Worldschooling in Bali: Nature Schools, Short Stays, Nannies and Real Fees (2026)

Why Bali Keeps Coming Up for Worldschooling Families

In every worldschooling group we’re in, Bali comes up. Families ask about it, rave about it and argue about it. When we started researching it properly, I could see why.

The learning options are what pulled us in. Bali has nature schools, learning centres, worldschooling meetups and families doing every version of home education. For Louie, who’s nine, that meant real choices beyond us at the kitchen table.

One school stood out: the Wood School, near Ubud. We contacted them about Louie, and what we loved was the flexibility. You don’t have to commit to a full year, which very few schools offer. So if we went, we’d base ourselves near the Wood School. It’s the one decision that shaped everything else.

We haven’t lived in Bali yet. With Leo still in a pram, we chose Chiang Mai instead this time. And because Bali is so close to Australia, we wanted to explore further afield first. So this guide is built on official sources, school websites, our own enquiries and what families in our groups share. 🌴

The Short Answer

• Bali is one of the easiest places in Asia to worldschool. There are lots of families doing it, and plenty of programmes built around short stays.
• Short stays are possible, but not everywhere. The Wood School takes children for a few weeks at a time. Green School usually requires 12 months.
• Little ones are well covered. A nanny for a few hours a day looks far easier to arrange than in Europe or Australia.
• Before you book, check your visa, what each school needs from you, and how far your base is from the beach and the school run.

Why Bali Works for Worldschooling Families

A few things set Bali apart from most places we’ve researched. It isn’t perfect, though, so we’ve included the catches too.

The community is already there

Ubud, Canggu and Sanur all have established communities of worldschooling and homeschooling families. You won’t be starting from scratch. Meetups, co-op days and learning pods run regularly, and parents are usually happy to share what’s worked for them. Our guide to community and connection in Bali covers how to find them.

There’s a real range of options

Many nomad hubs offer a couple of international schools and not much else. In Bali, you’ll find nature-based schools, learning centres, international schools, learning pods and plenty of families teaching at home.

Some schools welcome short stays

This is the big one for worldschoolers. A handful of schools take children for a few weeks rather than a full year. That makes it possible to try a school without locking in a whole year of fees.

The catches

Bali isn’t the budget option it once was, and international school fees are high. Traffic is heavy, so your base decides which schools are realistic. Programmes also open and close often. We cover the bigger picture in our honest look at the downsides of Bali.

What Worldschooling in Bali Looks Like

Worldschooling in Bali rarely means one fixed approach. Most families mix things up: some structured learning at home, a nature programme or two each week, and the island doing the rest.

A typical week

• Mornings of maths and reading, from your own curriculum or one of the online programs travelling families use
• Two afternoons at a nature-based programme or learning pod
• A temple visit, a market trip or a craft workshop
• A surf lesson or a beach afternoon on the weekend

It’s flexible by design. Families shape the week around their kids’ interests, their own work hours and what’s on nearby. If you’re new to it, our worldschooling guide explains the basics, and homeschooling while travelling shows what our own days look like.

Plenty of families also unschool in Bali, letting children’s interests lead. Our unschooling guide explains how we blend it with other approaches.

Finding other families

Meetups, co-op days and learning pods come and go with the families in residence. The best way in is to join worldschooling groups for Ubud, Canggu or Sanur before you arrive and ask what’s running. Our worldschooling hubs directory is a good starting point.

Friendships matter as much as lessons. For kids who move often, regular sessions with the same group make a big difference. We’ve written more about this in worldschooling and socialisation.

Short-Stay and Nature-Based Schools

This is where Bali stands out for worldschoolers. Several schools here are built around outdoor, hands-on learning, and a few accept children for weeks rather than years.

Wood School

The Wood School in Pejeng, near Ubud, is the school we looked at most closely for Louie.

It’s a nature-based school for children aged 3 to 18. When we contacted them, they confirmed you don’t have to commit to a long enrolment. Worldschooling families can join for one to five weeks, booked by the week when space allows.

Worth knowing:

• Longer enrolments are billed per term, with a one-time enrolment fee of IDR 15,000,000 (about €735).
• Tuition isn’t published, so ask for current fees.
• It’s registered as a non-formal learning centre (LKP), not a formal school. Check what that means for your child’s records.
• Lessons are in English and Bahasa Indonesia, with a vegan food programme.

