My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon in Bali and have a few questions...

To summarize, we are flying to Singapore and spending the first 3 nights/2 days there and then flying on to Bali for 8 nights. We are currently scheduled to spend the first 4 nights at the Four Seasons at Sayan and then the next 4 nights at Amankila.

What we're questioning is Amankila... is it really worth it? We have a budget and this fits in the budget, but are there other places we could stay that are less and just as great? What we're most worried about is that we won't be able to leave the hotel for meals and that is going to add up very quickly. If the hotel is unbeatable for honeymooners and totally relaxing and unlike any other experience we're going to get in Bali, then we will stay there, but if we can get the same thing for less, well we'd like to do that!

Specifically we are thinking of the Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay. If we stay there, we save $1000. Would the experience be the same? We know we don't want to stay in Nusa Dua and while Seminyak seems great for the restaurants, we want more upscale. So is Jimbaran Bay the best option for us if not Amankila?

Looking forward to all of the responses! Thanks!

I think you have a good point. While I like to feel away from the craziness of the center of things, I don't like feeling trapped in the resort either, especially for meals. The Amankila is not quite as isolated as they might make out. There are several other resorts in Manggis, and Candi Dasa nearby does have several restaurants.

That said, you would have a lot more choices in the other more built up areas. The Legian and Samaya fans might argue about the upscale remark, but Jimbaran is certainly one of the best options. In addition to the Four Seasons, where you might get a good deal for staying in both properties, you might have a look at the Ayana. It's been getting rave reviews since it severed its relationship with Ritz Carlton. The Rock Bar there has become 'the' place to watch the sunset.

I like Amankila a lot, but for me two nights was about right. In addition to visiting sites in East Bali, you can also use the resort’s boat which provides another dimension.

I’m also quite fond of the villa layout and gardens of the Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay but would certainly put the Legian in Seminyak on the same level of luxe. The major difference being that the Legian is configured in low rise apartment style blocks instead of individual villas. Just my opinion, but I think the ambience -- service, aesthetic -- is actually better at the Legian – it’s smaller and more personal than the Four Seasons Jimbaran – 66 suites vs 147 villas.

Overall I prefer Seminyak to Jimabaran because it’s a better walking beach and there is so much more to do in the area -- that can be accessed by foot or a short taxi ride. My friends who stay in Nusa Dua, Sanur or Jimbaran always seem to spend an inordinate amount of time driving back and forth to Seminyak for restaurants and shopping.

Jimbaran beach isn’t really any more isolated than Seminyak and it’s suffered quite a bit of erosion lately. Jimbaran IS better for swimming though because it’s a bay instead of open ocean. The Ayana (formerly Ritz) is on a cliff and has access to a private beach (down a long flight of stairs). I would put it down a notch from the Four Seasons but I haven’t been there since it changed ownership.

You could also look at some of the private villas in the Seminyak area where you’d have luxe + isolation – no sea view though.

Bottom line, there’s really no ideal beach in Bali – they all have pluses and minuses. You have to figure out what your “must haves” are and what you can do without. If I had to pick two locations for a special event I’d go with Como Shambhala and The Legian.

Thanks for the advice... we're really torn!

Are we missing out on something by skipping East Bali? We definitely prefer the pool to the beach, but enjoy having a nice beach to look at.

I'll reconsider Seminyak as I really think it would be great to enjoy the resturants there. Is Oberoi the other upscale hotel option to look at in Seminyak? We definitely want a beach view or a hotel on the beach.

cjacob, I think the best way to choose is to think about what you envision yourselves doing with your time. Some people like shopping, trying different restaurants; some people like staring out to sea. You can have a range of activities, but in Bali you can't have the perfect beach. You have to choose what's most important.

I like East Bali but I wouldn't consider it a "destination" in itself. I love the Amankila and would consider it a destination, but only if aesthetic, ambience, serenity are your objectives.

This is a small cavil but it matters to me so I'll mention it: Obviously you don't get sunsets on the eastcoast.

The Amankila's main pool is one of the most spectacular on the planet. It's on the cliff so you're not actually at sea-level. They also have a secondary lap pool in a coconut grove near the beach which is very nice.

The Oberoi was one of the first properties to be developed in Seminyak and in my opinion it's showing it's age. The grounds are beautiful and spacious; the location and beach are good. The individual villas and pool area seem a little tired to me. I haven't stayed there myself, but I've been to the restaurants and found the service was a little tired too.

The Legian has a beautiful pool (from which you can see the ocean) but it's on the small side. The surrounding grounds and gardens are spacious and serene.

The Samaya has a large free form pool, nice grounds and villa accomodations. I haven't stayed there either, but it's well reviewed. Right next to the Legian.

Seminyak beach is well used -- by swimmers, surfers, walkers, soccer players, sunset watchers, religious worshippers, vendors and dogs. All three resorts keep their own beach fronts raked and clean but the areas in between are variable.

I was having drinks with Travefish at La Lucciola one late afternoon a few weeks ago, and I couldn't help but think how wonderful the place is. It really hadn't changed in the 10 years since I was first there. Yes, the bill was outrageous (for Bali) and he said the food might not be as good as it once was, but the beach, the sunset, the breeze on a hot day just after it rained, I couldn't think of a better place to be.

BTW, you didn't say when you're going, exactly. The Resor Seminyak, next to the Legian, is scheduled to re-open as a 5-star resort late this summer - but my experience with construction in Indonesia makes me suspect it might well be next year before it's really finished.

Also, I just noted that Karma resorts are building some new villas next to Amankila. Not sure what the status is now, or when they'll be finished. Just FYI.

