Uluwatu with kids in the rainy season: what to do when it rains

Rain in Bali doesn't have to mean a lost day. These are the things we do with our own three children in Uluwatu when it rains: indoor play, pottery and painting classes, a cinema, an indoor skate park, and Balinese dance and cooking that come to the villa. For sunny days, see our guide to Uluwatu with kids.

When is the rainy season in Uluwatu?

Bali's wet season, sometimes called the monsoon, runs roughly from mid-November to the end of March. January is the wettest month, with rain on about 18 days and around 260 mm in total; by August it's down to two or three wet days. October and early November are the shoulder months, when showers start but most days are still dry.

Two things make the rainy season easier here than people expect. First, the Bukit peninsula, where Uluwatu and Ungasan sit, is generally drier than the rest of Bali. Second, it rarely rains all day: the usual pattern is a clear morning, then a short, heavy downpour in the afternoon or evening that is often over within an hour or two. January and February can bring a few grey days in a row.

How we plan a wet-season day with kids

Beach in the morning. Mornings are usually the clearest part of the day, so we do the beach early, timed to a low tide, and keep the afternoon for something under a roof.

Book one indoor thing ahead. A pottery or painting class gives the day a shape, and you don't have to find a plan while it's pouring.

Stay close. Everything below is within about 20 minutes of the villa, except Jenggala in Jimbaran. Heavy rain slows the traffic, so short drives are easier.

Mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are busier in the wet season. Pack repellent; we keep mosquito plugs in the villa and plug them in on request.

Indoor things to do with kids near Uluwatu

Tarabelle Kids Club

Our go-to when it rains. An indoor playroom and kids' club with an open-air playground for drier spells, and a café where the coffee is good, so the grown-ups are happy too.

Drive: 5 to 10 minutes, on Jalan Raya Uluwatu in Ungasan
Ages: from 6 months; sensory classes for babies under 2
Daily programme: Eco Craft at 10am Monday to Saturday, outdoor fun at 4pm, and a special activity on Sunday afternoons
Workshops: little-chef cooking, candle-making and painting, plus birthday parties
Open: daily, 8am to 9pm
Prices and booking: ask on WhatsApp, +62 878-1385-2155. Our guests get 10% off

Waves of Clay

A small pottery café about five minutes from the villa, with child-safe equipment and patient teachers. Children make something real with their hands, and the finished, fired piece is a better souvenir than anything from a shop.

Ages: kids' classes from age 3, with one adult
Prices*: kids' class from IDR 420,000 per child; hand-building from IDR 420,000; wheel throwing from IDR 465,000; build-and-decorate from IDR 590,000; private classes from IDR 850,000, or IDR 1,200,000 for two
Good to know: firing takes 3 to 4 weeks, so book early in your stay and ask how they can get the piece to you
Book: by Instagram message; class times are in their Workshops highlight

Zen Bali Arts

Our family's rainy-day favourite: we huddle up in Pak Ketut's studio in Ungasan for a painting class. Ketut Sunama is a Balinese artist who teaches traditional Balinese-style painting, and the children come home with a painting of their own.

Drive: about 10 minutes, in Banjar Langui, Ungasan
Ages: from about 6, with a parent
Open: most days from 8 or 9am; classes by appointment
Book: ahead by phone or WhatsApp, +62 812 3760 9611, and ask for the current class price

Jenggala Paint-a-Pot

Jenggala is Bali's best-known ceramics house. Children choose a plain piece and paint it however they like; Jenggala fires it in their own kilns. There's no age limit and no session fee: you pay for the piece.

Drive: about 20 minutes, in Jimbaran
Price*: IDR 150,000 for a bamboo cup or small plate up to IDR 800,000 for a piggy bank; mugs and bowls about IDR 200,000
Open: daily, 10am to 5pm; last session 4pm
Good to know: pieces are ready in 5 to 7 days, so go early in your stay
Book: online, or WhatsApp +62 811-3830-5624 for a same-day slot

Sidewalk Jimbaran

A small, easy mall about 10 minutes away. Cinépolis on the top floor shows English-language films and is quiet on weekdays, and the Pamper Me playroom keeps younger children busy. Gourmet Market downstairs is handy for supplies on the way home.

