Balancing Dive Time and Family Time with Great Nannies in Tulamben

The sun is just cresting the horizon, casting golden light on Mount Agung. The water in Tulamben bay is flat calm, and porters are already carrying tanks toward the entry point of the world-famous USAT Liberty wreck. Conditions are perfect.

But back in your bungalow, your two-year-old is still sound asleep.

This is the diving parent’s ultimate dilemma: the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) on a world-class dive versus the guilt and anxiety of leaving your little ones behind in a strange place.

Many parents assume a diving trip to Tulamben is impossible with young kids. They imagine one parent sadly snorkeling on the surface while the other dives, constantly swapping duties and never sharing an experience.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Tulamben is actually uniquely suited for diving families, provided you know how to navigate the local childcare options.

Here is how to find trusted “surface support” so you can log those bottom times guilt-free.

1. The Tulamben Advantage: Why It Works for Families

Before discussing nannies, it’s important to understand why Tulamben is easier for parents than, say, Nusa Penida or Komodo.

• Shore Diving is King: The best dives here (The Liberty Wreck, Coral Garden, The Drop Off) are shore entries. You gear up on the beach, walk in, dive, and walk out.

• Short Absences: Because there are no long boat rides, a typical two-tank morning dive trip might only have you away from your room for 2.5 to 3 hours total. It’s much easier to leave a child for a morning than an entire day out on a boat.

2. Finding the Nanny: The Village Network

Forget slick websites or Instagram nanny accounts. Tulamben is a small, tight-knit village ecosystem revolving around fishing and diving.

In the south of Bali, you hire a nanny based on her CV. In Tulamben, you hire based on community reputation.

The Golden Rule: The Dive Resort Referral The most reliable way to secure trusted childcare is through your accommodation or attached dive center.

• How it works: The nanny you hire will almost certainly be a relative of the dive staff—the sister of your dive guide, the wife of the restaurant cook, or the cousin of the security guard.

• Why it’s safe: In a Balinese village, reputation is everything. A local woman will not risk her family’s standing in the community (or her relative’s job at the resort) by providing poor care. This “social collateral” is your best background check.

Action Step: Email your dive resort at least two weeks before arrival.

“We are excited to dive the Liberty. We are traveling with our [age]-year-old child. Do you have trusted staff members, or female relatives of staff members, who provide babysitting services in the mornings while we dive? We need someone from 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM.”

3. The “Underwater Protocol”: Managing Anxiety

Since you cannot be reached underwater, you must establish clear safety protocols before you descend. This is for your peace of mind as much as the child’s safety.

• The Chain of Command: Introduce the nanny to the Dive Center Manager or the Hotel Front Desk staff. Instruct the nanny explicitly: “If my child gets sick, hurt, or cries uncontrollably, do not wait for us to surface. Go immediately to Bli Wayan [Manager’s Name] at the desk.” The manager then becomes the guardian until you return.

• The Water Safety Rule: Tulamben beaches are rocky and safe, but many resorts have pools. It is a hard reality that many village women in East Bali cannot swim well.

  • Ask: “Can you swim?”

  • The Rule: If they aren’t a strong swimmer, set a non-negotiable boundary: No pool time while parents are diving. They must stay in the restaurant, garden, or room.

4. A Sample “Balanced Day” Itinerary

Here is how a typical day in Tulamben looks when you balance diving and family:

• 06:30 AM: Nanny arrives at your bungalow. You have a quick coffee with her, hand over the toddler and the iPad/toys.

• 07:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Parents enjoy a two-tank dive on the Liberty Wreck and Coral Garden. (The nanny sits on the bungalow porch or takes the child for a walk in the resort garden to see the chickens).

• 10:30 AM: Parents return, shower. Nanny handoff.

• 12:00 PM: Family lunch together at the resort restaurant.

• 02:00 PM: Everyone naps during the heat of the day.

• 04:00 PM: Family time. Take the kids down to the pebble beach. The water is usually calm enough in the afternoons for parents to take turns snorkeling the shallows right off the beach with older kids, while the other parent stacks stones on the shore with the toddler.