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Exploring Sanur Bali with Kids
Beaches, Turtle Park, Bali Reptile Park, Local Cafe, Holiday Inn
Our last morning at Sofitel started with a run and a solid breakfast. Even though it was check-out day, we squeezed in one last swim—it’s our final chance to enjoy the water, after all!
From Sofitel Nusa Dua to Holiday Inn Sanur
Check-out time at Sofitel is 11 a.m., which makes the morning a little rushed if you want to enjoy both breakfast and some pool time. We asked for a late check-out and were granted an extra hour—most hotels are usually okay with giving an hour or two extra without much fuss.
We swam until noon, packed up, checked out, and had lunch at one of Sofitel’s restaurants before heading off to Sanur.
We booked a Grab to get there, and the drive took about 20 to 30 minutes.
Bali Taxi Fare Recap
Here’s a rough breakdown of the taxi fares we paid during our trip:
Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua → Holiday Inn Sanur: IDR 208,000 (approx. AUD 21)
Around Sanur or Jimbaran town: IDR 20,000–30,000 (approx. AUD 2–3)
Around Nusa Dua: IDR 50,000–70,000 (approx. AUD 5–7)
Holiday Inn Sanur → Reptile Park: IDR 136,000 (approx. AUD 14)
Reptile Park → Holiday Inn → Mövenpick Jimbaran: IDR 350,000 (approx. AUD 35)
Checking In at Holiday Inn Sanur
We arrived at Holiday Inn Sanur around 2 p.m., but our room wasn’t ready yet. They asked us to wait in the lobby, so we did—but after about 20 minutes of waiting with no update, I went to ask at the front desk again. That’s when they told me it’d be another 30 minutes.
Honestly, if they had told us that earlier, we would’ve just left our luggage and gone out for a bit. After I expressed a bit of frustration, they apologized—and then suddenly, the room was ready. What a coincidence! Not sure if it really became available just then, or if it was ready all along… haha.
Aside from the check-in hiccup, the staff were incredibly friendly—probably the nicest we’ve met on this trip—and their service was top-notch.
Funny thing is, at all three hotels we stayed at, the rooms were only ready right at check-in time, or even later. And this was during the off-season! Maybe it’s just how things work in Bali?
This was actually the first time in all my travels that I had to wait past noon to check into a room. At Mövenpick Jimbaran, the room wasn’t even ready until 30 minutes after the official check-in time!
Anyway, this will be our home for the next 2 nights and 3 days—Holiday Inn Sanur!
After staying at Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua, the room at Holiday Inn Sanur felt a bit small at first. I remember thinking it wasn’t great—but as they say, people are creatures of habit. It didn’t take long to adjust.
Even though the room was on the smaller side, it had a sofa, which made a big difference. Liam could lie on it perfectly, and he quickly turned it into his little nest. He lounged there watching TV, rolling around, and just loving that spot—it became his cozy little corner.
The hotel itself is relatively new, so everything felt clean and fresh. The only downside was that the shower had some brownish stains, probably from soap scum or grime buildup. Aside from that, it was a great value-for-money stay.
The bathroom was small, especially the sink area, which felt a bit cramped. We spotted a few tiny ants here and there, but that’s more of a Bali-wide issue than something specific to the hotel, so we didn’t think too much of it.
There was even a small infinity pool, which Liam and his dad checked out—but I didn’t get a chance to see it myself.
After checking in at Holiday Inn Sanur, we dropped off our bags and headed straight out—it was 3 p.m. by then.
The plan for the afternoon: do some laundry, take a walk along the beachside street, and visit the turtle sanctuary!
Laundry
We had way too much laundry piling up, so the first thing we did after checking in was head out to get it done. There’s a well-known laundromat near Holiday Inn Sanur called Sunrise Coin Laundry.
It was a little pricier than other places, but it was super clean and well-maintained, which I really appreciated.
We had just under 3kg of laundry, and it cost us around AUD 7. We also paid extra for two detergent pods, though I can’t quite remember how much those were.
