15 night Honeymoon in Bali- April 2015
Feb 9th, 2015, 11:10 AM
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15 night Honeymoon in Bali- April 2015
Hello All! I am seeking some advice on where to stay for my 15 night Honeymoon in Bali. We arrive on the afternoon of April 14 (after a 22 hr flight from Los Angeles). I have a rough idea of where I am thinking about staying; however, after reading several forum links I have read.
April 14-17 Intercontinental Bali-Jimbaran Bay (was originally thinking the Hard Rock but the wonderful future mother-in-law offered up some points for us to use through IHG).\
April 18-20 Nusa Lembongan- (was thinking Bay Shore Huts or Lembongan Beach Club)
April 21-24 This is the part where I am not sure. I wanted to do somewhere on the Northern part of the island to have a change or scenery and escape mass tourism.
April 25-29 Ubud-Found a Villa through Air BnB
I have read several forum posts that have stated that four locations is too much. I am used to bouncing around from city to city when traveling (but that was during my younger, backpacking days). I don't mind moving around and neither does the fiance. Let me know any suggestions or thoughts! Thank you!
April 14-17 Intercontinental Bali-Jimbaran Bay (was originally thinking the Hard Rock but the wonderful future mother-in-law offered up some points for us to use through IHG).\
April 18-20 Nusa Lembongan- (was thinking Bay Shore Huts or Lembongan Beach Club)
April 21-24 This is the part where I am not sure. I wanted to do somewhere on the Northern part of the island to have a change or scenery and escape mass tourism.
April 25-29 Ubud-Found a Villa through Air BnB
I have read several forum posts that have stated that four locations is too much. I am used to bouncing around from city to city when traveling (but that was during my younger, backpacking days). I don't mind moving around and neither does the fiance. Let me know any suggestions or thoughts! Thank you!
Feb 9th, 2015, 12:10 PM
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Have you already booked these hotels?
I stayed at the IC hotel a few years ago and honestly I didn't like it, it's big, dated and the service was so so... For me Jimbaran is not an a idyllic location....
Why don't you swap Jimbaran for Seminyak, still touristy but a nicer area. I recently stayed at a lovely small hotel called the Colony Club in a lovely location in Seminyak, close to some great bars and restaurants.... Or if you want more upscale thee are plenty of higher end hotels....
I think a few more days in Ubud would be better and skip Jimbaran/Nusa altogether.... You will be flying a long way and I don't think those two locations are the best Bali has to offer.
I stayed at the IC hotel a few years ago and honestly I didn't like it, it's big, dated and the service was so so... For me Jimbaran is not an a idyllic location....
Why don't you swap Jimbaran for Seminyak, still touristy but a nicer area. I recently stayed at a lovely small hotel called the Colony Club in a lovely location in Seminyak, close to some great bars and restaurants.... Or if you want more upscale thee are plenty of higher end hotels....
I think a few more days in Ubud would be better and skip Jimbaran/Nusa altogether.... You will be flying a long way and I don't think those two locations are the best Bali has to offer.
Feb 9th, 2015, 12:14 PM
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Just a thought would consider going to Lombok ( just a short flight from Bali) it's a lovely island and Qunci Villas is a fantastic hotel ideal for a honeymoon, you could have :3 or 4 nights there... Lombok is easily combined with Bali and would make a great trip. 
Feb 9th, 2015, 05:31 PM
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I'd have to agree with Smeagol on the Intercontinental. It's seen better days. Jimbaran beach is okay -- good for swimming, good for sunsets -- but there isn't a whole lot of interest in the immediate area except the seafood barbeques and a handful of luxury resorts.
I like the idea of starting off your holiday in Lombok, even if it means an even longer journey. The Qunci is exceptional. You can recover from jetlag and enjoy a beautiful beach. I haven't been to Nusa Lembongan so I can't compare.
After a few days on the beach I'd head to Ubud. The Ubud area is pretty spread out. You have two choices: in or near the town itself or in the surrounding countryside. Your airbnb villa will be one or the other, so you could conceivably choose one other location that's somewhat different. Let me know where your airbnb place is located and I'll give you some suggestions.
I'd end up with a few days in the Petitenget area of Seminyak, which is lively and fun, but not crazy wild like Kuta. The Colony is a good choice, not on the beach but just a 5 minute walk and also near many good restaurants, clubs, spas and shops. Also not so far from the airport as Ubud.
I like the idea of starting off your holiday in Lombok, even if it means an even longer journey. The Qunci is exceptional. You can recover from jetlag and enjoy a beautiful beach. I haven't been to Nusa Lembongan so I can't compare.
