As 7-year-old Jack reaches out for her hand, Sugiati Naman lets out a bashful, beaming smile. For more than 20 years this Balinese woman has overseen such moments at the InterContinental Bali Resort's resident kids club.
Three years ago the service was relaunched as Planet Trekkers, the brand's international standard of in-house play and educational facilities.
As toddlers chase a ball around Sugiati's feet and studious girls work at beaded bracelets on a table in the corner, the parents are likely lazing on the beach, safe in the knowledge that from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, their offspring will be happy under the gaze of Sugiati's nine-strong team. Regular excursions include sea fishing, treasure hunts and twice-weekly turtle releases.
And who can blame the parents? Wandering around the luxury resort is about as close as it gets to the postcard bliss of travel marketers' dreams: a large but elegant property on a more than six-tenths of a mile stretch of idyllic golden sands, housing an excellent spa and a half-dozen dining options, including the mouthwatering Ko Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge.
But this is more than just a postcard ideal; it's the resort's distinctly Balinese architectural flourishes, and the liberal use of local artwork, which place you firmly in the picture.
Rates at the InterContinental Bali Resort start at about $230 per night; see http://bali.intercontinental.com.