I’m a big fan of the Miniapolis chain of playgrounds in Jakarta. We love visiting Miniapolis in Plaza Indonesia because it’s really close to home and we know it’s always going to be a hit among the toddlers. We also like to visit Giggle at the FX mall and particularly enjoy the water play area. When I heard Miniapolis was opening a new playground in Bali I purposely organized a visit to Kuta beach so Evan and I could go and burn some energy!
One would think that Kuta beach is the least friendly area for kids in Bali but the new shopping center Beach Walk, is proving everyone wrong. Not only is this semi-open mall gorgeous and diverse, they have a whole floor devoted to children including shops, a kid-friendly food court, an awesome babysitting service and nursery (more on that later), an arcade game center and a playground, Miniapolis.
Miniapolis Bali has a regular playground and a water play area. Being a Miniapolis “citizen” has its advantages and we paid the reduced price of 125,000 rupiahs vs 170,000 for the two attractions. Accompanying adults have to pay 20,000 rupiah and if you forget your socks, like I did, socks will cost you 10,000 rupiahs. The all day pass entitles you to as many visits during the day you want to make. It’s a good deal especially if you are staying in the area and decide to go back after having lunch or taking a nap.
Mr.Crick’s Hideout
As soon as Evan saw the playground he knew he wanted to go inside. After coercing him into taking a few bites of food before going to the playground we headed to Mr.Crick’s Hideout. They have great slides and of course a few bikes and scooters that Evan was immediately drawn to. A nice ball pit and a great instrument area kept him entertained for a little while. He loved going up and down the mini-rock wall and just running around the whole playground. The staff at the playground was very nice and always eager to play with Evan. Every time I tried to go up on the second level they told me that I could go sit and that they would chase him around. They were excited to have an energetic boy on site and had some fun themselves.
Mr.Cricket’s Lagoon
We tried Mr.Cricket’s Lagoon soon after. I thought that might be better in order for him to be able to get dry and so that I could drag him out of the dry playground, not the wet one. The lagoon does not have a bathroom right by it but they have a great changing room and shower area just down the hall. They have a small locker room area and cute small toilets for the kids to use. As soon as Evan suited-up he ran into the lagoon and had a blast. Warning: the water is COLD! He didn’t care but when I dipped my toes in the water I cringed. Evan didn’t mind at all and had a fun time specially when the girl in charge of the area started chasing him around and playing with him.
Tips
- Bring socks for you and your kids.
- If you live in Jakarta and have a membership, don’t forget your membership card
- There’s a great food court by the playground from where you can watch your kids play if they are old enough to be in the playground by themselves.
- Showers are available so bring a towel and shampoo to wash your kids off after they play in the water.
- Buy the day pass and feel free to come and go as you please.
- If you want to take a break and get a massage there’s a babysitting center right by the playground with packages that include a visit to Miniapolis.
Jalan Pantai Kuta
Bali
