Traveling Alone With 3 Kids: Our Crazy Journey to Bali

Traveling alone with 3 kids to Bali sounded completely manageable when I booked the tickets. At least that’s what I told myself.

Before I tell you about the beautiful beaches, temples and everything else we experienced during our first trip to Bali, I need to dedicate a very honest post to something slightly less glamorous: Actually getting there. Alone. With three kids.

My husband, Mass, had left for Bali about a week before us to attend a workshop. When we were planning the trip, I remember thinking: “What’s the big deal? I can totally do this!”

Let’s look at what “this” actually involved. I had to close up our house in Arizona, load three kids and all our luggage into the car, drive from Phoenix to Los Angeles, get everyone through the airport and then survive a 13-and-a-half-hour flight followed by another five-hour flight. All by myself. With Cosimo, who was eight. Emma, who was seven. And Luca…who was 15 months old.

Then, once we finally reached Bali, I would have three days alone with them in a completely new country before meeting up with Mass.

Piece of cake. Right? Maybe not completely.

Why Was I Flying to Bali Without Mass?

Thankfully, this wasn’t going to become our normal way of traveling.

Mass had gone ahead because of his workshop, so the kids and I would meet him in Bali.

At the time, we were already thinking about the much bigger adventure we hoped to begin the following year: traveling around the world as a family of five.

That trip would be together.

But first, apparently, I needed to prove to myself that I could get three kids halfway around the world alone!

And now that I’ve done it? I can definitely say I have that experience under my belt.

When Mom Has to Cover Both Roles

Something interesting happened once Mass left. I realized that when you’re temporarily covering both parenting roles, a completely different kind of strength appears. There was nobody else to hand a tired child to. Nobody else to watch the bags while I took someone to the bathroom. Nobody else to figure out where we were supposed to go. Nobody else to say:“You deal with this one. I’ll deal with that one.”

It was me.

And suddenly I felt a little like a mama bear. These were my three cubs and I was getting them to Bali.

During those days, I experienced an incredible amount of kindness. People helped me. They let us go ahead. They gave me understanding looks when things weren’t going perfectly. And I was incredibly grateful for every single one of them.

Of course, I encountered a little rudeness too. And in those moments, I learned something else. I could stand up for myself and my kids when I needed to. Or sometimes I could simply walk away. Both were okay.

First Challenge: Getting From Phoenix to Los Angeles

Before we could even think about flying to Bali, we had to get to Los Angeles International Airport.

We had looked at flying from Phoenix, but at the time it would have cost us around $300 extra per ticket and involved a 12-hour layover at LAX.

Twelve hours sitting in an airport with three kids repeatedly asking: “Is it time to board yet?”

No, thank you. So I decided driving to Los Angeles alone with them would somehow be easier. Looking back, I’m not entirely sure how I came to that conclusion! But that was the plan.

And before we had even properly left Phoenix, I made my first mistake. I wanted to leave the house at 8 am. But because I was alone, everything took longer than expected. I was closing up the house. Packing the last things. Checking the luggage. Getting three kids ready. Making sure we hadn’t forgotten anything.

Eventually, we pulled away at around 11 am. Twenty minutes later, I realized something. I had left all our travel documents at home. Back we went.

By the time we actually left Phoenix, it was around noon. Thankfully, our flight wasn’t until 12:30 am!

And that became lesson number one before we’d even reached the airport: When you’re traveling alone with three kids, whatever amount of extra time you think you need…add more.

Breaking Up the Drive to Los Angeles

Since we had several hours of driving ahead of us, I knew we needed to stop somewhere along the way.

We stopped in Palm Springs and had an early pizza at our friend’s restaurant, Spaghetteria. It ended up being exactly what we needed. The kids could get out of the car, move around, eat some good pizza and chat for a while.

And, most importantly…Mommy got a little break!

Then it was back in the car for the final stretch to Los Angeles.

By the time we arrived at the airport, it was already way past the kids’ bedtime. I was basically walking around LAX with three little zombies.

Getting Three Tired Kids Through LAX

Thankfully, this was one of those moments when traveling alone with three kids actually worked in my favor.

People saw me coming!

At check-in, they let us skip the line and go first, which at that point felt like winning the lottery.

Then came the carry-on. The man at the counter told me that my bag was way overweight. So, with my sweetest and most angelic expression, I explained that I was traveling alone and had to carry everything I needed for the baby. And…My bag got the passing tag!

