip, Bali included, since conditions and guidance can shift. It is a five-minute step, not a reason to second-guess the destination, and it is worth doing regardless of how many times you have traveled somewhere before.
Insurance and data, sorted before you fly.
Some links below are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, NOE may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would book for our own family. Our disclosure.
Your home health plan usually won’t cover you abroad. Travel medical insurance is the part of a safety plan you sort out before you go, not after something happens.
SafetyWing’s published per-adult rate for its travel medical plan; the final price is confirmed on their site.
Set it up at home and the phone works the moment you land: maps and a ride from the airport. It has replaced physical SIMs for us entirely.
Search Vrbo rentals, already set to Ubud. Look for two bedrooms and a full kitchen. Where we would stay. Affiliate link, our disclosure.
What families ask us.
Is Bali safe for families with young kids?
Yes. We have taken our own girls and would go back. The things worth actually planning around are traffic, tap water, and sun exposure, not personal safety in the way the question is usually meant.
What is the biggest everyday risk in Bali with kids?
Traffic. Roads are busy and sidewalks are inconsistent in tourist areas, so we base ourselves somewhere walkable and avoid long daily drives rather than treating a rental scooter or a packed itinerary as normal with young kids.
Is tap water safe to drink in Bali?
No, stick to bottled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth with young kids. This is standard practice across most of the island, not a sign of a bigger problem.
Should we check a travel advisory before booking?
Always worth a quick check of the current State Department advisory level before any international trip, Bali included, since conditions and guidance can change. It is a five-minute step, not a reason to skip the trip.