We dropped everything off around 3 p.m. and picked it up around 8 p.m. that evening—quick and easy!
Massimo Gelato
On our way to drop off the laundry, we passed by Massimo Gelato, a popular ice cream shop.
Since it was such a hot day, even a short walk had us dripping in sweat. I couldn’t help but ask, “Wanna get some ice cream?” 😅
I had a bit of a cold, so I didn’t get any—but Liam and Eddie each got one.
One scoop was only IDR 20,000 (around AUD 2)—such a steal! I almost lost it when I saw the price, haha.
True to its reputation, both Liam and Eddie said it was really good. They had a huge variety of flavors, too. The only downside? The ice cream wasn’t super frozen, so it melted pretty quickly.
Sea Turtle Village
Sea Turtle Village is located between the Hyatt Regency and Andaz Sanur.
It’s easy to spot if you’re walking along the beachside path—you’ll come right across it.
From Holiday Inn Sanur, it was about a 10-minute walk.
Because of the heat, Liam said he couldn’t walk anymore just as we were getting close… But with a bit of encouragement, we managed to keep him going.
Fortunately, we arrived right in time for turtle feeding. We paid IDR 85,000 for the food and shared it with the turtles.
They were eating cabbage and fish. At first, they happily munched on the cabbage, but once we started feeding them fish and then went back to cabbage, they completely ignored the cabbage. ><
After feeding the turtles and looking around, Liam said he wanted to feed them again…
He threw a bit of a tantrum, and in the end, we went back in, paid the same amount again, and let him feed the turtles one more time.
The staff there had a good laugh watching us. 😆
The beach right in front of Sea Turtle Village
The sea was absolutely beautiful. The water was so clear and different from other beaches in Bali.
Even though Sanur faces the same direction as Nusa Dua, the waves in Nusa Dua were really strong and the water color was just average. In Sanur, there were no waves, the water was transparent, and you could even see the fish swimming—it was stunning.
We had only planned to stay in Sanur for 2 nights and 3 days for sightseeing, but I really regretted how short our time there was.
We spent a long time playing in the sea, then went back to the hotel. Liam and his dad went swimming again after that.
For dinner, we ate pizza and pasta at a restaurant in the Hyatt Regency. Bali has many great pizza and pasta places, and this one was definitely a top-notch spot!
The next morning
since Sanur has many cafes, we decided to skip breakfast at the hotel and try a cafe instead.
Since the café was right next door, and we don’t usually eat a big breakfast, we picked out some bread there and had a simple breakfast with drinks while sitting in the café.
The bread wasn’t anything extraordinary—just typical French-style breads you’d find in Australia. We had croissants and coffee, and Liam ordered juice.
This wasn’t really on my must-visit list, but Eddie, who’s French, was really eager to go, so we ended up checking it out.
A Day by the Sea in Sanur
Today, we planned to spend the day playing at the beach right in front of the Hyatt Regency hotel, which we had spotted yesterday!
After breakfast, on the way back to the hotel, we bought a sand toy set (IDR 70,000) and a ball (IDR 30,000) from a street vendor before heading back. We got ready for the beach and walked over.
The beach in front of Holiday Inn wasn’t great for swimming because there were lots of boats anchored there, which was a bit disappointing.
The walk from Holiday Inn to the Hyatt Regency was beautiful, with plenty of photo spots along the way. With such nice weather, every picture looked like a postcard!
When we asked to borrow a beach towel at Holiday Inn Sanur before heading to the sea, they lent it to us without hesitation. They didn’t even ask for our room number—it was the first time I’ve seen such an easy towel rental!
The beach in front of the Hyatt Regency was clean and full of marine life like hermit crabs, fish, and starfish. We spent the whole day catching sea creatures, playing in the sand, digging holes, and swimming—over and over again!
The water stayed only about waist-high even far out, making it safe for the kids to play.
When lunchtime came, I suggested we go out to eat, but Liam wasn’t interested at all.
In the end, I asked Eddie to go grab some pizza to take away from the same place we ate at yesterday—the Hyatt Regency restaurant. He even stopped by a convenience store and picked up some beers—nice move!