Security went surprisingly smoothly too. Maybe nobody wanted to be responsible for keeping a mother with three exhausted kids, especially one very grumpy 15-month-old, in a line any longer than necessary. Whatever the reason, I was grateful!

My Brilliant Plan to Make the Kids Sleep

Once we were through security, I found the airport play area.

I had a plan. The kids were already exhausted, but I thought that if I let them play and burn off whatever energy they had left, they would get onto our 13-and-a-half-hour flight, fall asleep and stay asleep for hours. Then I could sleep too.

Perfect plan. Except apparently Luca hadn’t received the memo. Cosimo and Emma did pretty well and slept for about six hours.

Luca actually started out even better. He fell asleep while we were waiting to board. He slept while we got onto the plane. He slept through takeoff. He even slept through dinner.

I remember looking at him thinking: This is going amazingly well.

And then…He woke up.

A Very Awake 15-Month-Old on a 13-Hour Flight

Luca wasn’t just awake. He was WIDE awake and ready to go!

Those hours felt endless. He wandered around our seats. We walked up and down near the bathrooms. I tried to keep him entertained without waking everyone else. And I changed his diaper at least five times. This video shows you how active he was!

Meanwhile, Cosimo and Emma were sleeping peacefully.

Eventually, Luca finally fell asleep again. And this is where I made the mistake I would remember for the rest of the trip. A flight attendant told me they were going to move the passenger sitting next to us, which would give me an empty seat where I could lay Luca down.

My gut immediately told me: Keep him in your arms. He was sleeping. I was exhausted. But at least he was sleeping.

Still, the idea of finally being able to put him down was too tempting. So I did. Shortly afterward, the passenger who had been moved came back because the TV at the other seat wasn’t working.

And yes… Luca woke up. And this time he never fell asleep again.

Lesson learned. Sometimes Mama really does know best.

The Second Flight Was…Slightly Better

Our second flight was a little easier.

Luca actually slept for about half of it. Unfortunately, he woke up at exactly the moment dinner arrived. Have you ever tried eating an airplane meal with a 15-month-old sitting on your lap who wants to touch everything?

Hands in the tray. Hands near the food. Hands grabbing whatever they could reach.

Needless to say, quite a bit of my dinner ended up on the floor.

At that point, I wasn’t even surprised anymore.

I was just trying to get us to Bali!

We Made It to Bali!

By the time we finally landed, I was beyond exhausted.

We collected our things, made it through the airport and got into the car that would take us to where we were staying. And then something happened that hadn’t happened nearly enough during the journey.

Everyone fell asleep. Including me.

I passed out in the backseat with the kids.

But we had done it. From Phoenix to Los Angeles, across the Pacific, through our connection and finally all the way to Bali.

One mom. Three kids. And very, very little sleep.

Now that we’d survived the journey, I had learned a few things about traveling alone with kids. Quite a few, actually.

Lessons I Learned From Traveling Alone With 3 Kids

By the time we reached Bali, I had learned quite a few things about traveling alone with three kids. Some were practical. Some were about the kids. And some were definitely about me.

1. Give Yourself Much More Time Than You Think You Need

This lesson started before we even left Phoenix. My plan had been to leave the house at 8 am. Instead, I left at 11 am, drove for about 20 minutes and then realized I’d left all our travel documents at home. So back we went.

We finally left Phoenix at around noon. Luckily, our flight wasn’t until 12:30 am, so we still had plenty of time. But it taught me very quickly that when you’re the only adult responsible for the house, luggage, documents and three children, everything takes longer. If you think you need an extra hour, give yourself three.

2. Break Up a Long Travel Day

Stopping in Palm Springs for an early pizza at our friend’s restaurant Spaghetteria turned out to be one of the best decisions I made. The kids had a chance to move around and eat something before another long stretch in the car, and I had a chance to stop being the driver for a little while. When you’re traveling with kids, sometimes getting somewhere as quickly as possible isn’t actually the easiest option. A break can make the entire journey feel more manageable.

3. Always Find the Airport Play Area

This became one of my favorite travel tricks. Whenever there was a play area at an airport, we used it. We found one in Los Angeles and another during our connection in Taipei. After sitting in a car or airplane for hours, the kids desperately needed somewhere they could move.