After a few days on the beach I'd head to Ubud. The Ubud area is pretty spread out. You have two choices: in or near the town itself or in the surrounding countryside. Your airbnb villa will be one or the other, so you could conceivably choose one other location that's somewhat different. Let me know where your airbnb place is located and I'll give you some suggestions.
I'd end up with a few days in the Petitenget area of Seminyak, which is lively and fun, but not crazy wild like Kuta. The Colony is a good choice, not on the beach but just a 5 minute walk and also near many good restaurants, clubs, spas and shops. Also not so far from the airport as Ubud.
Feb 11th, 2015, 09:03 AM
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If you want to stay somewhere a bit different on Bali from the Asian resort style places, have a look at Luke Egan's surf place, Kommune, which has night surfing under floodlights. Nicely relaxed, up on the east coast.
Feb 14th, 2015, 02:44 PM
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Thank you for the suggestions! After discussing Lombok with Mr. Future Husband it seems he isn't too keen on going to Lombok (although I thought the Quinci looked awesome!). So I was thinking somewhere in Uluwatu for my beach vibe to start... possibly the Ayana. Any ideas on that? It looks awesome but that is based solely on photos.
The villa we were looking at staying in Ubud is called Bali Harmony Villas (they have their own website but the pictures on AirBnB look way better). They look like they are on the south side of Ubud. If we stay longer in Ubud I would be interested in staying somewhere else for a few nights also. Any suggestions there?
I would like to end near the beach as well. I think the Colony looks awesome although I really do want to stay somewhere that is right on the beach. I was thinking possibly the W in Seminyak is a more desirable location to stay. My fiancé has never stayed at a big resort before and he wanted to at least experience that for a little bit on our honeymoon.
I appreciate all of your input and knowledge. Sometimes when planning it can become information overload -especially when traveling to a new country. Thank you again and I cannot wait for this amazing trip!!
The villa we were looking at staying in Ubud is called Bali Harmony Villas (they have their own website but the pictures on AirBnB look way better). They look like they are on the south side of Ubud. If we stay longer in Ubud I would be interested in staying somewhere else for a few nights also. Any suggestions there?
I would like to end near the beach as well. I think the Colony looks awesome although I really do want to stay somewhere that is right on the beach. I was thinking possibly the W in Seminyak is a more desirable location to stay. My fiancé has never stayed at a big resort before and he wanted to at least experience that for a little bit on our honeymoon.
I appreciate all of your input and knowledge. Sometimes when planning it can become information overload -especially when traveling to a new country. Thank you again and I cannot wait for this amazing trip!!
Feb 14th, 2015, 05:47 PM
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Uluwatu is at the lower edge of Bali, the area called the Bukit. The Ayana is in the southern part of Jimbaran. It is located on a cliff overlooking the sea so it has terrific ocean views and sunsets. The down side is that the beach is a long walk down (and up) some 200 steps. Overall the Ayana is a sprawling self contained all purpose resort with several pools and several restaurants including the wildly popular Rock Bar. Room levels vary from basic to luxury villas. Plus you can use the facilities at the sister resort, the Rimba.
In the area -- south Jimbaran and the Bukit -- you could look at are the brand new Ritz Carlton (which has an elevator to the beach), Alila Ula Watu, Semara (which has a funicular that takes you down to a very nice beach club). They're all fairly isolated, which may be what you have in mind.
The resorts in Nusa Dua (on the east, sunrise side) have nice beaches too. I can't recommend any one in particular, but the St Regis and Mulia would be equivalent to the Ayana.
Lodtundu where Bali Harmony Villas is located, is a pleasant area, not too far from Ubud central. The landscape is fairly flat so you won't get the sweeping valley views that you see along the Ayung and other river valleys. Outside of Ubud I would look at the Alila, the Samaya, Kayu Manis. Alam Sari is in a beautiful location. It's a good value, but a little less luxe. The main villa, Villa Saraswati, is gorgeous.
Places right on the ocean in Seminyak are quite pricy. The W has a good location on a nice beach (though the surf is a bit rough for swimming). It's really a big glitzy resort, though; more New York than Bali. The best resort on the ocean is The Legian (the one in Seminyak). The studio suite is a lovely room with a big balcony overlooking the sea, beautiful gardens and pool.
Also on the beach in the Petitenget/Seminyak area are the Samaya, the Oberoi, the Anatara, the Seminyak Beach Resort and the Royal Beach. Seminyak. These all have pluses and minuses but they are all well located. As you go farther south toward Legian and Kuta there are plenty of other seaside resorts, but these are not my favorite areas. They are crowded and congested and can be quite rowdy at night.
In the area -- south Jimbaran and the Bukit -- you could look at are the brand new Ritz Carlton (which has an elevator to the beach), Alila Ula Watu, Semara (which has a funicular that takes you down to a very nice beach club). They're all fairly isolated, which may be what you have in mind.
