Last Updated: August 15, 2022
Visiting Indonesia with kids can be a daunting task. Not least because of the country’s build. With a total land mass of 1,919,440 square km and a staggering 17,508 islands (give or take!) the logistics alone can put some families off!
But it is such a wonderful country. And one that can and should be explored if approached in the right way.
One thing we would say from the start is don’t just head to Bali like the usual tourists do. Whilst there is nothing wrong with Bali and it is well worth visiting, it can be quite misleading of what Indonesia is about if that’s the only place you go.
Explore some of the other islands and really get to know the full Indonesia.
Kids will thank you for it. As it has some great sites and incredible landscape spread across the country.
Indonesia Itinerary for a Family with Kids
First things first. Due to Indonesia being quite a large country and spread widely from east to west with lots and lots of islands, it can be a challenge to see all of the country in just a few weeks. It can be done, but you will have to go hell for leather to get to every highlight. So you will probably need to make some sacrifices.
The 5 main islands (but not necessarily the best) are Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan (the Indonesian bit of the Borneo island), Sulawesi and Papau (The Indonesian bit of the Papa New Guinea island). It would be difficult to see all of these unless you have unlimited time. So it’s worth just picking one or two of these and then slotting in some of the smaller islands as well. We used a method of deduction to get our best result.
If you’ve already been to (or plan to go to) the Malaysia section of Borneo, then Kalimantan would be one to skip. And likewise for Papau if you’ve already been to Papa New Guinea.
That leaves you with Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi. The latter is more out of the way and would take an internal flight to get anywhere else in Indonesia. So if you want to avoid this, then Sumatra and Java are your best starting points.
We chose to skip Sumatra as it would have added a fair bit of travelling in our time and there was nothing major there that appealed to us greatly. But it can definitely be added to this itinerary if you want to hit it as it is logistically easy to get to it from Java and vice-versa.
We really liked the look of Java and what it had to offer and seemed a logistically easy island to get around and then to move onto the other islands.
So with all that in mind, below is our suggested 3 week itinerary for families. It aligns roughly with what we did with some tweaks that we think would be beneficial from what we learnt on our journey. If you only have 2 weeks, then we also have what we think you could potentially cut down on with a two week itinerary in the brackets.
It gives a good broad view into the country, hitting one of the big islands, Java. Then in addition, some of the smaller islands, with Bali slotted in there for good measure.
1. Jakarta 2. Bandung 3. Tasikmalaya 4. Yogyakarta 5. Mount Bromo 6. Lovina 7. Sengigi 8. Labuan Bajo
Jakarta – 2 (1) Nights
We start on the Java island, in the current capital of Indonesia, Jakarta. This wont be the case forever as Jakarta was built on marsh land and is sinking… fast. It is prone to regular flooding as such the Indonesian government is in the process of moving the capital.
But for now this city is still bustling. It doesn’t have a lot in terms of tourist attractions, but it is worth a visit none the less. It’s a good starting point if flying into Indonesia, with many international flights in and out of Jakarta International Airport (Soekarno-Hatta).
And where better to visit as an opener in Indonesia then “Little Indonesia”. It’s a cultural park that outlines the various traditions from each area of Indonesia.
It is split up by region and each section will show you the traditional and cultural elements of that area. Such as the types of houses, traditional clothes etc.
You can also take a cable car and get a birds eye view of the map of Indonesia. This was good fun for the kids pointing out the areas we were going to visit to give them a good feel for the adventure ahead.
Bandung – 3 (2) Nights
In Bandung there are some nice parks and museums, including one of those upside-down museums if you’ve never been to one before, it’s a great place to get some quirky photos.
There are some great sites that surround Bandung. Kawah Putih or TheWhite Crater is a great one to visit. It’s as it sounds, an eerie grey and white landscape in a crater lake. You can only spend a small amount of time there due to the sulphur in the air and it is good to take face masks. But it’s a really unique landscape to witness.
It’s best to get a driver for the day or do a tour to see the White Crater. And then you can hit some of the other nearby spots as well.
