Moving to Bali with Kids

Moving to Bali with kids adds three priorities beyond what a solo or couple’s move needs: schooling, a genuinely child-safe villa, and reliable healthcare access, all worth researching and largely settling before you commit to a longer lease or send children to school here. Families move to Bali successfully all the time, but the planning window is longer than for a solo relocation, particularly around schooling.

Schooling: start earlier than you think

International schools in Bali vary considerably in curriculum, fees and location, and popular schools can have waiting lists, particularly for specific year groups. If schooling is part of your plan, start researching and applying months before your intended move date, not after you’ve arrived. This is genuinely the area where “figure it out once we’re there” causes the most stress for families.

Consider how school location affects your choice of area: a school commute across Bali’s traffic patterns can meaningfully shape your daily routine, so it’s worth knowing roughly where your children will attend before finalising a villa area.

Choosing a genuinely child-safe villa

A fully enclosed, private pool is the single most important safety feature to check, since unenclosed or shared pools carry real risk with young children. Beyond the pool, look for a villa with enough separate bedroom space, a garden that’s reasonably contained, and an area with manageable traffic for walking or scooter travel with kids. Our family villas in Sanur, several with a shallow kids’ area in the pool, are built with exactly this kind of family in mind, and Sanur’s generally calmer streets suit families particularly well; see our guide on the best place to live in Bali for the fuller area comparison.

Healthcare planning

Confirm health insurance that properly covers your family for an extended stay, not short-trip travel cover, and identify the nearest clinics and hospitals appropriate for children before you need them in an emergency, not after. Bali has a range of healthcare options from local clinics to more comprehensive hospitals, and knowing your nearest good options in advance removes one source of stress.

A practical checklist for families

Settling kids in beyond school

Beyond schooling, many families find community through other expat families, activities and playgroups, which help children (and parents) settle faster than schooling alone. Areas with a higher concentration of long-term expat families, Sanur among them, tend to have more of this built-in community than more transient, tourist-heavy areas.

What to bring versus buy locally

Most everyday children’s items (clothing, basic toys, common medications) are readily available in Bali, though specific brands or specialist items may need shipping or bringing with you. See our guide on shipping belongings to Bali if you’re weighing what’s worth bringing for a longer stay.

Common mistakes families make

Committing to a villa or area before checking pool safety and school commute distance properly, underestimating how long school applications take, and not budgeting realistically for schooling costs if using international education, are the most common issues we see families run into.

Helping kids adjust once you’ve arrived

The practical logistics, schooling, accommodation, healthcare, are only part of a successful move with children; how kids actually settle emotionally matters just as much. A shorter initial period in flexible accommodation, rather than immediately committing to a permanent villa and school in week one, gives children (and parents) a chance to see a bit of the island, meet some other families informally, and get a feel for daily life before the routine solidifies. Many families find that involving children in small decisions, like which area feels most like home or which activities they want to try, helps the transition feel less like something being done to them and more like something they’re part of.

It’s also worth being realistic that some adjustment friction is normal in the first few weeks regardless of how well you plan, homesickness, disrupted sleep from travel and a new climate, and the general disorientation of a new environment. Most children adapt well within a matter of weeks once school and a routine are in place, but building in some patience for that settling period, rather than expecting an instant smooth transition, makes the whole family’s experience easier.

Talking to other families before you commit

One of the most useful things you can do before finalising school and villa choices is talk directly to other families already living in your target area, whether through school parent groups, expat community pages, or simply asking your prospective villa manager to connect you. Their lived, current experience of a specific school’s actual pickup traffic, or a specific area’s genuine day-to-day feel with kids, is usually more reliable than generic online advice, including much of what’s written about moving to Bali with children.

What to pack versus buy locally for younger children

For babies and toddlers specifically, decide in advance what you’ll bring versus buy once you land: nappies, formula and common medications are generally available locally, though specific brands you rely on may not be, so bring a buffer supply of anything your child can’t easily switch away from. Larger items like cots and pushchairs are often easier to buy locally or rent from a baby-goods supplier than to ship or check as luggage, worth checking before assuming you need to bring everything.

Giving yourself time to adjust as a family

Children, like adults, need a genuine settling-in period after a big move, and it’s worth planning your first few weeks with a lighter schedule than you might otherwise default to, rather than diving straight into a full routine from day one. A slower start, with time to explore the local area together, find favourite spots and simply adjust to a new climate and rhythm, tends to make the whole family’s transition smoother than trying to replicate your old routine immediately in a new place.

The short version, restated

Start schooling research early, prioritise a genuinely child-safe, fully enclosed pool over almost any other villa feature, and sort family health cover before you need it rather than after. These three, handled deliberately, cover most of what makes a family move to Bali go smoothly.

What to do next

Start schooling research and applications as early as possible if relevant, and prioritise a fully enclosed pool and family-suited area when choosing a villa. Both decisions benefit from being made deliberately rather than under time pressure after arrival.

• Research and apply to schools months ahead if your children will attend
• Shortlist family villas with a fully enclosed pool in a family-suited area
• Message us for current rates on our family villas in Sanur and other areas