The Ultimate Bali Honeymoon Guide

If you’re thinking about booking a Bali honeymoon, you’re in the right place. And, you’re thinking of the right place! I spent 11 days in Bali for my honeymoon and can confidently say that it’s a perfect honeymoon destination.  A Bali honeymoon is the perfect mix of beaches, luxury, romance, history and great food. 

If that sounds good to you, keep reading for my ultimate Bali honeymoon guide and itinerary.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click a link and make a purchase, I’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Why a Bali Honeymoon?

Balinese people are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met during my travels, and the level of hospitality in Bali can’t be matched.

Bali hotels also provide great value, and we were able to stay in five star hotels during our honeymoon for much less than it would have cost us to travel to the Maldives, Bora Bora or other traditional honeymoon destinations.

And – major plus!! – massages and other spa treatments are a fraction of the price that you’d pay back home. So you can indulge without breaking the bank.

Which Bali Destinations Should You Choose for your Honeymoon?

My Bali honeymoon guide explores 4 romantic destinations – Uluwatu, Ubud, Sidemen, and Nusa Dua.

We knew we would be exhausted once we finally arrived in Bali after our (amazing and fun and memorable) wedding weekend and long journey to Bali from NYC. That’s why we chose lower key destinations within Bali.

Since it was our honeymoon, we avoided visiting areas like Kuta beach and Canggu that are known for their nightlife and singles’ scenes.

We instead focused on seeing beautiful beaches, tranquil rice terraces and stunning hotels with jaw dropping infinity pools.

Bali Honeymoon Activity Level

Depending on your interests, you can make a trip to Bali as relaxing or active as you like.

Do you want to enjoy a cocktail beachside? Watch a fiery sunset? Go surfing? Hang out with monkeys? Go scuba diving? Or just lounge around a five star resort with your spouse and never leave?

Bali offers all of these and more.  Bali is a choose your own adventure type of place! This itinerary lets you enjoy the relaxed pace of Bali after one of the most exciting and exhausting milestones of your life.

OK, But Where’s My Husband in This Post? (LOL)

Just a heads up, my husband is pretty camera shy which is why all of the photos in this post are of me! He was the man behind the camera on this trip and I don’t think I will convince him to pose for any #couplegoals pics anytime soon.

General Bali Honeymoon Tips

Before I jump into our itinerary, here are a few general tips for planning your Bali honeymoon:

• Research Bali’s beaches before you book your hotels. If you’re after white sand beaches only, Bali doesn’t actually have too many of them. Uluwatu and Nusa Dua have Bali’s best white sand beaches. Or, you can head to the Gili islands which are known for their beautiful beaches.

• Stay at a hotel with an infinity pool. Bali has the best infinity pools I’ve ever seen!

• If you’re leaving for Bali right after your wedding, pack for your honeymoon before the wedding weekend! Otherwise, you’ll probably forget something important. Like your bikini or a toothbrush.

• You don’t need to bring Indonesian currency with you. It’s easy to withdraw cash at an ATM at Denpasar airport.

• If your hotel rate doesn’t include an airport transfer, you will easily be able to obtain a taxi at the airport’s taxi stand.

• You’ll probably be exhausted from your wedding weekend when you arrive. Don’t schedule anything hectic at the beginning of the honeymoon. Give yourselves the first couple of days to relax and just enjoy being newlyweds.
  
• Bali’s traffic is notorious. Leave plenty of wiggle room any time you are traveling anywhere by car.
  

Our Bali Honeymoon Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive in Denpasar and head to Uluwatu

We flew to Bali from NYC via Frankfurt. After over 24 long hours of travel, we landed at Denpasar airport.

We hit up an ATM to withdraw some Indonesian rupiahs (IDRs) and then grabbed a cab to our first hotel. It was easy to get a cab at the airport taxi stand. It cost us about $31 USD to get to our hotel in Uluwatu.

Denpasar to Uluwatu by Taxi

We had been told that using the ride sharing app Grab would be cheaper, but we found that Grab didn’t work in most parts of Bali. 

