Honeymooning in Bali!!!
 

Hi, We are arriving in Bali for our honeymoon and I have 2 questions that I hope some fellow travelers can help us out with:

1. We arrive at 1 am and are staying in Ubud, we are not going to head to our resort because they will charge us for the night and it's pretty pricey to pay that since we won't even be making use of it until 2 or 3 am. Rather we are hoping we can find a place close to the airport that is clean and relatively inexpesive so that we can get a few hours of sleep before heading to our resort the next day. Any recommendations or ideas?

2. We are staying in Ubud for 5 nights and then we have 4 nights that we still have not decided where to go. We want to pick a place that will offer a different experience than Ubud. It seems like Ubud does not have a huge nightlife, so we are thinking our time in Ubud can be more about unwinding and relaxing and then use the second 1/2 of our trip to be more active, adventure sports, nightclubs, etc. We are open to traveling to other islands as well are not just remaining in Bali, fi that would be a better option. Any experienced Indonesia travelers have some suggestions?

Thanks!!

I realize that cost is a factor and don't really know where you are traveling from but if you are on your honeymoon and likely jet-lagged from a long flight or flights, wouldn't it make sense to go directly to your first resort destination so you won't have to "waste" your first full day in Bali moving from one place to another? Also, are you confident that you'll be able to check in early at your resort?

All of the nightlife is on the southwest coast - not my cup of tea but the area is called Kuta. Don't know what types of adventure sports you are into. There is whitewater rafting near Ubud. The best SCUBA is around Menjangan Island in the north. Surfing is popular anywhere on the southwest coast - Kuta, Seminyak etc.

With only 9 nights and being on your honeymoon, I'd stay on the island of Bali and not venture elsewhere. When we went, we were not on our honeymoon and we still were on Bali for 12 days.

Do look into hiring a driver like Putu who is mentioned often on this forum to take you around and help you experience the culture - this will really make for an unforgettable honeymoon.

i second staying on bali the whole time....from sanur you can easily go to kuta and also from legian and seminyak.....

go right to your resort....yes you miss part of the time but you will have a nice breakfast there and move right into your digs...

nami, I agree with the above posters: go directly to your resort. You'll be up early and morning in Ubud is glorious. Later afternoon is a good time for a nap.

The outdoorsy, adventure part of your trip could be best accomplished while you're in Ubud. This would include trekking, mountain climbing, bike riding, rafting, caving. SCUBA or snorkling if you don't mind traveling to the north coast.

For nightlife, restaurants, clubs, shopping I would recommend that you go with Seminyak. There are many choices of resorts and private villas. I recommend the Legian (make sure you get the one in Seminyak) but there are many others as well.

This is a fun, sophisticated area and the beaches are quite nice as well.

I think I have to disagree. Driving to Ubud at that time of night doesn't appeal to me either. There are some places in Tuban - the area closest to the airport - that will be just fine for one night. The Harris is the one place I've stayed at (make sure you get the one in Tuban, there's another one in Kuta). I've also looked at the Aston, which I think would be fine for one night (again, make sure you get the one in Tuban, there are several).

I will second the suggestion of Seminyak for your beach stay. Make sure to get something in the Petitengit area, so you'll be within walking distance of the best restaurants and clubs. The Samaya or Legian if you have the bucks, Resor Seminyak or Putu Bali Villas if you're on a budget.

Wherever you decide to stay the first night, do request a discount due to your early morning arrival. Its not unusual to receive one which can be as much as 50%. If you do decide to go directly to Ubud, best to have your hotel provide the transfer at that hour. An airport taxi may have difficulty locating your hotel in Ubud in the dark especially if it is outside of town.