What our family learned on our first overseas holiday

We had talked about an overseas family holiday for years, but the timing never felt right. Between school drop-offs, weekend sport, and the cost of living biting harder every arvo, international travel always seemed like something other families did. When we finally booked the flights, the nerves kicked in almost immediately. Could we really manage a long-haul flight with two kids under ten? Had we packed enough snacks and entertainment? And how on earth would we keep everyone sane through a twelve-hour journey?

We are an ordinary Aussie family from regional Victoria, and like plenty of others we had never ventured past New Zealand together. Bali was our first proper leap, chosen because the flight is short, the Aussie dollar stretches further there, and many of our friends had already done the trip. What we discovered over those two weeks reshaped how we think about travel entirely, from how we budget to how we pack to what we pack into the days we have left of the Aussie school holidays each year.

The biggest lesson? Going overseas with children is far less stressful than the stories make it sound, as long as you plan ahead, accept a bit of mess, and leave space in the budget for the unexpected. Here is what stood out, what we wish someone had told us beforehand, and the small things we would do differently next time.

Planning the trip without losing your mind

Booking early was the best decision we made. Flights from Melbourne to Denpasar during the December school holidays fill up months in advance, and the price difference between booking in February and June was almost $400 per person. We watched comparison sites, set fare alerts, and jumped when Jetstar dropped a sale. Travel insurance cost less than we had budgeted, and we paid it off in instalments.

We also created a shared Google Doc so my partner and I could both add ideas and restaurant recommendations. The Australian Government's Smartraveller advice page gave us peace of mind about visas and what to expect at customs on the way home.

The one thing we underestimated was how much lead time kids need to process a big trip. We started talking to our six-year-old about Bali three months out, showing her pictures of the pool and the monkeys at Ubud. By the time we landed, she was genuinely excited rather than anxious, which made everything smoother.

Packing smarter, not heavier

Here is where we stuffed up the first time. I packed for every possible scenario, which meant two oversized suitcases and a backpack each. Lesson learned: hire what you can. Bali has fantastic baby gear rental services, and the gear was newer and cleaner than our own.

For the actual packing, we stuck to a capsule wardrobe that mixed and matched, and we each took one pair of shoes beyond thongs. I brought three bottles of reef-safe sunscreen from Australia, which turned out to be one of the smartest moves because sunscreen overseas often does not match our harsh Aussie UV standards. We also packed re-usable drink bottles because bottled water adds up quickly.

If you are trying to teach your kids about money before a big trip, a simple piggy bank system really helps them understand that holidays cost real money. Our daughter contributed her own savings towards an ice cream budget, and watching her choose between two flavours because she wanted her dollars to last was the sweetest part.

Money matters across currencies

Watching the Aussie dollar convert into Indonesian rupiah the first time was a real eye-opener. A $5 coffee at home was suddenly about 40,000 rupiah, which feels oddly thrilling even though you know you are just doing maths. We pulled out a small amount of cash on arrival, then used a travel-friendly debit card for almost everything else to avoid dodgy exchange rates.

Payment method	Pros	Watch out for
Cash	Easy to track, no card fees	Risk of loss, poorer exchange rates
Travel debit card	Great rates, app tracking	ATM withdrawal fees add up
Credit card with no forex fee	Insurance, reward points	Easy to overspend without noticing
Prepaid travel card	Locked-in rates, safer	Top-up fees, less flexible locally

Budget-wise, we had allowed $200 a day for the four of us, including meals, activities, and the occasional massage. We came in under that most days, partly because local warungs were unbelievably good value. We did blow the budget on a dolphin-watching trip, but the kids are still talking about it six months later, so it was worth every cent.

The thing nobody warns you about is the sneaky costs. Vaccinations, new bathers for everyone, a forgotten phone charger, and tipping added up to nearly $400 extra over the fortnight. Next time, we are building a separate "sundries" pot of $500 and pretending it does not exist until we need it.

Surviving the long flight with little ones

The flight was far less dramatic than I had spent months dreading. There were tears during take-off, the seat-back tray was sticky within ten minutes, and our youngest chucked a small spew somewhere over the Indian Ocean. The Qantas cabin crew were brilliant with the kids, and bringing small wrapped surprises revealed every hour kept the novelty going.

Jet lag on the way home hit harder than the way there. Coming back into Melbourne at 6am with kids who had been awake for 22 hours was brutal, and it took everyone a solid week to fully adjust. Next time we will plan a soft couple of days at home before school and work kick back in.

Coming home and what we would change

Walking back into Melbourne Airport and being asked about every single item in our suitcase was a sharp reminder that Australia takes its biosecurity seriously. We had declared everything honestly, but watching the sniffer dogs work made us appreciate just how protected our country is. Talk to the kids beforehand about what you can and cannot bring back, because it saves awkward moments at the baggage belt.

Reverse culture shock was also real. After two weeks of warm Balinese hospitality, bargaining at markets, and slow family dinners, returning to the rush of school pick-ups and footy training felt jarring. We coped by cooking Indonesian-inspired meals at home for a few weeks, which kept the holiday feeling alive a little longer.

If we could offer one piece of advice to any Aussie family considering their first overseas trip, it would be this: stop waiting for the perfect moment. Book the flights, start a savings plan today, and trust that the small disasters will become the best stories. We spent years putting it off, and we are already planning where to go next.