The resorts in Nusa Dua (on the east, sunrise side) have nice beaches too. I can't recommend any one in particular, but the St Regis and Mulia would be equivalent to the Ayana.
Lodtundu where Bali Harmony Villas is located, is a pleasant area, not too far from Ubud central. The landscape is fairly flat so you won't get the sweeping valley views that you see along the Ayung and other river valleys. Outside of Ubud I would look at the Alila, the Samaya, Kayu Manis. Alam Sari is in a beautiful location. It's a good value, but a little less luxe. The main villa, Villa Saraswati, is gorgeous.
Places right on the ocean in Seminyak are quite pricy. The W has a good location on a nice beach (though the surf is a bit rough for swimming). It's really a big glitzy resort, though; more New York than Bali. The best resort on the ocean is The Legian (the one in Seminyak). The studio suite is a lovely room with a big balcony overlooking the sea, beautiful gardens and pool.
Also on the beach in the Petitenget/Seminyak area are the Samaya, the Oberoi, the Anatara, the Seminyak Beach Resort and the Royal Beach. Seminyak. These all have pluses and minuses but they are all well located. As you go farther south toward Legian and Kuta there are plenty of other seaside resorts, but these are not my favorite areas. They are crowded and congested and can be quite rowdy at night.
Mar 3rd, 2015, 03:18 AM
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That's crazy! Thank you marmot!
I have booked most of the hotels for our honeymoon! We will be starting at the Ayana for three nights, then one night in Nusa Lembongan (at Bay Shore Huts-thank goodness I didn't book Lembongan Beach Club), then on to Ubud area for four nights--this is the only part that I haven't booked and am debating a four night stay in Sideman-- three more nights in Ubud at Puri Wulundari (I know it wasn't one of the suggestions but it looked charming and I loved how it wasn't super updated or modern and the views looked insane), finally, we are ending in Seminyak and the Royal Beach Seminyak.
No matter what I think that the trip will be phenomenal and I am sure that we won't actually spend that much time at the hotels as we will be out exploring and having some adventures.
Do you recommend staying in Sideman or would four more nights in Ubud be better spent? Thank you for all of your advice and input! It can be quite daunting to make a decision due to the number of hotels, villas, and resorts in the area!
I have booked most of the hotels for our honeymoon! We will be starting at the Ayana for three nights, then one night in Nusa Lembongan (at Bay Shore Huts-thank goodness I didn't book Lembongan Beach Club), then on to Ubud area for four nights--this is the only part that I haven't booked and am debating a four night stay in Sideman-- three more nights in Ubud at Puri Wulundari (I know it wasn't one of the suggestions but it looked charming and I loved how it wasn't super updated or modern and the views looked insane), finally, we are ending in Seminyak and the Royal Beach Seminyak.
No matter what I think that the trip will be phenomenal and I am sure that we won't actually spend that much time at the hotels as we will be out exploring and having some adventures.
Do you recommend staying in Sideman or would four more nights in Ubud be better spent? Thank you for all of your advice and input! It can be quite daunting to make a decision due to the number of hotels, villas, and resorts in the area!
Mar 4th, 2015, 11:27 PM
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The good thing about Bali is that people tend to be satisfied with whatever resort they choose and go on to recommend it to others.
A few comments: going all the way to Lembongan for one night seems like a lot of travelling.
Puri Wulundari is right next to the Alila and it is on a spectactular part of the Ayung River valley. The Royal Beach Seminyak is also well situated, though I prefer to be a bit further north.
The country side around Sideman is lovely, but not more so than around Ubud. It really depends on how much checking in checking out you want to endure.
If you plan to go to any of the popular restaurants in Seminyak or Ubud, make reservations in advance, even now. Your resorts will do this for you.
My favorites in Seminyak: La Lucciola, Sardine, Sarong.
Metis, KuDeTa and Mamasan are also very popular
In Ubud: Mosaic, Locavore, Hujan Locale
I'm sure you'll have a great time.
A few comments: going all the way to Lembongan for one night seems like a lot of travelling.
Puri Wulundari is right next to the Alila and it is on a spectactular part of the Ayung River valley. The Royal Beach Seminyak is also well situated, though I prefer to be a bit further north.
The country side around Sideman is lovely, but not more so than around Ubud. It really depends on how much checking in checking out you want to endure.
If you plan to go to any of the popular restaurants in Seminyak or Ubud, make reservations in advance, even now. Your resorts will do this for you.
My favorites in Seminyak: La Lucciola, Sardine, Sarong.
Metis, KuDeTa and Mamasan are also very popular
In Ubud: Mosaic, Locavore, Hujan Locale
I'm sure you'll have a great time.
