A honeymoon is that time when couples and “just married” ones want to escape their day-to-day reality to disconnect for a couple of days/weeks into their romance and embed themselves into unforgettable memories. One of the most amazing places to carry on that memorable honeymoon is the island of Bali, Indonesia.
Bali, also known as “The Island of the gods”, is by far, one of the most unique places on the planet.
Nestled among vibrant green rice terraces, surrounded by volcanoes and thick jungle, Bali is a tropical paradise famous for its unique culture, historic heritage, tasty food, its temples, oceans and surfing atmosphere.
But, is Bali a good place for a honeymoon?
Yes. Bali is a special and unique island in so many ways. Home to white sandy beaches, lush rainforests, endemic wildlife, both in the land and the sea and a place for endless things to do and explore, Bali has a lot to offer to honeymooners. From couples who desire adventure and excitement to those who seek relaxation in infinity pools and shallow beaches. Combined with its natural beauty, cultural heritage, tropical weather, (perfect all year round) and genuine cuisine, Bali is a perfect place for a honeymoon to gather memories for a lifetime.
Bali is simply a gorgeous tropical place ideal for not only backpackers and budget travellers but also for couples seeking a romantic gateway and for honeymooners alike! In fact, Bali offers a super wide array of accommodation types for all honeymooners, no matter what the budget is. From resorts and high-end villas to hostels and share-houses. Bali will offer something that will suit any couple's budget and style.
Bali is, in a few words, an ideal location for a honeymoon vacation. It provides the perfect mix of adventure and excitement, relaxation and self-encounter experiences.
Lastly, Bali will offer honeymooners high levels of romance by helping them gather forever memories. From sipping cocktails overlooking stunning sunsets to the most romantic sunrises on secluded beaches stay in love with your soulmate on this island and have a great romantic time together.
In summary, below are the reasons why Bali is good for a honeymoon!
- Loads of activities and places to explore(among others):
- Swimming, scuba diving and snorkelling. Sharks, dolphins and turtles are easy to spot.
- Surfing and kite surfing.
- Hiking and waterfalls discovery.
- Rafting.
- Horse riding.
- Temple sighting and religious rituals.
- Traditional music and dance festivals.
- Balinese museums.
- Balinese cooking classes.
- Yoga & meditation.
- Rice terrace strolls.
- Sacred monkey forest.
- Elephant Safari Park.
- Dolphin Bay.
- Day trips to Nusa Penida Island, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Cenigan and Gili islands.
- Bali is naturally romantic with its secluded tropical beaches, spectacular rock formations, cliff temples and lush forests, Bali will allow honeymooners to experience some best sunsets in the world.
- Bali has the perfect weather. Wonderful tropical climate all year round. Although there is a wet season, Bali does not experience extreme events like hurricanes or dangerous storms. It is perfect for honeymooners and couples alike, as the temperature rarely goes below 25 degrees Celsius and the average temperature is between 26-30 degrees Celsius.
- Balinese food is one of the top activities to do. Bali is a foodie’s paradise. The food in Bali is delicious. Not only it has its own favourable cuisine but also other wide arrays of Asian fusion dishes. From cheap street food and roadside food stands to high-end cuisine in top-rated restaurants. Bali offers options to everyone. Simple local dishes such as Nasi Campur, Nasi Goreng and Masakan Padang can make your honeymoon an absolute dream.
- Bali’s natural beauty is breathtaking. Bali is colourful from all angles. Vibrant sunsets and sunrises, lovely emerald green rice terraces, turquoise ocean, exceptionally beautiful temples, sharp brown cliffs and eye-catching foods.
- Easy to navigate and to get around. Everything in Bali is nearby and easily reachable, after all, it is a small island. The road infrastructure will allow you to get around quickly by motorbike and honestly not so much by car. It is possible but the traffic jams are huge. With a moppet is so easy to explore the island and to park anywhere, as well as it is super budget friendly and fuel-efficient too! Anyone in Bali will have moppets to rent.
- Bali is safe. From a social safety point of view, while petty crime exists in Bali such as theft, bag snatching and drink spiking, Bali is generally safe. From a personal safety overview no major health issues such as tropical diseases but still there is some Dengue virus transmission, although it doesn’t represent a big deal for foreigners. Also, watch out for the water as it can affect your belly.
- Spiritualism. Bali is Hindu, unlike most of Indonesia, which is of the Muslim religion. There are tons of spiritual clarity rituals available to travellers to engage in personal and holistic journeys and to learn how to find inner mental peace.
- Endless accommodation choices. From simple beach cabins or bungalows to luxury resorts and villas with a lot of mid-ground options too. All couples would definitely find their dream honeymoon gateway. See below in this post for more in-depth information about honeymoon accommodations.
