We are hoping to go to Bali at the end of May/June for our honeymoon. We are in our mid-30s and travel a lot, and are looking for I would say higher end hotels with good service and good food. We really just want to relax, sit on the beach, do a little bit of exploring in the inner part of the region as well. We would want to stay at 2 hotels at the most so we are not running around and will only be able to go for about 8 nights total. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you.

higher end needs some clarification.... how many $$ and must it be on the beach?

You will hsve perfect weather. Take a look at Seminyak Beach. Do noy stay in Nesa Dua. I's sterile. also, guive some consideration to going to Ubud for 4=5 days. It's wonderful.

Dividing your time between two places, one on the beach and one inland would be just perfect. I agree with Gpanda, don't stay at Nusa Dua. Seminyak is a good spot or Sanur for a beach. Inland in the area around Ubud you get beautiful views over the rice terraces and the river.

My ideal combination for a honeymoon would be The Legian in Seminyak (deluxe suite, not villa) and Como Shambhala in Ubud (Tirta Ening residence). These are a good place to start. If they're too pricy or not to your liking, come back, there are many, many choices.

Another option would be to rent a full service villa in the Seminyak area. This would not be on the beach, but within walking distance. Again, there are lots of choices. Take a look at this site for an overview. I've never stayed there myself, but the Laksmana complex is well located and well recommended.
http://www.seminyakvillas.net/

Thanks everyone. What i was considering to start were the two four seasons, one in jimbaran and then the other that is inland in the jungle. My friend also recommended the Amankila. We would like to do i would say 3 nights inland, and then 4 or 5 on the beach. Thoughts on these hotels and areas compared to the ones suggested above?

I just responded to another query about the Four Seasons so I'll just cut & paste:

I’ve stayed at the Four Seasons in Jimbaran several times and have visited their Sayan property but not stayed there. The FS Jimbaran was one of the forerunners of villa-style resort architecture that is now popular all over the world. It’s perched on the side of a cliff so every villa has a little garden with a plunge pool and a magnificent view. The beach is just okay – somewhat eroded in the FS area, but overall good for swimming. The FS itself has a handful of restaurants, but aside from the nearby and very popular seafood restaurants, there are not a lot of eating/shopping options in Jimbaran.

Personally, I prefer Seminyak, though the surf is more aggressive. Long sandy beach and plenty of choices in restaurants, shops, spas, clubs within walking distance or a short taxi ride.

The FS Sayan which is on the outskirts of Ubud is generally well reviewed. It's on the same river valley as many of the other luxe resorts -- Como Shambhala, Amandari, Kayumanis -- and the views are spectacular.

Amankila is an extremely beautiful property also villas on a cliff overlooking the east coast. The beach is black sand and a bit scruffy but the grounds are serene and lovely. The area is a bit isolated and sight seeing involves a good deal of driving.

My advice would be a combination of Ubud -- Four Seasons or Como -- and Seminyak -- The Legian or a private villa.

Thank you for the great advice. We are definately beach people and so that is an important factor to us. Any other hotel recommendations for Seminyak so that we can check some out??

Seminyak has more villas than resorts, though there are a couple of new properties under construction. The Samaya is right next to the Legian. It's well liked, but I've never stayed there myself. The Sofitel is maybe one notch down on the luxe scale but has a lively clientele and nice grounds. I wouldn't recommend the Oberoi as it seems to have past its sellbuy date.

Thanks Marmot. Another question - given what you have said about Seminyak and its benefits, I am wondering why people stay in Jimbaran, what are the benefits there (i am assuming more swimable beach, more hotels??)? From other posts, it sounds like Jimbaran is a bit of a crowded/ tourist region. How does Seminyak compare to this? It seems that the villa layout of the FS would be preferable but that the areas surrounding the hotel in Jimbaran don't offer as much? I am also going to check out Como in Ubud as as option. Thanks!!

Oh and one more question!!! Is the Legian directly on the beach? As I mentioned, we are definitely beach people and my fiancee especially would want to be able to walk right out to the beach. I know the water is a bit rougher, but still swimable? He is a surfer so waves don't bother him or me, as long as its swimable!

Warm, mid-day greetings juicy, and warm congrats on your forthcoming honeymoon!

Not much to add to the fine ideas mentioned, other than to mention our Four Seasons Sayan (June, a few years back) property stay was: Magical. (The precious Asian female companionship could have been a factor.) Three fine nights in Sayan that followed similar length at the FS Jimbaran. (And should note, both stays included 'comped' evenings as well as more comping and a ~ 'triple upgrade' to a 'cabana lodging' upon our return to the FS Bangkok. (Every now and then, being a loyal FS Bangkok/Singapore business traveller can help partially pay the occasional holiday week -- thanks forever, fine FS management and staff.)

