In Reply to: we're not pool people.... posted by RKMC on Thursday, 7. May 2009 at 21:52 Bali Time:
You are only there such a short time so you will find it flys past and fitting in a few day trips will be enough to tire young kids.
Your 10mth old is not going to need any activities or be bothered much as long as you are around and the sights are changing and they have some toys and get their sleep they are happy.
Being out of routine will be your biggest challenge.
The bali zoo was a good short half day for my kids and they had some baby tigers that they brought around to the restaurant.
Most kids wont tolerate long drives and most tourist places are an hour or MORE away and kids get very bored with long car rides. Biggest suggestion is to spend some dollars before you leave on a portable DVD player and have some of your kids favourites they can watch in car and on plane and of course you can buy heaps of new DVD's in bali for them. This will also occupy them at the table if you want to have evenings out for meals.
I too would recommend day at safari park for the hands on experience with the animals for 2yr old (and you guys!) but also for their water park which i think is even more suited to a 2yr old than waterbom. It has a great set of low slides and 'spraying thingys' in shallow pool and also a heap of little kids carousel type amuzement rides so you could go quite early and do a full day there easily. We got there at 10am and were so disappointed they closed at 5pm and asked us to leave!!! Kids would have stayed for hours more... so we would stay the night next visit. SO take bathers n towels with you to safari and let the kids have a ball.
Also take a visit to Mataharis central kuta they have a big range of great toys at cheap prices, something new will keep littlies occupied while you shop or sight see. When my lot were toddling I took a cheap blow up plastic paddle pool (under $10 at kmart) and put it buy my sunlounge and filled it up abit from the hotel pool and my little one sat in it playing with plastic cup and empty water bottles for ages happy as. Otherwise one of you have to go into the pool with them all the time as often even the toddler pools are too deep for them to spash independantly.
Have a great time, you will wish you stayed longer.