Jimbaran

The bay is the reason families come. It is broad and shallow, and the Bukit headland shelters it from the swell that makes the beaches further north break hard, so the water is generally flatter and the shore break gentler than at Kuta or Canggu — one of the few beaches in the south where small children can paddle without a constant hand on a collar. Conditions still vary with tide and weather, so it warrants the usual watchfulness.

The bay faces west, so the evening seafood grills set out on the sand run straight through sunset: tables on the beach, fish chosen from ice, and enough space for a child to wander a few metres without disappearing. It is also one of the easier places to eat out with young children, since much of the seating is outdoors and nobody minds noise.

The area itself is spread out and car-dependent, running from the fishing harbour in the north to the resorts on the hill in the south, with a working fish market in between. There is less walkable café life than in Canggu or Seminyak, which suits families who want a quiet base and less so those who want to be in the middle of things.