Michael, I agree. Restaurants come and go, but LaLucciola's always good -- breakfast, lunch and dinner. Good food, reasonable prices, excellent service and one of the prettiest settings anywhere. I especially like the way the kids run around on the big grassy lawn while the parents relax.

I hope the Resor Seminyak turns out well. From what I hear their concept is a bit hazy. The beach could certainly use a few more options. The W is also moving forward, albeit slowly which will be a positive at that end of the beach.

This last trip, it seemed like there was construction everywhere. Bali is back baby, and everyone wants in on the action. It won't all be good, to be sure, but it at least looks like Kuta is being resurrected. For at least the last five years, the beach road has been lined with abandoned hulks of old hotels. Now the Pullman is about to open (a year or so late, true) and the Rolling Stone next to it in Kuta Icon should open by the end of this year. At the other end, Kutabex should be ready by early next year.

Hi Cjacob - I just saw your post and thought that I would throw this in for you as I saw very good 4 night deals on their site.

We visited Alila Uluwatu last summer and it was breathtaking! It is a new(ish) hotel up on the cliffs, perfect for a honeymoon. Their signature restaurant CIRE is also getting fantastic reviews. We thought it was amazing. The deal on their website is a package for something like $450 per night for 4 nights (2 in Alila Uluwatu and 2 in Alila Soori (which is also getting fantastic reviews on tripadvisor), their is also a lot more little treats in that package.

We are going back to Bali this summer also, we loved it that much! Buy yourself "The Luxe Guide" for Bali, its great.

The only thing I wouldn't do is stay 3 nights in Singapore, for me 1 would be more than enough!

Happy Honeymoon!!

Oh one more thing, have a look at Villa Sungai Gold, an amazing private villa but with 5 star service and food. Perfect for a honeymoon..

Wow, thanks for all of this advice! We are going June 14-26... in Bali from June 18-26. We only have 2 full days in Singapore, we arrive at 8pm on Tuesday and leave at 9am on Friday. We didn't think we could travel that far and only visit one place in Asia, so we added Singapore in the beginning. Who knows the next time we'll be able to take a 2 week vacation!

After really thinking about things and looking at different resorts, I don't think we can digest the $900/night that Amankila is when we can get the Four Seasons or other great properties for less. What we are looking for in a resort is a place that feels a little isolated, has gorgeous views. We want luxury and great service, it is our Honeymoon. We are not beach people, prefer to lay at the pool looking over an ocean (with gorgeous sunsets too). Not to say we don't want to take strolls along the beach, but we do prefer to swim in a pool.

What we don't want is to be along a strip of hotels. We're looking for something a little more isolated which is why initially we didn't want to be at Jimbaran Bay or Seminyak. We looked at places like Bulgari and Alila initially, but will revisit those now.

I hope this makes sense! Looking forward to hearing more!

I just remembered something I saw when looking for ourselves last week. Check out luxurylink also, they had a lot of packages that were really good in Bali. They do auctions but many that I saw on there were down to the last couple of hours and nobody had bid yet. I think Alila Uluwatu was $1,200 for three nights and a few extras. Good luck!!

I haven't been to the new Alilas or the Bulgari. I like the Alila concept a lot and have stayed at their property in Ubud for years.

I think what you have to decide is whether you want to be on the cliff (bukit) or at sea level. The cliff dwellers get fabulous views but it's a bit of a trek back to civilization.

Marmot, We thought that too and so we only stayed at Alila Uluwatu for 3 nights but it was just out of this world! The restaurants are first class and the villas are so gorgeous that we did not want to leave at all but soak up every second of their luxury.

We had a driver during our stay and he picked us up one evening to see the performance at Uluwatu Temple and then dropped us to dinner at Sarong. To be honest, I did not feel the drive down at all, it could have been 10 or 30 minutes, I didnt notice. We went to Chandi first for drinks, and then went on to Sarong for dinner, gave him a call when we wanted to go back and it couldnt have been easier.

This year I am bringing my sons with me for a three week vacation in Bali but could not splurge for all of us to stay in Alila, so I booked us into "Mick's Place" honeymoon villa and club house for 4 nights (2 of those definitely visit CIRE and Warung Alila)

Im in love with Bali after a short trip last year, I hope it wont wear off!!

Okay, so probably a difficult question for people to answer... would you stay at Alila Uluwatu or Amankila? The price different is not that much. It doesn't seem like we're likely to leave Alila to find civilization, the same as we wouldn't leave Amankila, so they seem pretty much the same in that sense. One has access to a beach and one has a gorgeous sunset but no beach.

Just looking at Banyan Tree Ungasan, which seems to have both cliff and beach, but its WAY out there in terms of distance.

The Alilas, Amans and GHM (the group that owns the Legian) are loosely associated. The concept is the same: sophisticated but simple design. They hire top architects and make strong aesthetic statements. The pecking order is #1 Aman, #2 GHM, #3 Alila.

As I said I'm a long time fan of the Alila in Ubud and I'll stay there again; however, the general level of service and ambience is about two notches under the Aman. It's hard to quantify what that would actually mean but I'd say in general the attention to details may be more thorough at the Aman.

As for location, it's a toss up. East Bali is lush and tropical and has an established arts and culture tradition. The Bukit is arid and stark. There's a huge amount of development in the area, private villas and villa resorts, but not much in the way of indigenous activity except Ulu Watu temple and worldclass surfing.

To Seminyak is a good 45 minutes, more if you run into traffic. I haven't been to the new Banyan Tree either, but I believe it's location is quite close to the Alila.

Hi cjacob! What did you decide to do? We are trying to make the same decisions for our honeymoon, more last minute planning than yours, but we are also going at the beginning of june, and deciding between the FS Jimbaran and the Amankila. Also, where are you staying in singapore?? Thanks!