Although Uluwatu isn’t far from Denpasar airport (about 20 km), it took us over an hour to get to our hotel due to traffic. Bali has some of the worst traffic I have ever seen, so be prepared.

The drive from the airport initially had me nervous – Bali didn’t look like the paradise that I had imagined! It was so congested! It seemed kind of smoggy! We couldn’t see the beach!

Thankfully, my fears went away the moment we entered the Bukit Peninsula on the southern tip of Bali. The traffic died down, I could tell we were surrounded by coastline, and things started to have an overall more relaxed feeling.

The Best Ubud Hotel for a Bali Honeymoon

We stayed at the Suarga Padang Padang hotel in Uluwatu. The Suarga Padang Padang is a luxury eco-resort committed to sustainability.  The hotel is built on a cliff with two infinity pools that overlook the ocean and a white sand beach.

Bali only has a few white sand beaches, and some of the best can be found in Uluwatu. We had to walk down a long rickety staircase every day to reach Padang Padang beach – and it was worth it!

You might recognize Padang Padang beach from the movie Eat Pray Love. If it’s good enough for Julia Roberts, it’s good enough for us!

• 

• 

Days 2 and 3 – Utter Relaxation in Uluwatu

We spent our mornings in Uluwatu walking on the beach and then having leisurely breakfasts at the hotel. All of the hotels we stayed at during our honeymoon serve amazing breakfasts.

We spent our afternoons by the pool followed by spa treatments. Even at luxury hotels in Bali, massages are waaaaay cheaper than they are in North America. So, we splurged on spa treatments nearly every day during our Bali honeymoon!

Other notable beaches in the area are Bingin Beach and the beach at Sunday’s Beach Club. We were so jetlagged and exhausted that we decided to stick to the beach by our hotel.

Uluwatu is known for having some of the best sunsets in Bali. Our hotel was perfectly situated to catch the sunset each night of our stay.

We didn’t leave our hotel (mostly because we were extremely jet lagged), but we were told that you can also catch spectacular sunsets from the Rock Bar at the Ayana Resort + Spa.

• 

• 

DAY 4 – Head to Ubud

On Day 4, we took a taxi from Uluwatu to Ubud. Our taxi ride cost only about $34 USD but, due to Bali’s bumper to bumper traffic, took us about 3 hours.

The Best Ubud Hotel for your Bali Honeymoon

We stayed at the Komaneka at Tanggayuda Ubud, which has one of the most epic infinity pools I’ve ever seen!

We had initially considered staying at one of the more famous hotels in Ubud, but after doing some research we realized that the Komaneka at Tanggayuda Ubud offers the same level of luxury and service at a fraction of the price!

We splurged on a room with a view of the jungle and a private infinity pool. However, at only about $300 USD per night, this was a lot less than we expected to pay for such luxurious amenities. 

• 

• 

On our first day in Ubud, we explored the hotel, got settled into our room and then took a taxi into the town of Ubud. Our hotel was technically outside the town of Ubud and I’m extremely happy we chose to stay on the outskirts.

If you’re looking for peace and quiet and those famous jungle views during your honeymoon in Bali, I recommend that you look for a hotel just slightly outside of the Ubud town.

We were surprised at how busy and crowded Ubud is – it wasn’t the sleepy jungle town that we had imagined! It has a ton of shops and restaurants and its streets are crammed with sightseers.

Pursi Saren Palace + Exploring Ubud Town

Our first stop was visiting the Puri Saren palace. We then walked around the town, which has great shopping especially if you are looking for rattan bags or handicrafts – and then grabbed happy hour and a snack before returning to our hotel.

Getting Around Ubud

It can be hard to hail a taxi in Ubud and the Grab app doesn’t work in the area. Talk to your hotel about transportation options before you head into Ubud. Our hotel ran a shuttle van to and from Ubud town, which we used to get to and from the town throughout our stay. 

