Fraser Baye
Bingin, Bukit Peninsula
Owned by the Evans family, an Aussie family who have 3 kids, and managed by Bali Retreats these gorgeous villas are designed and decked out with families in mind and are equipped with pretty much all of the “kit and caboodle” for littlies you could possibly need i.e, glass pool fence, pool toys, cots, high chairs, toys, bunk beds, baby-sitting and airport transfers with car seats and an on site kitchen that can whip up kiddy meals. There are two stylish villas on the same property, Villa Satu and Villa Dua, which each have 3 bedrooms & 1 bathroom each and a nice living area that is semi open. They can be rented together with another family or two which the ideal option.
From approx $250 AUD+ per night per villa (low season)
(*check with BalI Retreats directly as prices change depending on the season)
Best for
Perfect for a couple of families with little tykes (bubs to school kiddies) who want to catch up (and spend time hanging out at Fraser Baye poolside), and would also work a treat for a surfing family with older kids.
The lowdown
Earlier this year, we had a family group getaway with 3 families at Fraser Baye. Ok, so we were all slightly hesitant about how it would go with 6 adults and 6 kids 5 and under. But, we are all in agreement that it was an amazing holiday and that Fraser Baye is an awesome place for a get together with other families.
Why it rocks for families
There are so many pluses about Fraser Baye for families. For a start the pool is well situated between the two villas and has a permanent glass fence. It's sizeable with a nice pool deck and lounge chairs, pool toys, a cosy bale at one end and has a shallow kiddy section. It's a really great common space and we all hung out there lots during our stay. But, I do need to mention that there was an issue with the locking system for both gates when we were there, i.e., part of the latch system wasn't attached properly to the glass and kept coming off despite the efforts of Wayan to glue it back again. I chatted at length with Lorraine from Bali Retreats about this when we returned and I have to admit they were most concerned and very prompt to address the issue asap.
In terms of kiddy equipment, its all there, cots, highchairs, baskets of toys etc, so no need to hire it or lug it with you. But you need to let them know in advance. The garden space isn't huge but it worked well and the kids loved running from one villa to another and playing in the garden.
I must admit, I was slightly hesitant about the fact that there was no kitchen which can be handy with kids, but Chloe's Kitchen pod which is onsite and run by the wonderful staff has a decent menu with quite a few kiddy options (pizzas, spaghetti fish and chips, noodles etc) which made kids mealtimes so easy and stress free. So there was no need to cook, no setting tables and cleaning up, and it was so convenient because we didn't have to venture out for a meal. Breakfast is included and the options of fruit, pancakes, eggs etc was easy with the kids.
The staff there are wonderful, helpful and great with kids and we organised baby sitters a few time which wasn't a drama because the kids were familiar with the staff.
Cool for families because
Porta cots & high chairs
Inbuilt stair gate (downstairs)
Basket of toys & pool toys
Lockable doors to outside (safe/secure)
Permanent glass pool fence
Babysitting available (at additional cost)
Airport transfers with car seats (additional cost)
Amazing staff who are GREAT with kids
All-day kids menu Lawn and garden for kiddy playtime
Huge “Fred Flintstone” style bath
The neighbourhood
Bingin is undeniably cool these days with its laid-back ambience, and groovy surfer vibe – think “Jack Johnson”, rustic beach warungs, world-class surfers and icy Bintang beer. The Bukit Peninsula is famous for its epic waves, spectacular limestone cliffs and million dollar views. These days the peninsula is becoming known for its rock star pads, chic family villas and glam hotels, which perch on the cliff-tops overlooking the Indian Ocean. Perhaps, not a place you would typically think to visit with a young family, but we love it.
The layout
The design of the villas, the garden layout and the pool in between work really well. Upstairs there is an incredibly spacious master bedroom, a balcony and palatial king-sized bed. There are two small bedrooms downstairs that open to the outdoor area. One of the bedrooms can be made up with 2 single beds or a queen-sized bed, and the other room has a bunk bed and space for a cot. The bunk beds are very wobbly, and the top bunk is pretty high and the side rail is a bit low for my liking. I wouldn't like little kids to sleep up top.