What are the best honeymoon destinations in Bali?
Whilst anywhere in Bali could be a fantastic option for your honeymoon, the most popular places for honeymooners and our particular top-rated areas are:
Seminyak.
It is by far one of the main beach towns on the island. It attracts tons of tourists but it is also possible to find some more secluded spots for honeymooners who want to feel the magic of the island.
There are a few highlights of spending a couple of days of your honeymoon in Seminyak. It offers so many hotels and restaurant options, it is super budget-friendly, and it is a vibrant part of the island to enjoy the nightlife, not only because of the many nightclubs in the area but also because of the lively sunset bars or sunset chill-out areas. Pretty cool.
It is also super close to the airport so it is a very convenient area to either start or end your honeymoon trip.
Seminyak is also close to Kuta. This is a very popular, casual and low-key surf town, where the nightlife is what makes it famous. It is the party area. It is great for a couple of drinks but honeymooners, usually tend to stay closer to Seminyak as a more calm-down scene.
Some of the best hotel options for a honeymoon in Seminyak are Anantara Seminyak and The Legian Seminyak. These are our top favourites.
Nusa Dua Beach.
This is one of the most romantic beach gateways on the island, where you can enjoy the white sand and clear blue waters. There is an offshore reef bordering the beach where couples can get fantastic swimming and snorkelling sessions in the lagoon.
If you need a break from the water fun and fancy a more chill activity, then head to either of the three golf courses in Nusa Dua. These are Bali Golf and Country Club, the Nusa Dua Golf Course and the Amanusa Golf Course. It is really fun.
Nusa Dua is also very close to the airport, about 13 km which also makes it convenient to spend a couple of days there. There are many resorts, hotels and bungalows available for newlyweds and honeymooners alike!
Our top favourites are The Laguna, Resort & Spa and the Westin Resort Nusa Dua. There are also tons of dining options, coffee stores chill-out areas.
Jimbaran Bay.
Not far from Seminyak, you will find Jimbaran Bay, an amazing upscale beach town. Perfect place if you wish to test your surfing skills. There are schools where you can get an instructor and learn how to surf or if you are a more advanced surfer, it is a great place too.
There are also little natural pools around the beach where you can enjoy your daily dips as well as phenomenal snorkelling sessions.
To finish off your cool days enjoying the ocean and beach relaxation, you can visit the multiple temples nearby and indulge in your honeymoon celebration in any of the al fresco restaurants for an amazing tropical atmosphere.
Our favourite accommodations for a honeymoon in Jimbaran Bay are The Amarta Villa and the Jimbaran Puri, A Belmond Hotel.
Ubud.
Take a break from the ocean and paradisiac beach to enter the Balinese jungle. Ubud is a place located between forests, rivers, rice terraces and valleys. In our opinion, Ubud is the ultimate exceptional honeymoon destination in Bali. It is also the artistic and culturally richest part of the island where you can find hidden temples everywhere as well as visit iconic places like the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary.
Our top-rated accommodations for a honeymoon in Ubud are the Bisma Eight Hotel, the Pita Maha Resort & Spa and the Chapung Se Bali Resort and Spa.
Other incredible places to visit ( more like day trips) while in a honeymoon in Bali are:
- Gili Islands
- Nusa Lembongan
- Canggu
- Denpasar
- Nusa Penida
- Nusa Ceningan
- Munduk
What is the best time to visit Bali for a honeymoon?
Another perfect reason why Bali is a popular and formidable place for a honeymoon is Bali’s great climate. Bali island is blessed with fantastic weather all year round making it a perfect place to celebrate your honeymoon.
Bali is a tropical paradise born with natural beauty, which is a great place to visit at any time of the year, really. Just like any other tropical place, any pacific island or any country in Southeast Asia, Bali has two very differentiated seasons. The rainy and the dry season.
Hence, that the best time of the year to enjoy your honeymoon in Bali is from February until April, even the beginning of May. This is to avoid extreme climatic events like high heat or high season/humidity.
Another great gap month where the weather is not too sunny would be from May through October, although you can count on rain almost every day but with moderate temperatures.
In contrast, if you don’t mind having some rain and showers more often (although they usually don’t last all day every day) then November through January would be the ideal months for your honeymoon vacation. This time of the year would offer extra advantages, as it is the off-peak season when prices of both flights and hotels are lower and the island is much less crowded.
In summary, what the best time is to visit Bali for your honeymoon, really depends on each honeymooner's preferences. If a couple is fully drawn to hiking mountains and waterfalls and getting toasted on the beaches, then the dry season good be perfect.
