Best cultural activities in Bali for children

Bali is a great place to go for family trips, firstly because it is very safe and secondly because there are a lot of varied activities to do with children. Here we have selected our 6 best cultural activities to do with kids. You can also check our article about all activities to do for a Bali family trip, including sport activities.

Cultural activity for children #1: Bali Zoo

The best cultural activity for children might be the Bali Zoo. On Bali maps, you will find it in Gianyar. It can be easily accessed from Ubud.

Many species and programmes

The zoo is a great way of discovering many animals, most of them being endemic species from Indonesia: the silvery gibbon from Java, the Sulawesi yellow crested cockatoo or the Sumatran elephant. Apart from Indonesian animals, your children will be able to see emblematic species such as the famous Bengal tiger or sun bear. There are several programmes available, from feeding and caring about elephants, a lion safari, or even a petting zoo where kids can learn to interact with domestic and baby animals, such as rabbits, deer or birds. With “Night at the Zoo”, your family will explore wild life after sunset for an incredible experience.

Breakfast with orangutans

One of the most memorable programmes is “breakfast with orangutans” where you can enjoy a great family breakfast – with pancakes, fresh fruits, juices or Balinese nasi goreng – while watching the Bornean orangutan having fun next to you. These majestic apes can be easily recognised by their long orange hair as well as very long arms – longer than their legs. This species is considered as endangered by deforestation, and this zoo contributes to the protection of our orange friends.

Cultural activity for children #2: Bali Bird Park – Ubud

1000 birds

If your child goes wild for animals, you can also take him or her to the Bali Bird Park. Way more specialized in birds than the Bali Zoo, this great place hosts over a thousand birds with about 250 different species. The park is organised in regional areas: local species from Indonesia are of course well represented – Bali, Java, Borneo and Sumatra – but kids can also discover magnificent birds from other continents such as South America, Africa or Australia. The Bali Bird Park also hosts a vast colony of owls. These nocturnal birds live in a typical Toraja house in the middle of the park, with its very long boat-shaped roof.

Various experiences

If you’re looking for something more interactive, take your children to the different feeding animations where they can touch and interact with exotic birds and feed them. Fishes for the pelicans, nectar for the colourful lories, fruits for the Papua rainforest birds…

For a different type of cultural activity to do with children, go for the 4D cinema. Every hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon, the air-conditioned cinema plays dynamic bird movies.

If your family is hungry, stop at the Restaurant or the Rainforest Café located in front of the pelican pool. You’ll relax with a snack or fresh juice, while listening to tropical bird chirping all around.

Cultural activity for children #3: Bali Reptile Park – Ubud

If your children are more attracted to Slytherin than Gryffindor, don’t miss the Bali Reptile Park. Located just next to the Bali Bird Park, you can go for a tour to learn everything about these fascinating animals. Watch the giant salt water crocodile eat its breakfast. This crocodile can reach 7 meters long and can be recognised with its dark green and grey colour, usually resting in its watery enclosure. Behind protective windows, you’ll be amazed by the coloured snakes, either terribly venomous or completely harmless. Meet the mamba, this very thin neon green snake, coiled up around a tree branch.

Komodo dragons

Don’t expect this dragon to spit fire… however, this large lizard may nonetheless be the most stunning species at the park! With its 3 meters long and about 70 kg, this lizard is undoubtably the largest in the world. With an ability to run fast, swim, dive, climb trees and track preys with its unbeatable sense smell, this deadly monitor may hunt large mammals such as deer or wild boars on the island of Komodo. Luckily, the dragons present at the park are babies or young lizards, and they are brought back to Komodo island before they become a little too big.

Open-air reptilarium

If your children aren’t afraid of reptiles, they will certainly enjoy the open-air reptilarium. It is a section of the parc where “domestic” and docile reptiles can be touched, carried or fed. Albino python, frilled-neck lizard, water monitors or papaya-eating iguanas, children enjoy having memorable photos with these gentle reptiles in their arms.

Cultural activity for children #4: Monkey forest

If you’re tired about watching animals in parks and zoos, you can choose to see our monkey friends in their natural element. Located in Ubud, the Monkey Forest allows you to visit the remaining of a Hindu temple in a sacred forest. There are also over a thousand Balinese long tail monkeys in the forest, living in 7 separate groups. Beware of the Macaques, as they are very tricky. Although they are not interested in biting a human if we don’t scare them or do them any harm, they might be very interested in your sunglasses, camera or smartphone. Keep all your belongings in your bags, to avoid temptation for the little pickpockets. You may also feed them with bananas, but be very gentle and never take a banana back. Anyway, guards in green uniforms are here to protect Bali tourists.

Cultural activity for children #5: Uluwatu Temple dance show

Another particular monkey is Anuman, the Monkey God in Balinese culture. This funny and mischievous character much liked by children, is one of the Ramayana characters to come alive at the Uluwatu dance show. Uluwatu Temple is one of the most emblematic temples in Bali, located on a cliff overlooking the sea, at the West side of the Bukit peninsula. At sunset, the colourful panorama might very well be the perfect Instagram photo spot, as well as the scene for a traditional “Kecak dance” around a fire. This dance starts at 6 pm, and the trip to Uluwatu can be arranged by the Kupu Jimbaran hotel.

Cultural activity for children #6: Bat Cave – Goa Lawah

If you wish to life a family trip experience mixed with temples and animals, you can also go to Goa Lawah. In this bat cave, your kids won’t unfortunately be able to meet the famous Batman, but rather a multitude of tiny mammals. These flying inhabitants of the cave hang upside down from the ceiling. Don’t worry: even if the little bats keep flying back and forth while echoing their high-pitched cry, they never touch any Bali tourist. You won’t miss either the golden bat statue guarding the entrance of the temple.

Check our article to learn more about the Top 10 Bali temples.