It also gave them something to do besides asking me every five seconds: “Is it time to board yet?” And Mommy’s brain desperately needed a break from that question!

Did it guarantee that Luca would sleep on the plane? Clearly not. But I still considered it a win.

4. Don’t Let Other People’s Looks Get to You

Flying with a crying baby is hard enough. Flying alone with a crying baby while knowing that people around you are trying to sleep makes it even harder.

There were moments when I could feel people looking at us. And yes, sometimes those weren’t particularly friendly looks.But what exactly was I supposed to do?

Luca was 15 months old. He wasn’t crying because he wanted to ruin someone’s flight. He was tired, uncomfortable and completely out of his routine. I was already doing everything I could. At the same time, there were also people who smiled at me, offered help or simply gave me that look that said: “You’re doing okay.”

Those were the people I chose to notice. Always focus on the good, not the bad.

5. Be Flexible, You Might Not Get the Best Seat

Or, apparently, you might not get a seat at all! We had bought three seats for the four of us because Luca was still young enough to travel as a lap infant. That sounded reasonable when we booked the tickets. After several hours on the plane? Not quite as reasonable!

At one point, the kids were stretched out sleeping across the seats, so I sat on the floor while I tried to eat dinner and watch a movie. My luxurious long-haul experience! It didn’t last very long, but by then I had stopped expecting anything to go according to plan. Sometimes traveling with kids is simply about making whatever situation you have work.

6. Trust Your Gut

This was probably my biggest lesson from the flight. When Luca finally fell asleep in my arms, something told me: Don’t move him.

Then the opportunity came to put him down in an empty seat. I ignored my instinct. He woke up. And I spent the next several hours entertaining him.

Could he have woken up anyway? Of course. But that experience reminded me that I know my kids better than anyone else.

Sometimes you have to listen to that little voice saying: “Don’t do it!” Especially when a sleeping toddler is involved.

7. Let the Older Kids Help

Cosimo and Emma were eight and seven, so they were old enough to help me. Did they volunteer enthusiastically every time? Absolutely not. At one point, I had to remind them that I hadn’t slept all night and that “mean mommy” might make an appearance if they didn’t start helping!

Amazing how quickly that worked.

I still had to keep an eye on everything, of course. Sometimes I’d ask them to watch Luca and two seconds later they’d become distracted by something else. Then my voice would immediately redirect them!

But this trip was also a reminder that we were a team. I didn’t have Mass there, so all of us had to help each other a little more.

And Then…Forget About the Journey

Once you finally arrive, there’s one last lesson: Let it go.

The lack of sleep. The crying. The food on the airplane floor. The diaper changes. The grumpy looks. The fact that at one point your best available seat was literally the floor. You made it. Be proud of yourself for accepting the challenge and then enjoy where you are.

Of course, I also learned one other very important thing: Daddy gets to stay awake with Luca on the flight home!

Just kidding. Well…Maybe only partly.

Would I Travel Alone With 3 Kids Again?

Looking back at this post now, years after I originally wrote it, this trip feels even more significant.

At the time, we hadn’t started traveling full-time yet. That would happen the following year.

I didn’t know how many flights, airports, countries, long travel days and unexpected situations were waiting for us.

I was simply trying to get three kids to Bali by myself. But experiences like this were slowly showing me something. We could do hard things.

Traveling with kids wasn’t always going to be easy or beautiful.

There would be exhaustion, crying, missed sleep and plans that completely fell apart.

But there would also be kindness from strangers, funny stories we’d remember years later and that incredible feeling when you finally arrive somewhere and realize:

We did it.

And when we finally reached our villa in Bali, the kids could swim, play and enjoy being free again.

As for me? I could finally stop worrying about getting everyone to Bali. At least until it was time to fly home.

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Continue the journey with:

If you are planning a trip to Bali, these stops should definitely be on your radar:

• The Magical Gili Islands with Kids: Gili Trawangan & Gili Meno
• 9 Amazing Things to Do in Candidasa with Kids: A Family Guide Malaysian Borneo: Wildlife, Ecotourism, and Adventure
• 8 Fun Things to Do in Canggu with Kids: Our Family Experience
• Best Beaches in Uluwatu for Families: 4 Beautiful Beaches We Tried

I hope our experience helps you plan an unforgettable Bali adventure of your own!