Andaz Bali Review Part 2: All The Excellent Kid-Friendly Activities

The Andaz Bali is more than just a hotel, it’s a resort with a nice pool, excellent kids club, and plenty of activities scattered about.

Note: This review of the Andaz Bali will be split into three parts. This second part will explore the facilities and activities at the resort. See the bottom of the post for the other installments.

When I thought about coming to Bali, I tried putting emphasis on things that the whole family might enjoy. It’s one of the main reasons why I chose away from going to the Alila Villas Uluwatu. While that resort looks fancy and pristine, I didn’t think the kids would be that welcomed there. Instead, I looked to the Andaz Bali, which has a kids club and good food.

In the end, I don’t regret my decision to come here in the least. The kids had a blast here and I wholeheartedly recommend any families to coming here. Bali doesn’t have to just be a place for couples, and the Andaz Bali proves it to me. There are plenty of other kids staying here too, but despite that, it’s not like there are sounds of children throughout the whole resort. I’d say this place is good for both families and couples.

Map of the property

In case it aids with understanding the layout of the Andaz Bali grounds (and the connected Hyatt Regency Bali), here is the map. Our villa was in the cluster of Dukuh Villas in the center-bottom of the map, near the connecting path between the properties.

The Andaz Bali pools

Activity hut

We’ll start our review of the activities and facilities at the Andaz Bali by talking about what most people are probably interested in: the pools. Aside from the individual private pools scattered around the resort, you have two main areas to swim. Both are next to the activity hut shown below, which is near the beach entrance.

There’s a sign outside that lists all the daily activities.

Their website didn’t seem to list everything on the board, so I created the calendar below based on what showed on this board.

(Click to enlarge)

This activity hut had several things for hotel guests. For those looking for pool-based items, this is where you’ll get your towels and floaties.

The pools

Right across from the activity hut is a small pool hidden in the trees. They call this the Alit (Kids) Pool. There wasn’t too much seating by this one but some families wanted to hang out here given it’s a little quieter. Don’t take the name of the pool to mean that kids are only allowed here.

The Liang (Main) Pool is right by the beach entrance. There’s nothing fancy with this pool–no waterslides or waterfalls. It’s just you and the pool. Despite this being the main pool, it didn’t seem to get all that crowded during our stay. Only a few others actively used the pool while we were there during what should be peak time around the late morning and early afternoon.

There were plenty of lounge chairs around the pool, though interestingly enough, most of the chairs seemed to face away from the pool.

Where were the chairs facing? Towards the ocean, though it’s not like there was much to see there.

One nice thing with the pool that you tend to see at fancier resorts: free snacks by the pool. While we were swimming, one employee came by with some frozen watermelon on a stick. That’s a nice way to cool down and stay hydrated on a hot day in late fall. (Yes, Indonesia is in the Southern Hemisphere.)

I’m not going to go into the food options at the pool in this installment–I’ll save that for the discussion of the restaurants next time–but the poolside menu lists out games you can rent as you lounge by the pool.

Can rent games from online ordering system

Overall, the pool is relaxing and not crowded (unlike what we saw at the Hyatt Regency Bali next door).

For completeness, one pool I didn’t get a chance to photograph is the Santhi (Quiet) Pool, which is near the lobby. A little strange that the one that’s supposed to be quiet is in the front of the property near the lobby and parking lot, but I can’t comment on how serene it is since I didn’t visit it.

Sanur Beach (and bicycle rentals)

The Andaz Bali is right on the edge of Sanur Beach, which makes it quite easy to just leave the property and take a stroll. Right outside the resort is a walking path (that doubles as a bike path) to other properties. This isn’t a private beach but there are some chairs that are supposed to be reserved for hotel guests. A security guard patrols the area immediately outside the beach entrance.

When we stopped by, it must have been low tide because some boats appeared to be high and dry.

Parts of the beach looked inviting enough, but we didn’t venture into the water. Want to take a guess why not?

If you guessed that it’s because might be creatures in the ocean that might sting us, you’d be correct. Both sea urchins and jellyfish turn up around here. Still, that didn’t seem to deter some people.

Renting bikes at the resort

If you want to rent a bicycle, head back to that activity hut near the pools. You’ll need to sign a liability waiver and then you’re pretty much good to go. They have bikes for adults and children, and I believe also training wheels if you need them (we didn’t). Children are expected to wear helmets.

