What to pack for Bali with baby?

Heading to Bali with your little one(s) soon? We'll be helping you to get ready for your days in the tropics! In our previous post 'Bali with Baby' you can read our tips for traveling to Bali with a baby. We'll be answering 10 most asked questions; where to stay with kids, tips for during the flight, how to keep your baby from getting sick in Bali, how to deal with dengue and more burning questions we received on Instagram after our first visit on the island with baby Manua.

I made this Bali Baby packing list for our first visit on the island last June when Manua was 5 months old.

Note: as I wrote earlier in our previous post with tips for traveling to Bali with a baby, the BEST thing about your holiday in Bali is: you can rent everything for your baby! From drivers to car seats, baby beds to baby baths, baby monitors or even a nanny. Pool fences can be delivered and installed at your Bali villa. And you can also hire a professional photographer to capture your first family holiday memories, how fun! Check our Bali Baby hire or Bali Baby.

Let me know in the comments if you're missing something on our list or if you have any questions for us!

Bali Baby packing list

We had a 17-hour flight with KLM, so we were allowed to bring for Manua:
1 x carry-on bag for baby (max. 12 kg, 55 x 35 x 25 cm)
1 x check-in luggage for baby (max. 10 kg, we stuffed it with diapers and wipes)
1 x Foldable Stroller (we brought this one all the way to the gate)
1 x Carseat (we sealed it and checked this one in with our luggage)

Don't forget to book the baby bassinet with your seats if your airline is providing these! More inflight tips here.

On the airport
For on the airport (and in Bali) we brought the Bugaboo Bee and this Ergobaby baby carrier. I guess you can also choose to just bring one of those. Manua was too little for a stroller (he can’t sit up by himself yet) so we decided to bring the Bugaboo Bee. Easy to fold in and out, so we could bring this one all the way up to the gate. Bugaboo now as a new stroller especially for travel -The Bugaboo Ant- but it wasn’t out yet but we’ll definitely bring that one next time! We also brought our car seat that fits on the Bugaboo chassis (base), but we sealed it and checked that one in. I loved that we could throw our bags underneath the Bugaboo and had our hands free while walking around the airport. When he couldn’t sleep I took him with me in the baby carrier as he falls asleep way easier that way. Walked with him into the plane with the baby carrier and waited to take him on my lap just minutes before we needed to buckle up for departure.

Read this post for tips about drinking during take-off and landing against pain in ears.

For the carry-on bag at the airport and in the plane
- Baby Passport
- Insurance pass
- Vaccination papers
- Blanket (airport and plane can be super cold)
- Diaper bag with changing mat, enough diapers, 2 sets of spare clothing/outfits (bring a warm vest or hoody), diaper creme, diaper bags, wipes (lots of them!)
- 2 big and 2 small muslin cloths/blankets
- 2 pacifiers
- your feeding gear (I brought my breast pump, formula sachets just in case and 2 bottles)
- Re-sealable bags (for wet clothes and stuff)
- Favorite toys

Baby travel gear
- Baby Carrier. We have the Ergobaby Omni 360 Mesh, and love it!
- Foldable Stroller + Stroller Musquitonet We brought the Bugaboo Bee. But as mentioned above you can also check the new BugabooAnt.
- Maxi Cosi car seat + car seat mosquito net and a Dooky sun shade.
You can also rent a car seat in Bali, but we wanted to make sure to have it when we arrived and got picked up by the driver - and with your own seat you'll just know it's good!

Clothing
15 Bodies (long sleeves, short sleeves and sleeveless! Our faves are from Hema and Uniqlo)
5 T-shirts
4 Long pants
4 Shorts (skirts/dresses for the girlies)
2 Vests (1 hoody vest for on the plane)
5 pair of socks
1 pair of shoes if your baby is wearing them (I didn't have shoes for Manua jet)
2 swimming outfits
1 UV-outfit
2 Sun hats
6 bibs (if your baby is teething or eating)

Sleep
2 Summer Sleeping bags (we have the ones from Lodger)
Pyjama
- Baby bed sheets (Manua slept with us in the big bed so we didn't need it after all)
4 Pacifiers (If your baby is using them, bring lots extra)
- Pacifier cord/clip
- Baby Monitor (or buy the app 'Baby Monitor' on your phone)
- Baby bed mosquito net

Baby Care
- Diaper bag
- Changing mat
-Sunscreen for baby SPF50 (we used NAIF)
-Baby wash & shampoo
-Baby oil/body cream
4 XL big Muslin blankets (to lay on in restaurants, airports, etc.)
6 Normal size Muslin blankets
4 Washcloths
1 Baby towel
-Swim nappies
-Diapers (how much depends on your length of stay!) you can also buy them in Bali but they'll be more expensive. So we brought as many as we could fit.
-Diaper bags
-Diaper creme
-Baby wipes (we always use Neutral wipes) You can buy wipes in Bali but are mostly highly perfumed and not natural.
-Handwash soap
-Re-sealable bags (for wet clothes and stuff)
-Baby hairbrush
-Baby nail scissors or file
- First aid kit: we brought baby ORS, paracetamol, nose spray capsules, Otrivin baby aspirator (nose cleaner), Alcohol, cotton pads, thermometer, tweezers
- Inflatable baby bathtub (optional, or just shower your baby with a pan of filtered water :) or hire through Bali

Feeding
So this one totally depends on your baby's age and needs. Here's what I brought for Manua:
- Medela breast pump (I brought the Freestyle because I was also working, but if you only bring it just in case you can bring the Harmony hand pump)
- Medela milk storage bottles
- Formula (I only brought a few ready-made sachets of Nutrilon formula milk)
2 cooling elements
cooling bag
4 bottles
- sterilizer (I didn't bring one, just cooked out the bottles in a pan with filtered water)
- washing-up brush
- small thermos bottle
- Your baby's vitamins
- Baby spoon (we use it for the vitamins)
- If your baby's eating solid foods: lightweight feeding set with utensils and baby food
- I also brought my Lemej breastfeeding shawl. But in Bali you can just feed anywhere I think, especially on the beach. Easy! Or use a sarong.

Play
- Favorite toys and stuffed animals
- Books
- Playmat(optional, or just use a big muslin cloth)

Other tips
- start to pack a week before departure. So if you miss something you can order it online or go to the store without stressing.
- Doing laundry in Bali is easy and cheap - so I wouldn't pack too much! If you bring your laundry away in Bali, you can ask for express service. Your laundry will be ready on the same day. We also asked not to use the perfume and don't iron the baby's clothing - just because we're not a fan of the chemicals in it.
- Bring your camera, you'll want to take lots of photos!
- Most parents feel comfortable knowing the best/nearest hospitals in Bali. We can recommend BIMC and SILOAM, but also check for local clinics to the area's where you'll be traveling to in Bali.

Have an amazing holiday to Bali!
Fijne vakantie!