Moving to Bali with children: what everyday family life really involves

Start with the child's week, not the villa

We are a French-Russian family raising two young children, with family-life reference points in Budapest, France and Bali. One of our children had attended a private Montessori setting in Budapest before experiencing preschool in Bali. The clearest sign of adaptation was not a ranking or a brochure. She wanted to go back to school and was often in no hurry to leave when we collected her.

That does not prove that schools in Bali are better, or that another child will react in the same way. Our experience is strongest with babies and preschool-age children. It does show why we no longer judge a family move by the climate, the villa or the monthly budget alone. We look at the week the child will actually live.

Choose the school before the address

A school that looks close on a map may create an exhausting daily journey. Traffic changes by time, weather and route, so the practical sequence matters: shortlist the school, visit it, test the journey during real drop-off and collection hours, then look for a home.

For preschool, we would pay more attention to the actual group than to the brand. Observe how adults speak to the children, how separation is handled, whether the group suits your child, how the day is communicated to parents and whether a trial period is possible. For older children, add curriculum continuity, teaching language, examinations and the route back into another education system.

• Ask what the child will do during a normal week, not only what the school philosophy promises.
• Request the complete fee schedule, including registration, meals, transport, uniforms, exams and optional activities.
• Confirm availability and admissions timing before making a housing commitment.
• Drive the route in both directions at the hours your family will use it.

Ordinary life is not a permanent holiday

Life in Bali can be wonderful for young children. Warm weather, a welcoming culture and a broad choice of early-years schools create many opportunities to play, learn and spend time outdoors. Daily family life still includes work, naps, meals, laundry, heat, rain, mosquitoes and traffic. A trip to the beach with small children can still feel like an expedition. Many working parents also discover that they spend more time at home than they expected before moving.

This changes how we assess a house. Bedrooms and a pool are not enough. Can young children reach the pool without an adult? Is there a shaded place to play? Are the bedrooms properly screened against insects? Is the laundry practical? Can household staff do their work without intruding on the family's privacy?

Transport changes the map

For our family, this is one of the clearest differences from European life. It is harder to step outside with a stroller, walk to a park or rely on public transport. A short distance can still require a car, and the school route can define the whole day.

Official French guidance describes motorcycles as a very high-risk mode of transport in Indonesia, while British guidance reports a substantial increase in serious and fatal motorcycle accidents in Bali. For young children, our practical recommendation is to prioritise a car with an age and size appropriate child restraint, then choose the school and home around the daily journey.

Healthcare is a plan, not a list of hospitals

The useful question is not how many hospitals appear on a map. It is where you would go at 2 a.m., what your insurer will authorise, and what happens if treatment is unavailable on the island.

Bali's private healthcare offer expanded when Bali International Hospital was officially inaugurated in Sanur on 25 June 2025. The hospital lists women's and children's health, travel medicine and vaccination, 24-hour emergency care, pediatric and neonatal emergency care, and obstetric and gynecological emergency services. Families should still verify the relevant specialist, facilities, insurance acceptance and evacuation arrangements for their own circumstances.

• Identify a pediatrician, a routine clinic and the facility you would use at night.
• Check outpatient care, hospitalisation, maternity, pediatrics, pre-existing conditions and annual limits.
• Confirm direct billing, pre-authorisation, the provider network and what must be paid in advance.
• Write down the evacuation process, contact numbers and the destination covered by the policy.
• Keep prescriptions, generic medicine names and an accessible family medical file.

Official British and French guidance both recommend cover for local treatment and unexpected evacuation. Mosquito-borne disease also belongs in the routine. Indonesia's Ministry of Health issued a national dengue preparedness circular on 18 February 2026. Its figures are national, not a Bali incidence rate. The practical response is year-round prevention, protection from bites and prompt medical advice for high fever or warning signs.

Household help can buy time, but it still needs management

A nanny, housekeeper, cook or driver can change the family's quality of life. This is one of Bali's real advantages for households with stable international income: the same budget may buy more time and practical support than it would in Europe. It should not be described simply as cheap labour.

Trial days and references matter more than a polished CV. Watch how the person speaks to the child, handles tiredness and responds when the plan changes. Agree in writing who may collect the child, whether photographs are allowed, what happens during illness, how transport is handled and how working time and rest are organised.

Indonesia's Law No. 2 of 2026, in force since 30 April 2026, provides a legal framework for domestic workers and employer responsibilities. Families should obtain current local advice and use clear terms covering duties, pay, working time, rest, leave, religious holiday allowance, social protection, safety and suitable accommodation where staff live in.

Build the budget around the life you want

A generic monthly figure is not useful if it omits school, insurance, transport or annual trips home. Build four envelopes from current written quotes and keep annual costs separate before converting them to a monthly figure.

The point is not to prove that Bali is cheaper. It is to understand what a given household budget can provide in terms of space, time, practical help, education and financial resilience.

Live a normal month before committing

Before a long lease, purchase or development decision, try to live the routine rather than the holiday. A reversible month can reveal more than weeks of online comparison.

1. Visit the shortlisted schools and confirm that a suitable place is actually available.
2. Test the school journey during normal weekday traffic.
3. Choose the vehicle and child restraint the family will use every day.
4. Confirm healthcare, insurance and night-time emergency contacts in writing.
5. Test any nanny or household arrangement before relying on it.
6. Only then decide whether the house and neighbourhood support the whole week.

Bali can be a very good place for a family. Much of our own experience has been happier and easier than we expected. It is still a personal decision. The strongest plan is the one built around a real child, a real week and protections that have been checked before they are needed.

Updated and fact-checked: 23 July 2026.