There’s Rancabali Tea Plantation and Rancaupas Deer Conservation Center. And we particularly enjoyed heading to Glamping Lakeside. It had bunnies for the kids and a ‘Golesat’, which is a manual go-kart that roles down a hill. This was so much fun for us and the kids.
Tasikmalaya – 2 (0) Nights
We only hit Tasikmalaya as a stop off to break our journey from Bandung to Yogyakarta. But it is a nice town with not many tourists, so can be a nice break from the usual popular spots.
There’s not loads to do, but we went to a TeeJay Water Park for the day and would recommend it. Its got a huge wave pool and lots of slides for the kids.
Yogyakarta – 3 (3) Nights
Yogyakarta is a popular town surrounded by beautiful countryside and stunning temples. Two of the best in Indonesia are here with the Buddhist Borobudur and Hindu Prambanan.
You can do both of these in a day, with a sunrise tour as well too boot. We’re never a big recommender of sunrise tours. They’ve left us feeling bitterly disappointed too many times. But if it’s your thing then go for it.
You can get a combo ticket for the two temples and this can be used over two days. If you’re doing a tour you may as well do them both on the same day and then have your other day to do something else, as they will whiz you across from one to the other easily.
But if you are DIY-ing it then maybe over the two days is better. As it’s tricky to get from one to the other without private transport. But not so tricky to get to each one from Yogyakarta and back again. But doing that in one day will be tight and exhausting.
Aside from the 2 big temples, there’s also lots more to do around Yogyakarta. With yet more temples such as Mendut, Sambisari and Plaosan. Plus there’s also a fun little Science Park for the kids and countless rice paddy fields that you can stroll until your hearts content.
Mount Bromo – 2 (2) Nights
Mount Bromo is an active volcano that is a popular torist destination. At 2,329 metres tall it sounds like a steep climb, but the layout of the surrounding landscapes is such that it’s easy to get close to it in vehicles. So the majority of the ascent will be done in a vehicle and then you just do the last few metres.
We would definitely advise staying near Bromo rather than trying to do it as a day excursion. You can stay right next to the sea of Sand in one of the many hotels in Cemoro Lawang and then make your way from there.
Again there are sunrise tours and jeeps available. But if you’re staying nearby then you can just hike through the sea of sand yourself until you reach the volcano and then head up the windy path and eventually the steps.
Just make sure you’re equipped with scarves or a face mask and sunglasses as the wind can make the sand get everywhere.
Lovina – 3 (2) Nights
So we’ve now moved off the Java island onto the Bali island. There’s quite a few places you can hit on the island. Kuta and Legian are probably the most popular areas, right by the airport and have been catering to tourists for years.
This has made it (in my opinion) one of the least nicest areas of Bali to stay in though. It has it’s highlights and if you’re a young traveller looking to just surf and party than it might fit the bill. But for families it’s best avoided.
Lovina up on the north side is a more up and coming area. Whilst still touristy, it’s not quite overran yet and has some really nice beach areas.
Sengigi – 3 (2) Nights
Straight from one island to another. We’ve now moved across to the Lombok island. Lombok is fast becoming a challenger for Bali for a popular holiday destination, but will take some going to cacth up to it in terms of hotels and tourist attractions.
For most, this is considered a good thing. And this Island has plenty of great beaches for chilling and surfing, such as Sengigi.
Sengigi can be a good base as it’s near to the major city of Mataram, which has a few attraction such as a museum and a beautiful Mosque with great views of the city.
And the best way to explore the rest of the island of Lombok is take out a and a driver for the day and explore the countless waterfalls, beached and hills for some glorious walks.
Labuan Bajo – 3 (2) Nights
Labuan Bajo is on the island of Flores. And people come here for two main things. Scuba Diving or Komodo Dragons!
Flores is often considered one of the best places in the world to scuba dive and attracts many divers over the year.
But if you’re more for dryland wildlife then this is the place to come to see the biggest lizards on earth. With the only area in the world to see Komodo Dragons in the wild.
We visited Flores as a weekend trip from Lombok to see the Dragons. If you want some more info on this, you can read how we visited the Komodo Dragons in our separate post.
