Our Intrepid Bali family tour surprised us in the best way. Here’s what happened when we let someone else plan and take care of our family holiday.
An angry monkey and a lesson in letting go
I think we can all agree that baby monkeys are ridiculously cute. So it was a bit of a surprise when I squatted down to take a photo of one at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, Bali, that its angelic little face suddenly contorted into an aggressive grimace as it bared its teeth at me.
Actually, I shouldn’t have been surprised. There were plenty of signs warning visitors not to hold direct eye contact with the monkeys or feed them, and I’d broken the first rule by peering around the side of my camera to get the shot.
I quickly looked away and lowered the camera, avoiding what might have been an awkward trip to the chemist we’d passed earlier, advertising rabies vaccinations.
Looking back, that angry monkey was probably the perfect introduction to the trip.
Because over the next eight days, our Bali family tour would teach me a lesson I’ve never been particularly good at learning… how to let go of control.
Why we chose a Bali family tour
As a mum and a travel writer, I’m usually the one planning the itinerary, researching every activity, booking accommodation, mapping routes and making sure everyone is where they need to be at the right time. Family holidays can be wonderful, but they can also feel a little bit like project management in a tropical location.
That’s one of the reasons I was intrigued by Intrepid’s small-group family tours.
The idea of travelling with other families appealed to me. The kids would have built-in travel companions, we’d get access to experiences we might not discover on our own, and perhaps most importantly, somebody else would be responsible for the logistics for a change.
Bali also happened to fit our budget far better than some of the other destinations on offer.
We chose Intrepid’s Bali Family Holiday tour because we wanted to see whether a small-group family tour could make travelling with kids easier and more enjoyable.
So that’s how I found myself in Ubud, Bali, nervously waiting for our family tour to begin.
Truthfully, meeting the group worried me far more than the monkey. Jason thrives in social situations. Me? Not so much.
I have Alopecia and it’s particularly noticeable at the moment. I’ve embraced the shaved head, but that doesn’t mean I’m always confident about walking into a room full of strangers and introducing myself.
Meeting the group
At 5pm, we met the rest of our group at the Meruhdani Boutique Hotel. Of course, I needn’t have worried.
Within minutes, everyone was chatting. We were joined by a family of four with two daughters, a dad travelling with his daughter and a mum travelling with her two sons. Add our family and our tour leader, Guna, and suddenly we had a group of six adults and seven kids embarking on an adventure together.
As it turned out, letting go of control started much sooner than I expected.
When the kids stopped needing us
The following morning we were all up early for our first group activity – a leisurely bike ride through the Balinese countryside.
Normally, this is the point on a family holiday when I’m working out where we’re supposed to be, checking directions and how long Google Maps thinks it will take to get there, making sure everyone has enough water, and wondering if I’ve forgotten something important.
Instead, all I had to do was turn up.
We pedalled through lush greenery before arriving at Pinge Village in Tabanan, where we learned about the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana and explored traditional homes with intricately carved wooden doorways. We watched young woodcarvers at work, visited the impressive Kayu Putih, also known as the Bayan Ancient Tree, and eventually stopped at a local family home for a delicious lunch.
The cycling itself was easy, but something else happened that day, too. The kids started forming friendships.
At first they stuck close to their parents, but by lunchtime they were already chatting and laughing together. It wasn’t long before they were sitting together on the bus, disappearing off together at meal times and treating each new activity like a shared adventure.
It wasn’t on the Bali family tour itinerary, but that afternoon, Guna casually suggested a visit to Junglegold Chocolate Ubud. The response from the kids was immediate and unanimous.
“YES!”
The adults didn’t put up much resistance either.
White-water rafting and Bali Belly
The next day brought what would become the highlight of the entire trip – white-water rafting on the Ayung River.
Spread across three rafts, we bounced our way through rapids surrounded by towering cliffs draped in jungle greenery. It was adventurous enough to be exciting but gentle enough that nobody felt out of their depth.
As we drifted between rapids, I found myself doing something I rarely do… nothing.
I wasn’t checking my phone. I wasn’t planning the next activity. Surprisingly, I wasn’t even worrying about where we needed to be later that afternoon. I was simply enjoying the moment.
Of course, Bali had other plans.
Later that evening, after arriving in Candidasa, I came down with a case of Bali Belly. If there was ever a moment that forced me to surrender control, this was it.
While Jason and the kids headed off to Pekarangan Village the following day to learn traditional weaving and kite making before visiting Virgin Beach, I stayed behind in the hotel room.
Normally, missing a day on a family holiday would leave me feeling frustrated and guilty. Instead, something unexpected happened. The trip carried on without me.
The kids had a fantastic day. Jason had everything under control and Guna made sure they knew where they needed to be and what was happening next. For perhaps the first time in years, I realised I didn’t actually have to be involved in every single moment for everyone else to have a great holiday.
A visit from a local doctor helped get me back on my feet. Bali’s private medical services for tourists were incredibly efficient. Within hours I had a blood test, medication, antibiotics and all the paperwork required for travel insurance claims delivered directly to my hotel room.
The following day, while I still wasn’t feeling one hundred percent, I felt well enough to continue on to Amed.
We stopped at Tirta Gangga Water Palace along the way, wandering across stepping stones surrounded by fish-filled pools and ornate statues.
Discovering the real benefit of small-group family tours
By this stage, the kids had become inseparable. Rather than trailing behind us, they happily headed off with Guna while the adults explored at our own pace.
And this was the moment I finally understood the appeal of small-group family tours.
The children had the freedom of travelling with friends and the adults had the rare luxury of not being solely responsible for keeping them entertained every minute of the day.
Everyone got a holiday.
Amed, friendship and unexpected highlights
Arriving at Hidden Paradise Cottages in Amed felt like discovering a secret. Our beachfront bungalow overlooked a black-sand beach scattered with sparkling stones, while the semi-open bathrooms and tropical gardens gave the property a relaxed, secluded feel. It’s exactly the sort of place we would normally seek out and book a longer stay.
The snorkelling over the following day was enjoyable, although perhaps not the standout experience I’d hoped for. The visibility wasn’t ideal and the marine life wasn’t as abundant as some of the other destinations we’ve visited over the years.
But by that point, I realised something. The activities were no longer the thing making the trip memorable.
The real highlight had become watching seven children from different families build friendships, gain confidence and create their own adventure alongside ours.
Saying goodbye to strangers who became friends
As the tour drew to a close in Sanur, we checked into our final hotel, visited a turtle conservation centre and enjoyed one last dinner together. The next morning brought the inevitable goodbyes.
Some families were heading home, while others were extending their Bali adventures. We still had another week ahead of us exploring wellness travel as a family.
Goodbyes are always a little awkward, but they were also surprisingly heartfelt.
Just a week earlier, we’d all been strangers and now the kids were swapping the straps on their crocs as permanent mementos.
Would I do another family tour?
Before this trip, I wasn’t particularly excited about Bali. And while I enjoyed the destination more than I expected, the biggest surprise wasn’t Bali itself. It was how much I enjoyed travelling as part of a small-group family tour.
As parents, we often carry the responsibility for everything on a family holiday. We plan the itinerary, solve the problems, keep the kids entertained and make sure everyone is having a good time.
For one week, I didn’t have to do all of that.
The kids found independence and friendship. We gained access to local experiences we would never have discovered on our own. And even when Bali Belly threatened to derail the trip, there was support available to help keep things on track.
Most importantly, I was reminded that family travel doesn’t always have to mean managing every detail.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is let go a little. Even if it takes an angry monkey to teach you the lesson.
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