4 Tips to Save Big on a Family Trip to Bali!

Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.

Family travel is a huge part of the miles & points world.  Lots of folks get into this hobby because they want to visit family, or they want to vacation with their family.

David, author of Wise Flys, is a family travel expert.  So I asked him to share with you his top tips for traveling with a family each week!

David:   Bali is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world.  After visiting, it’s not hard to see why!  Despite its relatively small size, this tropical island has a lot to offer.  Bali has stunning natural beauty, beautiful temples, rich culture, and spirituality.

Bali isn’t commonly known as a family vacation spot.  But here are many activities that make it worth considering for a family trip.

Here are some tips for your family to get Big Travel with Small Money in Bali!

Save on Flights to Bali With Miles & Points by Earning Valuable Credit Card Sign Up Bonuses!

The fastest and easiest way to save on flights to Bali is by earning miles with valuable credit card offers!  Here are cards to consider.

1.   Redeem 75,000 American Airlines Miles for a Round-Trip Award Flight to Bali

Link:   Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®

Link:   CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®

You can book a round-trip coach award flight to Bali on American Airlines for 75,000 miles plus taxes and fees!

You can earn lots of American Airlines miles with the Citi American Airlines Platinum (personal or small business) card.  You can earn 60,000 American Airlines miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

Plus, you’ll earn miles for the minimum spending.  A few months of paying bills with the card and you could have enough to book your round-trip award flight to Bali!

Both cards have a $95 annual fee, which is waived the first year.  This means it’s free to test the card out for ~10 or ~11 months.  Then, you can decide if the perks of the card make it worth keeping.

The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum and CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

2.   Pay 80,000 United Airlines Miles for a Round-Trip Award Flight to Bali

Link:   United MileagePlus® Explorer Business Card

Link:   Review of the Chase United Explorer Business Card

The good thing about United Airlines is that they do NOT add fuel surcharges to award tickets!  And you can redeem miles for award flights on so many Star Alliance partners, This gives you lots of flight options to Bali.

For example, you’ll pay 80,000 United Airlines miles for a round-trip coach award ticket from New York to Bali on Thai Airways.

With the small business version of the United MileagePlus Explorer card, you can earn 50,000 United Airlines miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

And the card’s $95 annual fee is waived the first year.

You might qualify for a small business card and not even know it!  Check out this post about common small businesses that may qualify you for a business credit card.  And check out all the ways to earn United Airlines miles to boost your frequent flyer account!

Use Hotel Points to Book Free or Discounted Stays in Bali! 

Using miles to fly to Bali is the first step.  Then, you’ll want to have points that can get you a free or discounted hotel stay!  Most major hotel chains have hotels throughout different parts of Bali, which means you have lots of options depending on the type of hotel points you collect.

Here are 2 great hotel choices in Bali!

1.   Grand Hyatt Bali

Link:   Grand Hyatt Bali

Link:   The Hyatt Credit Card

Link:   Review of The Hyatt Credit Card

Grand Hyatt Bali is Hyatt’s main luxury hotel in the Nusa Dua region of Bali.  A night at this beautiful hotel costs just 17,000 Hyatt points per night.  There are daily culture shows and plenty of on-site restaurants.

You can earn Hyatt points with the Chase Hyatt credit card.  You can earn 40,000 Hyatt points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.  That’s more than enough for 2 free nights at the Grand Hyatt Bali.

This card has a $75 annual fee, which is NOT waived the first year.  But you get a free night at a Hyatt Category 1 to 4 hotel each cardmember anniversary, which can easily offset the annual fee expense.

2.   The St. Regis Bali

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express

If you’re looking to splurge for a special occasion, you might consider using Starwood points to stay at The St. Regis Bali.  A free night costs 30,000 Starwood points.

Million Mile Secrets team member Keith and his wife stayed at the St. Regis Bali during their honeymoon.  He loved the St. Regis butler service, live music, nightly fire show, and spa.

You can earn Starwood points with the AMEX Starwood (personal or small business) card.

With the AMEX Starwood card, you’ll earn 25,000 Starwood points after making $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. You’ll earn 25,000 Starwood points after spending $5,000 in the first three months with the AMEX Starwood small business card.

Enjoy Your Stay in Bali With Airbnb

Link:   Why Airbnb Is Better for Family Travel (and How to Save Money on Stays With Points!)

When we visited Bali, we split our stays between hotels and Airbnb.  I recently shared why Airbnb can be a better choice for family travel.

Booking an Airbnb gave us the opportunity to stay in a bungalow by the beach, which was a peaceful and unique experience.  The flexibility and inexpensive options with Airbnb is more than accommodating for family traveling to Bali.

Airbnb is always a great option to stay with locals and explore the hidden gems away from busy hotel areas.

Tips When Searching for Family Friendly Activities in Bali

Once in Bali, it is relatively inexpensive to have fun compared to other parts of Asia.  Most restaurants and activities don’t cost as much as other tropical island locations.  Here are some fun family activities to consider.

1.   Check Discount Websites for Local Activities

For deals in Bali, I recommend checking out Groupon and LivingSocial for discounts on theme parks like Waterbom, Bali Safari, and Bali Bird Park.  These sites are great if you’re looking for cheaper rates to do fun things like rafting or an ATV tour.

2.   Find The Best Activities on TripAdvisor

My wife and I used sites like TripAdvisor and Bali-Indonesia to read reviews from folks who have already done family activities in the area.  This is how we decided to visit the Balinese show at the Royal Palace in Ubud.

3.   Check Out a Traditional Dance at the Royal Palace

The captivating dances at the Royal Palace in Ubud, Bali will have any child mesmerized.  We found out through Trip Advisor, we could purchase discounted tickets by going to a local restaurant beforehand.

Our daughter Bella was two years old at the time and sat still and watched the show in awe for the entire 2 hours.

4.   Negotiate Prices

Bali is one of the many countries where nearly everything is negotiable.  When shopping at local markets, don’t be afraid to ask for a lower price when purchasing souvenirs.  You might be able to save 20% off whatever items you’re buying!

Bottom Line

If you’re planning travel to Bali with your family, using miles & points is a great way to save on airfare and hotels.  Airbnb is a great option to steer clear of touristic areas and still save big.

When we visited Bali, we used points for free nights at the Grand Hyatt Bali.  And we spent the rest of our time at a beautiful beach bungalow that we booked on Airbnb.

Bali is a great family destination with plenty of fun and cheap activities for kids of all ages.  You can save big on local family activities by checking websites such as Groupon, LivingSocial, TripAdvisor and Bali-Indonesia

Have you visited Bali for a family vacation?  What tips would you share?  Let me know in the comments!