Getting Around Indonesia with Kids
National Transport
The Indonesia transport system is diverse and changes depending on which island you are on. For example, Java has a vast train network, but Bali dos not have a single train. So you’ll need to have a quick research of each island you are visiting to understand the best way to get about.
Where trains are available, this is probably the best way to travel long distance for a good mix of comfort, efficiency and cost. The trains that run across Java are pretty extensive and connect most major cities. The trains themselves are very comfortable, with 3 classes to choose from, Eksekutif (Executive), Bisnis (Business) & Ekonomi (Economy) .
Executive class is air conditioned with spacious reclining seats. Business class isn’t really all that different with slightly smaller seats and slightly busier. But in our opinion as the difference is minimal.
Economy class is more basic and can be a bit less comfortable. But we also took this on one of our journeys and was absolutely fine with the kids. So if you’re on a tight budget we certainly wouldn’t advise anyone against taking this class to save some pennies.
To book the trains the easiest way is to do it through Tiket.com. It has English option and accepts foreign credit cards.
If train isn’t available then there will almost certainly be buses wherever you are. These can range from the big coaches to the small minibuses or ‘Bemos‘. Bemos can be a good way to get from town to town and are pretty cheap depending on where you’re going.
Private car is also a good option if you are looking to explore an island in a day and hit a lot of spots. Obviously the least economical, but if you are doing lots of different stops in one day it would be tricky to achieve this on public transport.
As there are a lot of islands you will probably need to use a boat at some point. Ferries are easily taken from major island to major island. Java to Bali to Lombok all have regular ferry services for both vehicles and foot passengers. The smaller islands might be a bit more off the cuff and you may have to ask around at docks etc. to find someone willing to take you out on smaller boats. But you certainly won’t struggle.
Finally internal flights are pretty common and reasonably cheap. We try to avoid flying if we can, but it might be a good option in some cases.
Local Transport
Jakarta is the only city to have a real metro system, and this was only launched in 2019 so is still quite limited. There are some other local trains that can be accommodating, but again limited.
So getting around most places in Indonesia will be done on the roads, either by bus, car, cycling or walking.
Getting the Bemos around will be the most economical method. But if you have a large-ish group taxis are usually a more efficient way to get about and only a little more expensive.
Gojek and Grab are the two most common e-hailing apps if that’s your preference. They do have some limitations, such as they can’t always be used at some airports etc. but are pretty common generally speaking.
Family Accomodation in Indonesia
Accommodation is in vast supply in Indonesia from every type you can imagine, from beach huts, hostels and homestays, to swanky hotels. We really mixed up our accommodation during our stay and found all options pretty good.
The popular RedDoorz hotel chain is found in most major cities. With three levels of Standard, Plus and Premium and is a no frills kind of hotel chain. We stayed in these a few times in various places and were pretty satisfied with our value for money at these places.
Bali is pretty much overrun with hotels and other types of holiday stays now from all inclusive to cheaper budget hostels. So you certainly won’t struggle for whatever you are after there.
Away from hotels, apartments and houses can easily be found on AirBnB with a lot of very good apartments within complexes, often with pools and playgrounds, so great for kids.
You can find any type of accommodation on the usual sites like booking.com or AirBnb. And the prices range for whatever your budget.
We averaged around £15 a night with a mix of apartments, hotels and houses. And were really comfortable in all our stays at this price.
Indonesian Food for Families with Kids
Indonesian food varies greatly and consists of things like of soups and stews, such as Beef Randang and Nasi Rowan.
You also get a lot of rice and noodle dishes. And the most common thing you will see around are the Indonesian Satay, with meat skewers cooked over coals.
They love their peanut sauce as well and it comes with a lot of dishes, so be weary if you have a peanut allergy.
Street food is the best way to eat in our opinion, especially with kids. Eating on the go is much more in tune with them, rather than sitting down at a restaurant. And street food is in vast supply and extremely cheap. So this is a good way to if you’re on a budget.
If you want to self cater there are also lots of convenience stores. The Alfamart and Indomaret chains are the two we saw the most of and are pretty much everywhere. So these can be useful to get those few things yo need. You can then hunt out the bigger supermarkets if you need a wider selection.