The three of us enjoyed a simple and affordable meal together.
ICON BALI
Around 3 to 4 p.m., we went back to the hotel to freshen up before heading to ICONSIAM.
Even after spending the whole day at the beach, getting Liam to leave was a struggle—he just didn’t want to go.
We’re not big shoppers, so we just took a quick walk around the mall, picked up a few snacks at the supermarket, and I snagged a dress on sale at my favorite store, Mango.
We had hoped to grab dinner inside the mall, but couldn’t find a suitable restaurant. So, we decided to eat at one of the seaside restaurants near Holiday Inn instead.
TAPHA RESTAURANT
Starting from the Holiday Inn, there are restaurants and bars lining the beach, and we chose one of the busiest spots, the place that always seemed packed.
There were tables set up right on the sand by the beach, but Eddie wasn’t a big fan. After always eating at hotel restaurants, I think he’s gotten a bit fancy, haha.
The food was affordable, though, and I was quite happy with it.
The Bare Bottle
Last morning in Sanur.
We headed to a café near Holiday Inn for breakfast again. It seemed pretty new, but the good Google reviews had piqued my curiosity.
The coffee was great, and the smoothie bowl was delicious too. We ordered avocado toast, croissants, juice, and everything was satisfying. The only downside was that the food took a really long time to arrive, and the café itself was quite small.
Cafés in Bali feel similar to those in Australia, most of the coffee tastes pretty good.
The smoothie bowl was IDR 60,000, and I remember the coffee was priced about the same. While food is generally cheap in Bali, coffee tends to be a bit pricey.
If I stay at a nearby hotel next time, I’d definitely come back here.
Bali Reptile Park
Our final stop in Bali: the Reptile Park!
After checking out of Holiday Inn Sanur, we left our bags at the hotel and called a taxi to get there.
The traffic was really terrible—almost an hour just to get there.
When we arrived, the driver offered to wait for us without even being asked. We agreed on the spot, exchanged WhatsApp contacts, and then went our separate ways.
At the entrance to Bali Reptile Park, we bought our tickets right at the ticket booth.
On-site ticket prices:
Adult: IDR 250,000
Child: IDR 125,000
It’s cheaper if you buy online in advance, but since we always plan and move on a whim, we just bought tickets on the spot for peace of mind.
The park is filled with trees, so most of it is shaded and cool—but it’s also humid, and there were lots of mosquitoes. If you ask your guide, they’ll give you mosquito repellent.
As soon as we arrived, there was a line for photos with snakes and iguanas.
Right after buying tickets, the guide called us over. At Reptile Park, each visitor is assigned a guide who stays with you and explains about each animal.
Before I knew it, a snake was placed on my shoulder for a quick photo. In the chaos, I ended up taking the picture without even realizing it.
True to its name, the Reptile Park had plenty of reptiles you could touch—from crocodiles to turtles—and Liam loved it.
If you have a boy, chances are they’ll be interested in reptiles at some point, so this was definitely a great choice!
A park dedicated solely to reptiles was really satisfying.
After about an hour and a half exploring, our visit was over. Right next door was a bird park, which would have been nice to visit as well, but the entrance fee was quite expensive.
We decided to save it for next time and called our taxi driver via WhatsApp.
Since Bali Reptile Park is in a somewhat remote location, it’s easy to get there by taxi from town, but getting a taxi from the park seems difficult. We noticed a Korean family nearby had been trying to call a taxi for quite a while without much luck.
We took our taxi back to Holiday Inn, asked the driver to wait for a bit while we packed our bags, and then hopped into the same taxi to head to Mövenpick Jimbaran.
We gave the driver an extra IDR 50,000 on top of the agreed fare, and he was very happy about it—he had waited for us at the Reptile Park for two hours!
Even though Bali is a tourist spot, it seems like there are still many genuinely kind people here.
10 Days Bali Family Trip: Jetstar Flight, Bali Airport SIM Card Tips, Sofitel Nusa Dua
