Honeymoon in Bali, July 2013
 

Greetings fellow travelers,
My husband and I have chosen Bali as our honeymoon destination. We will be staying July 24th through August 1st in two hotels: the first is Oazia Spa Villas, the second is Viceroy Bali in Ubud.

As much as we look forward to spending quality time in the hotels, we are excited to immerse ourselves in Balinese culture. Where are the hotspot? Best beaches? Anything that we shouldn't miss? Best food, for lunch and dinner? Any specific "Balinese" activities that will leave us with lasting honeymoon memories?

Warm regards,
O. Brusov

Hi there! Congratulations to you both and it's an awesome decision to spend your honeymoon in Bali. It'll be fun and memorable for sure. Anyways, for the best restaurants, shopping outlets and nightlife, the Seminyak strip is the place to be. And a few minutes from Seminyak, there's the Kuta beach where you can surf, dive and simply have a great time along the beach. And to experience authentic Balinese culture, go to Ubud. They have these amazing temples... and the rice paddies are a sight to behold.

i think of ubud as the "hotspot".. the town is filled with shops and good restaurants...

hire putu, often spoken of here, to drive you around the island for a day or two..

Thank you for the advise. Our first resort is 10 minutes from Seminyak and the second is in Ubud, I am excited that we will be staying right where all the action is.

Besides, the temples and shopping/restaurant strips, are there any activities (such as hiking or diving) that are particularly popular in Bali. Like a "must do"? Or maybe a "must see"?

Warm regards,
O. Brusov

Hi! I was last summer in Bali.It was about the same time you and your husband will be this year. I think it is really the perfect place for a honeymoon. I was there for ten days and I made some trips around the island.

The most beautiful place I visited was the Tanah Lot Temple. It is a temple in the water so you only can visit it when the tide goes out. So check the time for falling and raising tide before you go there. It is sometimes very crowded. But still beautifull and when you want to have a really good dinner by watching an amazing sunset you have to walk from there ten or fifteen minutes. This restaurant is located on the cliff and gives you a perfect view. On google maps I couldn`t find the name of the street and unfurtunally I can`t remember the name of the restaurant. I`m sorry about that but I will try to explain to you. If you are standing with your back to the temple you have to go left. There is a small street following the coast. Also you see there on your way the pura batu bolong wich is a natural stonearc and there not many tourists. After ten or fifteen minutes walking there will be at the end of this road the restaurant.

I wish you a nice stay in bali!

Best,

Olga

The Viceroy is a great choice, provided you get one of their one-bedroom pool-villas which have awesome views.
Havent heard of Oazia but I would heartily recommend The Oberoi Bali. Peaceful and romantic, right on Seminyak beach, with a real sense of history, culture and "place". One of the finest hotels I know. And since you are on your honeymoon, get an ocean-view pool-villa, for memories you will never forget!

I've not been to Oazia, but I know the area well. It's quite scenic and still rural in feeling -- rice paddies, villages, near the ocean. Lots of private villas nearby and a few restaurants.

You should understand that Oazia is not 10 minutes from Seminyak. Seminyak is a big area so it's hard to generalize, but let's say from Oazia to KuDeTa -- more like 30 to 45 minutes depending on the traffic.

This isn't a problem unless you intend to go into Seminyak every night for dinner. In which case you'll have quite a lot of car time. The restaurants in Kerobokan and Batu Belig are somewhat closer, but still half an hour.

The beaches near Oazia like Canggu, Pererenon are good surfing beaches but not especially scenic or good for walking or swimming.

I'd suggest that you take a walk on the beach from Petitenget to Legian. If you use the beach entrance at Petitenget temple, and walk south you'll pass a lot of resorts and restaurants.

You can rent chairs and an umbrella, boogie boards or surf boards. The tides and surf vary widely from day to day and hour to hour. Try to do this at low tide, and not at high noon. Sunset is especially nice.

There are some beautiful, less-crowded beaches that you may want to visit,however, not all of them are close to Ubud. I would recommend Ungasan Beach where the Nammos Beach Club is located. The catch is you can only enter the beach via the club by paying 25 USD (if the rate is still the same) or via the Karma Kandara resort. other nice beaches to swim or snorkel are Geger beach in Nusa Dua or Nipah, Tulamben and Amed beaches (famous for snorkeling).
For Pura (temple), Ulu watu and Tanah Lot are mandatory. Besakih temple is the largest in Bali, but the crowds may put more hassle for you.
Besides beaches, you may also take the opportunity to explore Bali's famous paddy terrace(Subak) which was declared as World's Heritage by UNESCO. Of course, staying in Viceroy will promise fantastic view of rice field and pool but maybe you want to take a look at the infamous rice terrace. The closest from Ubud will be the Ceking or Tegallalang rice terrace.It is about 30 minutes travel from Ubud Art Market. If you can ride a motor bike, you can also explore the island by motorbike, just the two of you, but make sure you have all the maps and patience to deal with motorbike thingies.

For cultural experience, have a short visit with a local guide to traditional market where local people sell Indonesia's spices, local fruits and veggies. You'll get a down to earth portrayal of Balinese's culture there. You can also take a short course of Kecak or Legong dance at Ulu Watu. It's definitely worth the try. Don't forget to check the calendar for religious festival, you may be lucky and get firsthand experience of the Balinese's festivity. Lastly, you can try Balinese cuisine such as Ayam Taliwang, but I must warn you that sometimes they're too spicy to handle. Good luck and have a nice visit :-)

Uluwatu Temple is a MUST....especially at sunset to see the amazing Kecak dance-drama in an open-air amphitheatre on the edge of a cliff! Utterly unforgettable.
Drinks afterwards at the Rock Bar at the Ayana Resort (if you can get in!) followed by dinner at their Kisik restaurant, also open-air with a sand floor and lit by torches. Freshly grilled lobster accompanied by a platter of Indonesian sauces; and a bottle of chilled Chablis. Heaven!!