Cinema*: tickets about IDR 25,000–65,000, more at weekends. Check the schedule for a children's film before you go
Playroom*: for about ages 2 to 8; around IDR 100,000 for 90 minutes
Open: mall 10am to 10pm; cinema from 10am

Cintalam Surf Skate Park

An indoor surf-skate park in Kutuh, near Pandawa, with a wave-shaped ramp, a carving wall and an air section with a soft landing. A good place for older children to burn off energy when the beach is out.

Drive: about 15 minutes
Ages: 10 and up only, with a helmet, wrist guards and pads
Open: daily, 9am to 9pm
Book: WhatsApp +62 821-4677-1028 or Instagram @cintalam_pandawa; ask about kids' sessions and board and pad hire

GWK Cultural Park, inside the statue

On a showery day, the tour inside the giant Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is under a roof: a lift to the 9th-floor museum, which shows how the statue was built, and up to the 23rd floor for the view. Shows in the amphitheatre are sheltered too. The stone paths get slippery when wet, so go in the morning, before the afternoon rain.

Drive: about 10 minutes
Price*: entry IDR 150,000; with the statue tour IDR 400,000; under 100 cm free

Balinese culture at the villa

Some of our favourite rainy afternoons haven't involved leaving the house. These teachers come to the villa, so the children learn somewhere familiar and nobody has to get wet.

Balinese dance class

With Dedari Dance. A teacher comes to the villa with dance costumes for the children to wear and teaches a short traditional dance, with the hand and eye movements Balinese dance is known for.

Price*: private class IDR 550,000 for up to 3 people; group IDR 175,000 per person, minimum 4. About 60 minutes, costume hire and a snack included; the teacher's transport is extra

Offering-making workshop

Children learn to fold and fill canang sari, the small palm-leaf offerings you'll see on every doorstep in Bali, and what each colour means. About 90 minutes, with Dedari Dance.

Price*: IDR 250,000 per person, minimum 2

Balinese cooking class

Cook a Balinese meal together in the villa kitchen, then eat it together at the dining table. Two to three hours, with Dedari Dance.

Price*: from IDR 650,000 per person

Jamu-making

Make jamu, the traditional Indonesian turmeric and ginger tonic, from fresh roots. A good one for older children who like experiments.

Price*: IDR 340,000 per person, minimum 2

To book: contact Dedari Dance on WhatsApp, +62 812 3727 3004, or ask us and we'll arrange it with you. The villa also has board games, a climbing wall, a drawing easel and life-size building-block cushions for the in-between hours, and a TV in the lounge for a movie.

Rainy season in Bali with kids: questions parents ask

Does it rain all day in Bali in the wet season?

Rarely. Most days have a dry morning and a heavy shower in the afternoon or evening that is over in an hour or two. January and February can have a few grey days in a row.

Is Uluwatu worth visiting in the rainy season with kids?

Yes. The Bukit is generally drier than the rest of Bali, the beaches are quieter, and there's enough to do indoors nearby. Plan beach time for the morning low tide and keep an indoor plan for the afternoon.

Are the beaches safe after heavy rain?

The sea can be rougher and murkier after a storm. Check the tide forecast at the bottom of this page, swim only between the flags, and choose a gentle beach such as Melasti.

What should we pack for Bali's wet season?

Light rain jackets, sandals or water shoes that can get wet, mosquito repellent, and a few small indoor activities for the car.

*Prices are what we found in October 2026. Please confirm with the supplier before booking.

Want it planned day by day?

Our free four-day itinerary times every beach and activity to the tide. Download it here.