Mara River Safari Lodge is Bali’s first African-themed hotel and the closest thing to a safari holiday on the island. For animal-mad kids, it’s hard to beat. The lodge sits inside Bali Safari Park in Gianyar, and every reservation includes access to the park, so you can wander in straight after breakfast every day of your stay. All 45 lodges have an open-air terrace overlooking the park, where zebras, rhinos and giraffes roam the African Panorama, and families regularly feed the zebras straight from the balcony or the pool. For families, the room choice is simple. Kifaru is a two-bedroom bungalow for a family of four, and Tembo is a three-bedroom bungalow with a separate living and dining area that sleeps up to six. Both overlook the Kiboko pool, an infinity pool exclusive to hotel guests that faces the animals.
Breakfast at the Tsavo Lion Restaurant, with a pride of lions behind the full-length glass, is the moment kids remember. Uma Restaurant covers all-day dining with international and Indonesian dishes, and Nkuchiro offers high tea, BBQs and breakfast with the giraffes. Inside the park, home to more than 1,000 animals, there are tiger and elephant shows, animal education shows, Feed the Predators sessions and the Water Play Zone with slides.
Worth being honest about: this is a semi-rustic, safari-lodge-style stay rather than a polished five-star resort, and it’s best to go in with that expectation. It’s in Gianyar, around half an hour’s drive from Sanur, so it isn’t a beach base. The safari tram, night safari, and Bali Agung Show can be extra charges. The family bungalows face the pool rather than sitting right on the animal panorama. It’s a great addition to your family holiday for a one- or two-night stopover.
