3 Months Old - Bali Trip: What Happens When a Research Addict Prepares in Advance

This is my first trip abroad since giving birth, and my baby's first trip abroad ever.

Two weeks in Bali. The flight there was a 7-hour solo journey.
I'm meeting up with friends and my partner there, and then flying back with my partner in a free-spirited travel style.

This trip had 100 times more worries than any trip I've taken before. I'm going to leave a thorough and detailed log here✊
(It's going to be long, so please feel free to skip around😌

Everyone has their own travel style, so to make it easier to visualize, let me start with a brief profile.

👩🏼 Me (30)
・Born in Nagoya, living in Tokyo
・Can speak English (studied abroad, graduated from an overseas university)
・Currently on maternity leave, but my main job is a secretary.
　So, I actually enjoy doing preliminary research.
・Usually, I have a 'don't worry, be happy' attitude and can travel with almost nothing.
・This is my second time in Bali🏝️

👶🏻 Baby (3 months)
・Exclusively formula-fed (6-7 times a day / 120-160ml)
・6.8 kg
・One step away from rolling over
・Not the type to cry over little things
・The type who can sleep alone anywhere

First of all, why Bali?

There are many countries I want to visit, but here is why I chose Bali.
・There are direct flights
・The flight time isn't too long (7-9 hours)
・It seems like a country that is friendly to children
・It's safe
・I'm not very interested in sightseeing, so I wanted a place where just being there increases my happiness
・I thought it would be helpful that the cost of living is low, especially since I'll be taking taxis more often

Why now?

You might think 3 months old is too early, but the baby isn't too heavy to carry, hasn't started baby food yet, and is still protected by my immunity (they inherit maternal antibodies until 6 months old. Apparently, immunity is at its lowest in a person's life between 6 months and 1.5 years old).

..., so I decided that going now seems like the best idea!

From the baby's perspective, they won't have any memories, and they probably just want to be left to sleep at home. It's the fate of being born to hyperactive parents. (Sorry about that)

Now, I'll write about the preparations.
I'll say it upfront: it was tough, lol.
I'm the type who usually just books a flight, grabs my passport and credit card, and heads to the airport with peace of mind.
But I couldn't do that when considering the baby😂

▼ Preparations

・Booking a flight bassinet

A bassinet is a baby bed that can be attached in front of your seat.
The method varies by airline, but for Garuda Indonesia (ANA codeshare flight) which I took this time, I had to book it in advance by phone.
You need to check with the airline as weight and age limits vary.

① Book flight tickets on the ANA website (for adults)
　Since seats where you can attach a bassinet are limited, you don't need to select a seat at this time
　*Seats where a bassinet can be attached are usually only in the front row.
↓
② Apply for a bassinet by phone
　Since the flight I took was operated by Garuda Indonesia, I contacted Garuda, not ANA, to make the reservation.
I had already paid for the adult tickets on the ANA website, but I paid for the child's fare over the phone by providing my card number to Garuda.
They checked which seats could accommodate a bassinet and registered the seat for me over the phone.

▼ Click here for ANA's guide
Support for customers traveling with small children

https://www.ana.co.jp/ja/jp/guide/reservation/support/international/family/

・Amex Airport Porter Service

A service for Amex cardholders, and it can only be used atNarita Airport and Kansai Airport.
They help you carry your luggage from the airport arrival area to the check-in counter.
When I informed them of my arrival time in advance, they were waiting at the airport drop-off area with a sign with my name on it.
I realized it would be impossible for me to carry the stroller, a large suitcase, and a boston bag by myself, so I requested this for the first time✊
I'm paying the annual fee, so I might as well use the services available to me😮‍💨

・Nanny (babysitter) reservation

In Bali, you can hire a nanny for about 600 yen per hour.
Even if you hire one for a whole day, it's only the cost of 2-3 hours in Japan.
I thought, since I'm going all the way there, I want to go to a spa, etc.🤔, so I looked into various services.
As a result, I requested a service calledFebylous Bali.
They come to your accommodation and stay with the baby.
When I contacted them via WhatsApp from their site, they replied very politely.
When I told them my dates, they sent me profiles of about 5 people, including photos, their specialties, and whether they have children of their own.
I was happy to be able to request someone while knowing their personality, and
I was also able to confirm baby supplies available locally, like 'Do you sell this milk? Are diapers easy to get?'
I thought it was great that all the registered babysitters are trained in first aid, so I could consult with them if I had any worries while there☺️

The sitter who came was also a very lovely person.
Looking at her photo, 100 out of 100 people would say, 'She looks like such a nice person!' lol
It's a shame I can't post the photo 🥹

I was planning to hop between different accommodations (I'm hyperactive everywhere, lol), so I used a service that allowed me to book for the entire duration. However, since some Bali hotels partner with babysitting services, I think it's best to check with your hotel first 😌

・How to get Japanese powdered formula

Since this trip was planned for two weeks, if I were to bring it from Japan, that would be about 2 cans...

I was traveling alone on the way there, so I wanted to reduce my luggage as much as possible. When I asked the contact for the babysitting service mentioned above, they replied, 'We don't carry it in Bali, but you can buy it online from Jakarta in advance!'
The price was about 1.5 times higher than in Japan, but after worrying about it, I decided to ask them to buy it beforehand and have the sitter bring it when she arrived ☺️

It seems you can get American organic powdered formula in Bali, but apparently, Japanese formula isn't sold there because it contains pork-derived ingredients.
If your itinerary is short enough to get by with just one can, I think it's safer to bring what you need from Japan ✊

・Baby gear rental reservation

Bali is full of families traveling with babies even when walking around town. Services for such people are well-developed.

I rented a baby bathtub for bathing and a swim ring suitable for 3-month-olds. I was able to rent each for 220 yen per day.
It's a hassle to bring them from Japan, but it's attractive to be able to rent things that would be convenient to have at a low cost.
They also had strollers and baby chairs, so please take a look at what you need according to your baby's age ✊

・Visit a clinic before departure

'What if something happens to the baby while we're traveling...' every mom probably thinks this 🫠
I thought I might be able to get some kind of emergency medicine, so I consulted the clinic where I got the vaccinations, but there was no medicine that a 3-month-old could take, and I didn't receive any medication for symptoms like fever.
However, they gave me Locoid ointment to apply for insect bites or heat rash, saying, 'There will probably be a lot of mosquitoes in Bali' 😌

・Insurance check

I didn't take out any special insurance because my child was covered by the insurance attached to my credit card.
If you don't have it on your credit card, it seems like a good idea to get insurance just in case ✊

・Researching local water conditions

Southeast Asia is a place where you're told to be careful about the water.
I researched a lot about what is the safest way to make formula.
Reading various blogs, some people even bring water from Japan, saying, 'Water sold in other countries has different mineral content than Japan, which affects the composition of powdered formula'... 😳
I understand the sentiment, but for a two-week trip, that's not realistic at all 😅

I think the level of peace of mind varies from person to person, but I decided that soft water sold in plastic bottles would be fine.
After researching which one is closest to Japanese water, I concluded that Pristine is the best in Bali.

In Europe, there is often hard water, so I think it's wise to research the water situation depending on the region you are visiting 😌

This is what it's like just with pre-trip preparation 😂
But thanks to the research I did, I've been able to spend time there without any trouble so far ☺️

Next time I have time, I'd like to summarize things like what to bring as well.