In short. On a scooter, under Indonesian law No. 22/2009, the rider carries no more than one passenger, and the passenger, a child too, must wear a helmet marked SNI; the law does not require child seats in a car, so it is better to bring your own seat. The CDC travellers' handbook advises keeping babies under 6 months in shade and clothing, putting sunscreen on older children, taking a repellent with DEET 20-30% against mosquitoes and, with diarrhoea, first of all replacing water. A bite or scratch from a dog, cat or monkey is a reason to go for a rabies vaccination the same day.
A scooter with a child: what the law says. Indonesian road traffic law No. 22 of 2009, article 106, read from the official copy on 11 November 2026:
- paragraph 8: a motorcycle rider and passenger must wear a helmet that meets the Indonesian national standard (SNI); the law makes no exception for children;
- paragraph 9: on a motorcycle without a sidecar you may not carry more than one passenger. A family of three on one scooter, often seen on the roads, is a violation under the law;
- the rider is responsible for a passenger without a helmet: article 291, paragraph 2, punishes whoever "allowed a passenger not to put on a helmet". Under the 2009 text this is detention of up to a month or a fine of up to 250,000 rupiah, the same under article 292 for a second passenger. In 2026 the penalties in the transport laws were partly revised, so treat these sums as an upper limit under the old text.
We found no separate provision in the law on a minimum age for a scooter passenger or on child seats in a car. In a car, under article 106, paragraph 6, a seat belt is mandatory only for the driver and the front-seat passenger.
Our advice: buy the child a helmet that fits, with an SNI sticker; an adult helmet wobbles on a small head and does not hold in a fall. A child who cannot hold on firmly by themselves is better not carried on a scooter at all: for trips there are app taxis, how to use them is in the guide to Grab and Gojek. CDC advises children under 12 to ride in the back seat, belted in, and to bring a seat from home, because a suitable one is hard to find abroad. Check a rented car against our list.
The ocean and the pool. CDC: next to a small child at the water, an adult who can swim should be within arm's reach. On a boat or launch, children always wear a life jacket. In Bali the ocean adds strong currents: swim only between the red and yellow flags and while a lifeguard is on the tower; what the flags mean and how to get out of a rip current is in the guide to the ocean. Tides change a beach within a couple of hours, the table is here. A villa pool is usually unfenced, and this is the most dangerous place for a child who cannot yet swim.
Sun. Bali lies near the equator, the sun is strong all year, strongest from 10 to 16 hours, a time CDC calls the peak of ultraviolet. CDC rules:
- babies under 6 months need special protection: shade and clothing that covers the body. CDC directly names a severe sunburn in an infant an emergency;
- for children over 6 months, creams with physical (mineral) filters are suitable;
- a hat, a swim shirt and shade at midday work more reliably than any cream.
Mosquitoes. Bali has dengue, carried by mosquitoes that bite in the daytime. CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics advise for young children repellents with DEET in the lowest working concentration, 20-30%; above 50% protection lasts almost as long, but skin irritation is more frequent. For children under 2 years the repellent is not put on the hands, because they put their hands in their mouth. Repellents with oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) and PMD only for children from 3 years. A mosquito net over the cot and closed windows with screens are needed for everyone. How to tell dengue from a cold and why ibuprofen must not be given with it is in the guide to dengue.
Dogs, cats, monkeys. Rabies exists in Bali, and children reach out more often than adults to pet a street dog or feed a monkey. CDC: wash any bite or scratch immediately with soap and water, and show a child with a bite or scratch from a mammal to a doctor the same day to decide on a rabies and tetanus vaccination. Explain to the child that they tell an adult about any contact with an animal, even if it "just licked". What to do minute by minute and where to go is in the guide to bites.
Diarrhoea and vomiting. Stomach infections are the most common in children on trips. CDC writes that the main danger with diarrhoea and vomiting in a small child is dehydration:
- the rehydration solution is mixed according to the pack instructions in bottled or boiled water and given in small portions;
- a breastfed baby continues to be breastfed, and older children eat their usual food;
- loperamide is contraindicated for children under 2 years, and for older children medicines only as prescribed by a doctor.
See a doctor at once if there are signs of dehydration (little urine, dry mouth, lethargy, no tears), blood in the stool, a temperature of 38.5 and above, or vomiting that prevents drinking. CDC names severe dehydration an emergency, treated with a drip. More on food poisoning, hospitals by area here, emergency numbers here.
Before departure. CDC advises adults travelling with children to take a short first-aid course. Discuss the child's vaccinations with a paediatrician in advance; what is recommended for Indonesia is in the guide on vaccinations. A children's first-aid kit: rehydration sachets, a mosquito repellent suited to the age, sun cream, a fever reducer prescribed by your paediatrician, the list is here. Medical insurance that also covers the child is mandatory, what to check in the policy is here.
What this means for you. The most common children's troubles in Bali are predictable: midday sun, daytime mosquitoes, animals on the street, tap water and an ocean without flags. On a scooter, by law only one child and only in an SNI helmet, and a small child is safer in a taxi with your own seat. If a child falls ill, watch the water in the body: lethargy, a dry mouth and little urine are a reason to see a doctor at once, without waiting for the morning.