So – let’s talk about Bali. I once swore I’d never go to Bali.. even when we were researching for this holiday, Bali was at the very bottom of the list. It is just one of those places that we Australians seemed to have ruined with our tourism and bogan attitudes. In the end, though we decided to push aside our prejudices and give it a try as the week we wanted to book flights, Bali had some great flight deals and I found a Scoopon deal that suited us perfectly. So, we booked the flights and got ready for whatever Bali could throw our way.
The area’s of Bali we looked at staying at were: Nusa Dua which is a gated resort area but is a bit isolated from the atmosphere of Bali, Seminyak which is closer to hustle of the city and features a lot of private villas to rent and Ubud which is up in the hills and again a bit isolated from the city with no beach.
We chose a resort in Nusa Dua, as we decided it would be best to tackle Bali first time around with the comfort of Resort where we didn’t have to leave if we didn’t want to. We were travelling with our 2 young girls – aged 2 & 5. This was their first overseas holiday and the first time for them to experience another culture. Plus, as this was our first holiday in a long time – I really just wanted to lay by a pool and drink some cocktails! Bliss.
- Ayodya Resort is perfect for non-fussy young families
- The rooms while a bit dated are big and comfortable
- Wine & Spirits are super expensive. Beer is cheap.
- The food is GOOD!!
- It was HOT and very humid, so you don’t roam far from the pools
- Ayodya resort had the best stretch of beach that we could see
- The Beach bar & lounging area is excellent, especially for kids.


















There are quite a few restaurants and food choices while at Ayodya… I think we ate at most – except for the Japanese restaurant which we didn’t have time to get to! And at every single place we ate the food was amazing. Fresh, delicious, authentic – even the Italian and pizza restaurant was great!
There were some nights however that we just didn’t feel like going to a sit-down restaurant – which is where Ayodya really does this well. They have a big grassed area down near the beach bar with low tables and cushions where you can lounge and relax while the kids run around and you can order food either from the restaurant or the Beach carts. The beach carts are cheaper alternatives to the restaurant – but by no means are they less quality! The Laksa is soo good! And it will set you back about $4 – #bargain.
Seriously, I’d go back to Ayodya just for the food! And we found it to be quite reasonable in price at all the restaurants. It’s not super cheap, you’re not going to get a full meal each time for $5 – but it’s also not expensive.
Also, for anyone concerned about “Bali Belly” – we ate all the salads and fruit at the resort and none of us got sick! Which is a bit unheard of in Bali I believe…
I had to film our walk home from Breakfast as it was a trek we did every day and just I loved it (even though it was quite a walk from our room, this resort is BIG!). But the open areas with the greenery and statues were so pretty.
Hot tip: If you have young kids who are going to be at the pool every day – ask for a room close by the pool/beach as this will save you this trek back and forth multiple times a day!

- The pool tiles are incredibly slippery.. my youngest came off second best a few times
- We tried the Kids Club for one afternoon – but didn’t get the feeling that it was particularly good. We had to stick around as our youngest one was too little to be left alone. But to be honest, I don’t think we would have left our kids there anyway. Maybe if there were a few kids together it would be good. But ours were solo.
- Decor is dated and a few things in the room were pretty old and rusted eg: Shower head!
- I wouldn’t call it a 5 star resort – but its comfortable and easy and good for families
- The staff are lovely and kind and happy to help
- The breakfasts are SOOO good
- The resort is beautiful
- The resort is big enough that you never feel like you are cramped
- 2 big general pools + 2 private pools if you stay at Ayodya Palace
- The beach right out the front is lovely
- Great atmosphere at the Beach bar
- Close to Bali Collection shopping centre + a quick walk down the road gets you to a regular street market where you can buy cheap groceries if needed
- The Beach bar food is cheap and gives you a break from restaurant-type food
- Wifi is excellent (we had both kids on iPads watching Youtube at night and there was no lag). Plus it’s available all through the resort.
We had a great time at Ayodya Resort and I’d recommend it for people/families looking for a comfortable, easy get-away.
Would I go back? Yes, I would.









If I should take a notion, to jump right into the ocean.. ain’t nobody’s business if I do
– Billie Holliday ―
Highly recommend Nyoman for a day tour while you’re in Bali!
He was so engaging and took us off the beaten track a bit when we wanted to visit a traditional market instead of the more public places. He also provided car seats for our girls which is a bit unheard of in Bali! I felt much safer driving around distances with them in the proper restraints. The roads are crazy.
Nyoman also provides surfing lessons (for the kids too) and can show you some of the best surf breaks in Bali.
We had an early dinner after our day tour with Nyoman at Jimbaran Bay. As we were early we were the only ones there! The setting was beautiful and the seafood was fresh! We watched a big old storm roll into the north while we ate our seafood feast. It was a lovely way to wind down the day.
Jimbaran Bay is about 20 minutes from Nusa Dua by taxi.
*Tip: I’ve heard Sanur beach is also good for seafood. So if you want to avoid the crowds of Jimbaran Bay. Head to Sanur instead.

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All views and recommendations are my own. My site does use affiliate links on some links though.

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Looks like you had a FABULOUS holiday! I visited Bali when I was 20 and it was my first overseas trip and I hated it haha. We stayed in Seminyak and the resort was nice but the surrounding areas weren’t and I didn’t like Kuta and the other aussies I saw trashing the place! BUT I think if you get a bit out of these hot spots it would be a very peaceful holiday! And yours looked like magic!