If you would like to get a mix of beach time, cooler temperatures, pool and snorkelling time in clear waters, then the wet or semi-wet season is the one we recommend as it will give honeymooners the perfect Bali overview with cheaper prices and fewer people around.
What are the best places to eat and drink in Bali during a honeymoon?
- Warung Ibu Oka: It is known for all spicy food and particularly for its chicken satay skewers!
- Nusantara Restaurant: If you wish to try traditional Indonesian food openly for the tables to see it. Amazing place.
- The Potato Head Beach Club: A super casual place to watch a beautiful sunset over the ocean, as you enjoy your meal with your loved one.
- Sea Circus: This place is incredible, especially if you wish to spend a different and fun dinner with your soulmate. They offer underwater dinner shows and even night diving packages together with dinner! This is a must-try on all Bali honeymoon trips!
- MoonLite Kitchen and Bar & Sunset in Seminyak. Another fantastic place to watch the sunset over the ocean with beautiful Asian-inspired cuisine.
- Bebek Tepi Sawah in Ubud. This is the best place in Bali if you are after an authentic duck dish! Also, there are live performances all the time. Great choice to include in your honeymoon vacation.
- Boni Restaurant in Ubud. Gorgeous restaurant nestled in the heart of a lush green rice field. They offer a wider range of authentic Balinese cuisine.
- Lembah Ayung Restaurant. This place is located at Pramana Watu Kurung on top of a hill to give you a sense of touching the clouds as you indulge in gorgeous food. Very romantic.
- Limestones is located in Denpasar. Go ahead and try this hidden place when you need a break from the busy dining scene in Bali.
- Seneng Kitchen located at Komaneka. This is more of a comfort food kind of place. It is great if you feel like treating yourselves to cheesy pizza with a beautiful glass of wine with fantastic views. They also offer Balinese food which is pretty good too.
- Hitana in the Legian area. This place is surrounded by glass windows and really emphasises the views of the ocean as if it was in the open air. Their seafood or beef options are so fresh and well-cooked.
- Gardin Bistro & Patisserie is located in the Seminyak central area. This place is a must if you are after a sweet bite to celebrate your love. Their cheesecake is incredible! Very romantic vibe.
Is Bali a cheap honeymoon destination?
Bali is one of the most popular choices when it comes to honeymoon trips and newlywed's vacations. This brings the question of whether Bali is a cheap destination for a honeymoon.
Bali is not only known for its dreamy beaches, green jungles and rainforests, incredible villas and stunning underwater wildlife among many other things, but also it is a low to moderate-budget destination, particularly, for a honeymoon.
As stated above, another important reason why couples choose to go to Bali for their honeymoon is the fact that it is inexpensive (or can be) compared to other places in South East Asia or outside of the Asian realm.
This is the beauty of Bali that other countries are unable to offer, there is something for all budgets. There is a varied range of accommodations available in Bali, from 20-25$ a night in a low-level hotel to 300$ a night in more upscale resorts, depending on how high-end couples wish to go for and all the levels in between.
How much a honeymoon in Bali actually costs is difficult to answer in one sentence as it obviously depends on the total amount of days that couples are planning for and where they come from the flights will be cheaper or more expensive.
Flying to Bali can be cheap if couples fly from Australia, as there is a more competitive airline business and there are great deals going on all the time. It is also a much closer port of departure and therefore the ticket price will be overall cheaper.
As a general idea, if flying from a more central port like Singapore, a roundtrip to Bali can cost up to 900$ on average in high season and about 500$ in the off-peak seasons.
As an average and to give you an idea, on a moderate budget the total cost for 7 days and 6 nights is about 1000$ per person, but it can be tailored to be either more luxurious or to accommodate more modest budgets.
The total price will also vary depending on where in Bali couples go to. Some of the most popular places like the Gili Islands will average for about 50-70$ per day whereas Ubud can go to a cheaper level of about 30-40$ a day.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Do you dream of an exotic, tropical and unforgettable honeymoon in South East Asia? Bali is definitely one of the best options for you. Bali is everything you could ask for. Inexpensive, stunning, incredible food, spiritual, fun and relaxing.
There are luxury resorts, moderate hotels, decent hostels, top-notch dining scenery, and lively and/ or crazy nightlife, depending on every couple's mood!
It offers endless fun activities, from water activities, where couples can live their romance on the astonishing beaches, surfing and snorkelling excursions to hiking in the jungle, getting lost in the monkey forest and embarking on the most wonderful day trip excursions.
Bali has a vibrant and famous cuisine scene that will make any honeymooner’s dream come true.
Bali is a magical place, where besides the beauty and the fun, honeymooners can enrich their spirits with Hinduism that the Balinese culture displays everywhere on the island.
It is a trip of self encountering and soul elevation to celebrate the sacred and forever union.