Where exactly do you ride your bikes? On the same beach path that you’ll walk along. Some of the walkway is divided up as in the picture below. It should be intuitive, but in the example below, the bike path is on the left and the walking path is on the right. But there are many instances where there is not a separate path for bikes and people. And both bikes and people will be moving in both directions. This isn’t for beginners.

Some parts of the beach walk have a separate bike path

Case in point: our daughter Char is still relatively new at riding bicycles, especially without training wheels. She ended up falling down four times, though I’d argue two times were not her fault. The two times that weren’t her fault was because others didn’t give enough space for her to get around and she couldn’t avoid the collision. She got a little banged up.

Kids and Jenn on side of road with bikes

We went all the way up the coast to Pantai Segara Ayu, which is about 15 minutes walking, and then came back. But you could go further if you wanted.

The Turtle Conservatory

Both the Hyatt Regency and the Andaz share the Turtle Conservatory (a.k.a. Sea Turtle Village). This is open daily between 8AM and 6PM. To find it, you’ll want to exit the property as though you’re going to the beach, then head to the right. This area is found in between the two hotels. If you arrived at the beach entrance to the Hyatt Regency, you went too far.

There are some activities to do here, including turtle feeding and t-shirt painting, but those cost money. There’s no fee just to step inside and take a look around.

Think of this conservatory as two large circular pools where turtles of different sizes live. It looked like they were in the process of cleaning the tanks when we were there.

Here’s an example of a full-sized turtle that calls this conservatory home.

And here are some adolescents that are still learning how to swim.

And, lastly, some eggs planted in the sand. Some of these eggs were due to hatch on the day we were there, but we didn’t see any activity. We left before they hatched. You try telling kids to be patient enough to spend a day staring at sand, waiting for eggs to hatch.

The fitness center and spa (shared with the Hyatt Regency)

It’s not just the Sea Turtle Village that’s shared between the two hotels, but the fitness center and spa too. Aside from just walking over from the beach, you can also cross over near where our villa was. You’ll see signs at the Andaz directing you over to the Spa.

Just be advised it can be a lengthy walk. Peaceful, but lengthy too.

The gym and spa is the first thing that you’ll run into, so it’s not easy to get lost along the way. When you arrive, the spa attendants will stop by to greet you. Spa hours are between 9AM and 9PM and you can find services on their website.

Technically, children are not allowed in the spa and fitness center, but they allowed us to walk around the area just to take a peek. While Jenn and I could have come here on our own, we were more interested in just exploring the area.

There are some nice areas to hang out and relax, but I’d rather just be in the villa we were upgraded to. A third pool for adults only is also right here, in case you wanted peace from the kids–though it didn’t seem necessary at the Andaz. The pools were just not that wild over there.

The gym is located inside this building, but given how many people were inside, I didn’t get any pictures of the inside. Given this facility is meant to cover the needs of two resorts, there seemed to be plenty of people inside. It seemed big enough but normal variance could mean there are times when it feels crowded.

You can check out the Hyatt Regency Bali while you’re here…

If you want, you could check out the rest of the Hyatt Regency Bali. We walked around the property and it seemed almost like you’re in the forest. We preferred the decor style of the Andaz Bali a bit more but that’s not to say the Hyatt Regency wasn’t pretty. The winding paths over here sure made it easier to get lost, though.

If you’re in need of an ATM, there’s one under the lobby at the Hyatt Regency. I didn’t notice one at the Andaz.

You could in theory also go visit the restaurants at the Hyatt Regency Bali. They have a pizza restaurant next to their pool area. We ultimately decided against it, instead opting for eating poolside by the Andaz pool. It seemed troublesome to bring pizza all the way back to our pool. And while I don’t think we would be disallowed from using the Hyatt Regency pool, it did seem more crowded. The Hyatt Regency pool did have a short waterslide that was popular with kids.

Pizza restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Bali

The Andaz Bali Kids Club

One of the best features of the Andaz Bali for families is their Kids Club. Unfortunately, there isn’t that much information online about it. You’ll find the Kids Club nestled over by the standard rooms behind the conference center. Yeah, it’s a little odd that they have a conference center, but the hotel technically is in the city.

Just make your way through the door at the end of the pathway and you’re there.

