Samantha Brown – Southeast Asian-based journalist and editor

Make the most of Bali’s family-friendly offerings with these insider tips from local kids

With its amazing geography and fascinating culture, Bali poses a unique challenge for visiting families. Rather than finding activities everyone wants to do, the difficulty is whittling down the list to just a few select items to squeeze into a tropical holiday.

We asked three children who live on the island for their recommendations. A little local knowledge, after all, is always the key to an exceptional travel experience.

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The love affair Australia shares with Indonesia’s Bali stretches back decades to when the island first started registering on surfer, and then tourist, radars. Palm-lined Kuta Beach, now the bustling epicentre of tourism on the island, was a tranquil spot with simple huts for sleeping, warungs for eating, and not much else besides.

Like any romance, the Australia-Bali affair has been a rollercoaster ride, but now the relationship is in full, beautiful bloom. As of 2009, more Australians are travelling to the island than any other nationality, while Indonesia is now Australia’s number two travel destination, with most arrivals landing directly on the Island of the Gods.

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