DAY 5 – Campuhan Ridge Walk

On day 5, we woke up early, had breakfast at the hotel and then took a taxi to the Campuhan Ridge Walk. The Campuhan Ridge Walk is a lush scenic walk with beautiful hilltop views.

Some people call it hiking or trekking, but honestly it’s more of a mellow scenic walk. The path is paved, so I was fine walking in sandals although I had brought sneakers just in case. I didn’t end up putting my sneakers on. 

I’m glad we went early, so we could get some relief from the crowds of Ubud town. Also, there is very little shade on the Campuhan Ridge Walk, so don’t forget to bring sunscreen!

At the end of the Campuhan Ridge Walk, you’ll arrive at Karsa Kafe, which is a cafe located within the rice fields of a tranquil spa. We didn’t try their food or spa treatments, but had some fresh juices in one of their huts near the main lotus pond.

After taking a break at Karsa Kafe, we turned around and walked all the way back into Ubud town. We didn’t see any taxis and Grab didn’t work in the area.

We were told by our hotel to set aside 2 hours for the Campuhan Ridge Walk if we planned to walk to the end and then walk back into Ubud town. For us, that included the time spent at Karsa Kafe, since we only did about an hour total of walking.

Ubud town was starting to get busy since it was now late morning, so we decided to head back to our hotel to enjoy some peace and quiet. After spending the afternoon enjoying our hotel’s pool and hot tub, we had planned to head into town for dinner.

But, right before we were going to leave, we felt an earthquake! Being New Yorkers, we had never been in an earthquake and had no idea what to do.

Our room was rocking, we could hear the water from our private infinity pool splashing out, and we just sat on the floor of our hotel room hugging each other.

Luckily, the earthquake stopped as quickly as it had started without any damage in the area (although the island of Lombok and the Gilis unfortunately weren’t so lucky). The hotel staff kindly checked on us and we decided to make it a quiet night in.

DAY 6 – Tegalalang Rice Terraces

We woke up on day 6, our last full day in Ubud, and were a bit bummed to find that it was raining. Before making any decisions, we had breakfast at the hotel’s main restaurant which has a spectacular view of the jungle. 

Getting to the Tegalalang Rice Terrace

Despite the rain, we decided to stick with our plan to visit the famous Tegalalang rice terrace. Since our hotel was in the outskirts of Ubud, we arranged for a hotel driver to take us there and back on a private excursion. 

Bring small bills and coins because you will be asked to pay donations to the locals multiple times as you progress through the rice terraces. These are usually in very small amounts, such as 10,000 IDR which is about $0.67 USD.

You will also be asked to pay a small fee (for example, 30,000 IDR which is about $2) to take photos at any of the famous signs, birds nests or swings.

• 

• 

My husband (HUSBAND! I’m still getting used to saying that!) and I had totally different opinions of the Tegalalang rice terrace.

He thought it was a total tourist trap and didn’t really enjoy them.I thought Tegalalang was an extremely beautiful place and had a lot of fun taking pics in the bird’s nest and at the other photo spots. We agreed to disagree, then went back to the hotel and spent the rest of the day relaxing poolside.

DAY 7 – Floating Breakfast then Sidemen

Before leaving Ubud, I had to try one of Bali’s famous floating breakfasts! The hotel staff at the Komaneka at Tanggayuda Ubud was lovely enough to prepare a feast for us on one of their floating trays.

We had our floating breakfast in the hotel’s smaller infinity pool that overlooks the jungle. Since it was early, we had the pool to ourselves!

This was the most memorable breakfast I’ve ever had, and it’s a romantic and unique honeymoon experience that you can only get in Bali.

• 

• 

Ubud to Sidemen

After we finished breakfast, we packed up and took a taxi to Sidemen. Sidemen is a small, sleepy, authentic town in Eastern Bali that is surrounded by rice terraces.

These are not the epic and steep rice terraces of Tegalalang full of tourists, but are smaller and have a more authentic feel.