Andaz Bali Kids Club rules and activities

Before we talk about what you’ll find here, it’s a good idea for us to first mention a few house rules:

Opening time is between 9AM and 6PM.
Children staying at the Andaz Bali get 2 hours free per day per child.
Every additional hour is charged at 85,000++ IDR (~$5 USD) per child.
Children under the age of 4 need parental supervision while at the Kids Club.
Parents need to sign a waiver on the first day of arrival and need to identify if children can use the computer (along with any time limit).
Children are heavily encouraged to join the group activity if there is one at that time.
Anyone wanting to join in for the nightly 6PM Balinese Kul-Kul Parade needs to show up at least 15 minutes prior to get prepped for it.

A list of the daily activities can be seen once you’re inside, but we made it a bit easier to read with the picture below. Advance reservations, especially for paid activities, is required. We recommend stopping by early to sign the paperwork and see what activities might interest you.

Kids Club activity list — *(Click to enlarge)*

Andaz Bali Kids Club features

When you first enter the Kids Club, you’ll be in the large room shown below. This area has stadium seating for children to stretch out and relax or if there is a group activity that requires some space.

To the side of the circle seating is a TV with a PlayStation 5 hooked up.

The Kids Club is divided up into different rooms. Here is what the art room looks like.

Up on the walls of the art room are some mementos that past guests left behind. I think it’s also cute that they have a small passageway for children to move from one room to the next. I’m far too big to use that door.

Hidden in a corner of the Kids Club is a music room where kids can just jam.

For younger children, the Kids Club has a room with much more padding in it and less stimulation. Since our kids are older, we didn’t hang out in here at all, but there are some toys and books.

And then you have the computer room. Staff will actively monitor all time spent on the computers and limit your children to a time amount of your choosing. And, yes, they encourage setting a limit over no time limit at all.

If your children prefer to be outside, there also is an outdoor playground and some outdoor toys (like a foosball table). They don’t have to be confined strictly to the indoors.

Depending on the activity, you might also see your children on guided tours around the property. One example might be the fish feeding activity, where a staff member will lead your children over to a koi pond and feed them. They hand out some cute hats to the kids for the fish feeding activity to offer some protection from the sun.

Joining the nightly Kul-Kul Parade

On both the regular activity board and the Kids Club activity board, you’ll see a reference to the nightly Balinese Kul-Kul Parade. But what is it? This is a local, cultural evening ritual where you attempt to drive away any negative energy with wooden instruments called Kul-Kul. It’s a parade designed more for the children to walk around the Andaz Bali grounds, banging on their wooden instruments. The usual involvement for parents is to walk around taking pictures of their children.

If you want to join the parade, make sure you arrive at the Kids Club about 15 minutes prior to the start of the parade. There is a wardrobe change they need to make before going on the parade and that takes some time.

Expect to spend about 15 minutes in total walking around the resort. The children seemed pretty satisfied with being as loud as they wanted to be. The more positive energy you bring, the more negative energy you drive out. That should be the motto for life.

The Kul-Kul Parade ends at the front of the hotel by the fire pit. At this point, you’ll hand over the instruments and clothing. It’s a cute evening celebration that we only did one of the evenings.

The Lounge

In the Village Square, there is a lounge in the northwest corner of the main courtyard. This isn’t a club lounge like they have over at the Hyatt Regency. Instead, you’ll find some games, comfortable seating, snacks, and some complimentary (non-alcoholic) drinks here.

Games here included board games like chess, to which Alex happily challenged me.

Snacks include snack mixes, chips, and cookies. Between 10AM and !0PM, you’ll find the area staffed with employees happy to help get you a drink. Options include tea, coffee, and more.

The tie-dye shirt activity

We have interest in getting the kids souvenirs from each stop. If we left it up to them, all of the souvenirs they would bring back would be stuffed animals. Cute, but the dwindling closet space yearns for something else. Two days a week, you can make tie-dye shirts at the gift shop.

Now, there’s one thing I haven’t mentioned about the gift shop up until this point. Don’t charge things to your room. That seems strange, but there is a 6% (!) surcharge for purchases that you put on your room. And you can only do it if you pre-load a deposit on your account when you check in. If you attempt to make a room charge, they need to coordinate with the front desk and it takes a long time. You’ll want to pay with cash or credit card to avoid the surcharge and hassle.

Expect the shirt to cost about $30 USD. It took the kids some time to make the shirts and they had fun doing it. The staff members at the gift shop were patient and helpful.

Once done, they’ll keep the shirts at their shop to air-dry and they’ll be ready the next morning. Of course, if you’re like us and are leaving in the morning the next day, collect them later that evening around dinner time and finish drying them in your room.

food.wada.travel

experiencing the world via gastronomy with our children