The catch for us was location. The Wood School only works if you live near it. Anywhere else in Bali, we’d keep worldschooling Louie ourselves.

Green School Bali

Green School Bali is the island’s best-known school. Its open-air bamboo campus sits in Sibang Kaja, south of Ubud, and it follows its own curriculum built around sustainability for ages 3 to 18.

It isn’t a short-stay option, though. Its 2026/27 fee schedule asks most students to enrol for at least 12 months, Early Years excepted. Tuition runs from about IDR 177.8 million to 319 million a year (roughly €8,700 to €15,600), plus admission fees for new students. Apply early, as places can be limited.

Kul Kul Farm

Near Green School, Kul Kul Farm is a separate permaculture farm that has run farm-based programmes and workshops for children. Check what’s currently on offer before you plan around it.

Open Flow Learning Centre

Open Flow is a nature-based learning centre with year-long enrolment and short programmes of at least 21 days. It highlights a low student-to-teacher ratio and outdoor learning in rice fields, rivers and the sea. Fees are by quote, so ask for current rates and check how far it is from your base.

Learning pods

Learning pods are small groups of children, led by parents or a hired teacher, that meet a few times a week. They often mix structured lessons with projects and time outdoors. Pods form and fold as families come and go, so ask in local groups for your area once you know your dates.

💡 Our tip: Before you book flights, ask every school three questions. What’s the minimum enrolment? What are the full first-year costs, including one-off fees? And which visa or stay permit does your child need?

International Schools in Bali

International schools suit families staying a year or more, especially with older kids who need recognised qualifications. Most expect a full school year, so they’re less useful for short-stay worldschooling. For other cities, see our directory of international schools for nomad families.

Bali Island School

Formerly Bali International School, Bali Island School is the island’s oldest international school, in Sanur. It teaches the full IB programme from age 3 to 18. Ask the school for current fees.

Canggu Community School

Canggu Community School takes children aged 3 to 17. It follows the English National Curriculum in the early and primary years, then Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma. Published 2026/27 tuition is about IDR 117 million to 272 million a year (roughly €5,700 to €13,300).

ProEd Global School

ProEd Global School has campuses in Umalas and Nuanu and teaches the Cambridge curriculum. It’s known for its inclusive approach and support for children with additional learning needs. Ask for current fees.

Sunrise School

Sunrise School in Kerobokan is an international community school for children aged 1 to 15. It uses the IEYC, IPC and IMYC international curricula. Published 2026/27 tuition is about IDR 72.75 million to 145.25 million a year (roughly €3,600 to €7,100), plus a registration fee for new students.

Nannies and Childcare for Little Ones

Leo is two, and he wouldn’t go to daycare in Bali yet. But a nanny is a different story.

From everything we’ve researched and heard from other families, finding a nanny in Bali looks much easier and more affordable than in Europe or Australia. Many work with expat families and speak some English. For us, a few hours of help each day would mean Marty and I could actually work while Louie is at school or a programme.

If you’re hiring a nanny

• Ask other families in your area what they pay, as rates vary.
• Meet in person first and ask for references.
• Do a paid trial session before agreeing to regular hours.

Playgroups and early years programmes

Playgroups and early years sessions run in Ubud, Canggu and Sanur, and they’re a good way to meet other parents. They change often, so check what’s running when you arrive.

A note on au pairs

You’ll see au pair platforms suggested for Bali. Hosting a foreign au pair in Indonesia raises work permit questions, so check the rules carefully before going down that route. A local nanny is the simpler option.

Learning Outside the Classroom

Surf lessons

Surf lessons were high on our list for Louie. Kuta Beach is where most beginners learn in Bali, and some surf schools take children from age five.

There’s a trade-off here, though. Living near the Wood School puts you inland, and getting to Kuta could take 1 to 1.5 hours each way, depending on traffic. So surf lessons would be a weekend outing for us, not an after-school habit. If surfing matters more to your family than a particular school, a base closer to the coast makes more sense.

Bahasa Indonesia

Bahasa Indonesia is one of the friendlier languages for kids to start on. It’s written in the Latin alphabet and spelled the way it sounds. Children who stay a few weeks or more often pick up words at markets, in shops and while playing with local kids. A few lessons early on make those first conversations easier.