The Best Sidemen Hotel for your Bali Honeymoon

Sidemen was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Ubud. We stayed at the Samanvaya, which is an eco-boutique hotel located directly on the rice terraces.

We had planned to hike the rice terraces during our stay, but it wasn’t possible in the rainy weather and muddy conditions. Instead, we walked on the town road and explored the area and enjoyed the hotel’s infinity pool. 

We ate our meals at the hotel’s restaurant which overlooks the rice terraces.

DAYS 8, 9 and 10 – Nusa Dua

We left Sidemen a day early because of the weather.

Sidemen is beautiful, tranquil and brings you back to the old Bali. But sadly it rained almost the entire time we were there.

Since we were staying in a small eco-hotel, we didn’t have any indoor rainy day options. Instead of feeling trapped in our room, we opted to head out a day early and chase the sun.

Originally, we had planned to take the ferry to Gili Meno to enjoy its white sand beaches. However, unfortunately, due to the earthquakes in the area, Gili Meno was being evacuated.

As you can see, we had a lot of mishaps and things that didn’t go according to plan during our honeymoon in Bali. But we still had an incredible trip.

Sidemen to Nusa Dua

After spending some rainy days in Bali’s rice terraces, we desperately wanted to close out our honeymoon on a white sand beach. Luckily, we snagged the last available room at The Bale in Nusa Dua.

I’m going to be honest – we originally had no interest in going to Nusa Dua. Nusa Dua is probably Bali’s most developed area with its biggest mega-resorts. We really wanted to stay in small luxury and boutique hotels.

But, our plans had change and Nusa Dua seemed to be the only place we could find a last minute hotel room near a white sand beach.

The Best Hotel in Nusa Dua for your Honeymoon

Thankfully, The Bale exceeded our expectations – it’s a small, intimate, adult’s only luxury hotel that has stunning private villas that are perfect for honeymooners.

Although it’s not located directly on the beach, it’s across the street from the beach and the friendly hotel staff will take you to the beach by golf cart at your request. You *could* walk to the beach, but the street is wide and busy and it’s much easier and more pleasant to go by golf cart.

• 

• 

The hotel has a private section of Geger Beach, which is one of Bali’s most beautiful wide stretches of goldish white sand.

The Bale was hands down my favorite hotel experience in Bali. Our villa was beyond luxurious. It was the size of a house, incredibly private, with a yard that had sun loungers, an outdoor bed and our own infinity pool.

There were even stairs from our villa that led directly into the pool (squeeeeeee!!!). Now THIS was the honeymoon resort of my dreams.

We spent our last few days enjoying the beach and our villa as well as the Bale’s incredible spa. We had originally planned to do a one day excursion to a different part of Bali, but after our first day at the Bale we knew we didn’t want to leave until check out!

If it hadn’t been our honeymoon, I would have felt more pressure to explore the area. But I’m so glad we decided to just relax and spend our final few days in the peaceful haven that is The Bale. 

Pro Tip: Book a Deluxe Single Pavilion at The Bale. They are more luxurious and also further from the busy road that runs through Nusa Dua.

Day 11 – Last Rays of Sun and Travel Home

We spent our last morning enjoying beautiful Geger beach and then headed to the airport. Our room rate at The Bale included an airport transfer and the ride was much quicker than our initial ride from the airport on day 1, because Nusa Dua is located near an expressway that heads to the airport. 

Wrap Up of Our Bali Honeymoon

All in all, we had an extremely relaxing honeymoon but felt that we had gotten a good balance of beaches, culture and spa treatments. I think the key to a great honeymoon in Bali is taking it at your own pace, and understanding that it’s okay to see a little bit less than you usually would on a vacation.

If you’ve been to Bali, I’d love to hear about it! Especially if you can recommend destinations that I should visit on my next trip. Although my honeymoon was my first trip to Bali, I don’t think it will be my last!

And if you’re planning your own honeymoon in Bali, feel free to ask me any questions in the comments!

xx

Vicki

LOVE THIS POST? PIN IT!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•