Downstairs there is a lovely semi-outdoor living and dining area, complete with super comfy couches and cushions and a beautiful timber dining table and chairs. The lounge/dining space can’t be closed off and air-conditioned (common in many Bali villas).
There is one bathroom which is downstairs which is one of those gorgeous indoor/outdoor Balinese style bathrooms with a shower and an enormous funky stone bath – reminiscent of something from the Flintstones (perfect for a bubble bath for a gang of little tykes). There is also a small area just inside the villa with a fridge, some glasses/cups, a sink and kettle to make tea and coffee.
Other important stuff
Aircon in bedrooms
Daily house-keeping
Breakfast included & safe drinking water
Tea/coffee making facilities in each villa
Chloe’s Kitchen Pod (on-site)
Ipod dock & Cable TV & DVD & Wifi
Transport can be organised
Need to know
The beaches are renowned for their surf, not for their calm kid kid friendly waters (with a few exceptions), so be prepared for lots of pool time if you have little tykes.
There are lots of windy uneven stairs to navigate down to get to many of the beaches around this part of Bali.
It's about a 10 minutes walk down the stairs uneven stairs to Bingin Beach for adults, and it maybe takes 20-30 minutes with little kids (depending on how much they need to stop) and longer on the steep return.
If you want to be somewhere right in the action or with warungs, shops and the like just outside your door then this may not be the place for your family. Getting around the peninsula to lots of the places we love involves getting a taxi/car with kids.
The height of the pool fence seems lower than a standard pool fence in Australia and we had a few issues with the locking system for the pool gates which the staff did their best to rectify. Bali Retreats and the owners were most concerned at hearing this and acted immediately to rectify this.
The bunk beds were wobbly and the top bunk is pretty high with a low side rail.
My tips
Micks Place, a short walk away, is perched on a cliff with simply fantastic views and is the perfect place to indulge in some pampering. Their body scrub is my favourite.
The Cashew Tree is a hop, skip and a jump away and has tasty and healthy food and drinks, oodles of space to frolic, toys and a cool kid's fort and playground area. They have party nights as well and great Margaritas.
Sundays (formerly Finns Beach Club) and Karma Beach Club are SUPER FUN day outings with an inclinator ride down to the beach to cool beach clubs with food, music and cocktails.
The Temple Lodge and the The Cashew Tree have yoga classes if that’s your thing.
For a date night head to the swept-up El Kabron for sunset cocktails and a dip in their cliff-top infinity pool, or the Rock Bar at Ayana, which is to be seen to be believed.
Distances
Denpasar Airport – 45 mins, Kuta / Legian - 45 mins to 1 hour Seminyak 1 to 1 ½ hour , Ubud 1 ½ to 2 hour (depending on traffic)
A few comments from our group
We stayed here with 3 families in total i.e. 6 adults and 6 kids (ages 1-5) in February 2016.
“It was the first time we have all done the "group family holiday thing", and we were a bit unsure how it was going to go. Fraser Baye was the perfect fit for our big gang and its now going to be an annual event for us." Kirsty, mum of Jasper, Maeve and Margot, 5, 4 and 1.
“The lovely staff were very patient, despite our groups’ indecision and last minute changes, regarding meals, daily travel arrangements and most other things. They were genuinely wonderful with all of our kids” Shanti, mum of Maya, 4 year old.
“Rex loved trying out his basic Indonesian with the lovely women at Fraser-Baye, and he is learning Indonesian now back home." Libby, mum of Rex and Jude, 2 and 5.
“Our kids became familiar with the lovely staff and so baby-sitting was easy, and our kids weren’t fussed at all when we had a date night out at the end of our stay” Ben, dad of 2 kids, aged Rex and Jude, 2 and 5.
“I liked the people that work there. They are so beautiful” Rex, aged 5.
“I liked playing with Rexy” Jasper, aged 5.
We stayed at Fraser Baye for 7 nights in February 2016 with 2 other families. There were 6 adults and 6 children (aged 1-5 years). I don’t have any connection with Bali Retreats, and I'm not getting any freebies or incentives to write this post. My reviews are independent and so are my opinions which you may or may not agree with but I hope you do. I hope Growing up Troppo will help take out some of the legwork in finding and awesome family-friendly pad!