Culture, nature and the island itself

Balinese dance and gamelan music classes are easy to find around Ubud. Cooking classes, temple visits, rice field walks and snorkelling in calm water off Sanur all count as learning too. Ask about dress codes and etiquette before temple visits, and make it part of the lesson.

Visas, School Enrolment and the Legal Side

Before you plan around a school, check what your visa allows. Visitor visas are for short stays and don’t allow remote work. Full-time school enrolment usually needs a stay permit (ITAS), for example as a dependant on a parent’s longer-stay visa.

Short programmes are less clear-cut. Ask each school what documents it needs before you book flights.

Indonesia’s home education rules are written for Indonesian citizens. For foreign families, the real question is your visa status, not a homeschooling registration. If you’re staying long term, keep simple records of your child’s learning in case you ever need them.

Our Bali visa guide covers the options, and our worldschooling legal guide explains how this works country by country. Always check current details on Indonesia’s official e-visa site.

Where to Base Your Family

In Bali, where you live and how your kids learn are often the same decision. Traffic makes long school runs tiring, so pick your learning setup first.

• Near Ubud: the best choice for nature schools and the biggest worldschooling scene. It’s where we’d base ourselves, because of the Wood School. The downside is the distance from the beach. Our Ubud guide has the details.
• Canggu: the busiest hub, with the most families and international schools. You’ll also get the most traffic and the highest rents.
• Sanur: calmer, with a flat beachfront path that works with a pram. Bali Island School is here, but there are fewer short-stay learning options.

For a wider comparison, see the best places to live in Bali and our guide to family accommodation in Bali.

Before You Arrive: Practical Tips

A little preparation makes the first weeks much smoother.

• Join worldschooling groups for your area and ask what’s running for your kids’ ages.
• Contact schools 4 to 8 weeks ahead, or earlier for Green School and the international schools.
• Check which visa or stay permit each school needs for your child.
• Budget for one-off school fees, not just tuition. Our Bali cost of living guide shows how school fees fit into a family budget.
• Visit schools in person before committing to a long enrolment.
• Stay flexible. Many families change their setup a few weeks in, and that’s completely normal.

FAQs: Worldschooling in Bali

Is Bali good for worldschooling?

Yes, it’s one of the easiest places in Asia to start. There are established worldschooling communities, nature-based schools and a few short-stay options. The trade-offs are traffic, rising costs and programmes that change often.

Can children join a school in Bali for a few weeks?

Some schools allow it. The Wood School takes worldschooling families for one to five weeks when space allows, and Open Flow runs programmes from 21 days. Most international schools, and Green School, expect a full year.

Do children need a special visa to attend school in Bali?

Full-time enrolment usually needs a stay permit (ITAS), often as a dependant on a parent’s visa. For short programmes, ask the school what it needs and check Indonesia’s official e-visa site.

How much do schools in Bali cost?

Published 2026/27 tuition ranges from about €3,600 a year at Sunrise School to €15,600 at Green School, plus one-off fees. Some schools only share fees on request.

Can foreign families homeschool in Bali?

Many do. Indonesia’s home education rules are aimed at its own citizens, so for foreign families the key issue is having the right visa. Keep simple records of your child’s learning on longer stays.

Where should worldschooling families stay in Bali?

Near Ubud for nature schools and the biggest worldschooling scene. Canggu for international schools and a busy social life. Sanur for a calmer base with young children.

Is it easy to find a nanny in Bali?

From our research, it looks much easier and more affordable than in Europe or Australia. Ask local families for recommendations and current rates, check references and start with a paid trial.

How old do kids need to be for surf lessons in Bali?

Some surf schools take children from age five, though minimum ages vary. Kuta Beach is the main spot for beginners.

How do we find other worldschooling families in Bali?

Join worldschooling groups for Ubud, Canggu or Sanur before you arrive, then go to meetups and co-op days. Regular programmes are the easiest way for kids to make friends.

Our Takeaways

Bali doesn’t make worldschooling effortless, but it makes it easier than most places. The families are there, the programmes are there, and some schools actually welcome short stays.

For us, it comes down to one choice: pick your learning setup first, then your base. For Louie, that would mean living near the Wood School and saving surf lessons for the weekends. Leo would stay home with a nanny for a few hours while we work.

Bali is still on our list. When we do go, we’ll update this guide with what we actually find. 🌍

School fees and programme details were checked in October 2026. They change often, so always confirm directly with each school before enrolling.