Can't help with those Bali Amans. (We've stayed at all of one Aman - the Amanpuri in Thailand - and it was rather special.)

Wherever you stay, enjoy, and as for flights (in our case Singapore-Bali), well, we certainly treasured Singapore Airlines business class. (For 'free', thanks to those KrisFlyer miles -- we were on holiday, happily burning those business travel KF miles.)

Savour your Balinese times.

macintosh (robert)


... Singapore Girl, You're a Great Way to Fly ...

Seminyak is the continuation of a long sandy beach that stretches from Kuta to Canggu, I’d say some 20 miles or so. Jimbaran Bay is a cove so walking is limited. The resorts definitely keep their beach fronts raked but both have public areas that can get a little dodgy. This is true of all the beaches in South Bali. They are lively and well traveled, not pristine.

Seminyak is a surfing beach. If you’re a hardy swimmer and like to body board or frolic in the waves then the surf is a positive. Plenty of people swim there and the Legian provides life guards. Jimbaran is a gentle swimming beach. At low tide it gets a little rocky.

The resorts all over Bali are lowrise and are not too close together. I don’t think there’s a lot of difference between Jimbaran and Seminyak in that regard. Aside from the resorts, Seminyak also has many, many choices of good restaurants, shops, spas, clubs that you can walk to or take a 5 minute taxi. In Jimbaran you’re somewhat limited.

The Legian is right on the beach. All of the rooms face the sea and have big balconies. They also have a villa complex across the road, but I prefer the rooms. You can get a studio that is one room with a spacious seating area, or a one bedroom which has separate bedroom and living room. I always request the 4th floor which has the best views. The food is good – especially for breakfast and lunch. For dinner, there are better choices nearby.

I really enjoyed the time that I spent Four Seasons villas. I liked the room, I liked the plunge pool, I liked the view, I liked the resort restaurants, I loved the spa. It was like centrifugal force -- I never left the property. But, having said that, I prefer Seminyak for a wider range of experiences. (Make sure you’re looking at the Legian in Seminyak as there’s another unrelated resort of the same name.)

Bali will be busy in May/June. Don't wait too long before reserving.

Thanks for the tips. And one more question. I have seen that you stayed at the Alila Ubud. Thoughts on that? And what about the Alila Uluwatu? I am a little confused on its location but i did see you say in a previous post that its a bit further away but supposed to be really nice? Do you have any thoughts on the beach in that area? I really appreciate all of your help. We are hoping to decide by the end of next week, need to get it done. And finally, do you know if there is swimming at the Amankila beach-I know it is black sand but that is about all I know (although I am leaning towards Seminyak and Ubud based on all of the above). Thank you!!!!!

I like the Alila Ubud, though I acknowledge its downsides. It was designed by a prestigious architect but the result is kind of hit or miss. I like it but a lot of people are put off by it. Minimalist with Balinese touches. The regular rooms are in two story blocks: upstairs has a balcony, downstairs a little garden. The rooms are on the small side but are well designed.

The room we always get is #303 which is large "suite." It's one big room with a wrap around terrace that overlooks the river valley. The views and serenity are wonderful.

The pool is spectacular, the food very good (but pricy for Ubud), the spa nice and the service usually quite good, but they have their moments. The location is excellent, same river, same views as the Como, 4S, Aman. There's lots to do in the area and the guides and cultural programs are excellent. It’s about 20 minutes from the town of Ubud.

There’s a large troupe of monkeys that patrol the property. They are charming to watch but can get aggressive. I haven’t stayed there for a couple of years, so they may have got this issue under control, but at the time it was headed to trouble.

I haven't been to the new Alilas. In addition to the one at Uluwatu, there’s one on the middle westcoast above Tanah Lot, the Alila Soori. The far south of Bali is called the Bukit. It is a barren, arid cliff on which the resorts are built. The views are spectacular, but it’s a long climb down – and up – to the beach. The beaches are sandy coves, probably as close to a pristine, deserted beach as you get in Bali, but you have to work to get there. Some of the best surfing in Asia in the area.

My guess is that the Alila Uluwatu would have stunning architecture and all the amenities, but that it would be very isolated. That in itself isn’t a bad thing, but only if it’s what you’re looking for. To get to, say, KuDeTa for dinner you'd have to drive about an hour each way. Of course all of the resorts in the area have restaurants -- including the Alila -- but you have fewer choices.

Yes, you can swim in the sea at the Amankila. It’s calm and sandy. They’ve tried to make the beach area hospitable with beach bales (huts) and beach attendants, but the black sand is scorching hot and the stillness gets a little dull after a while. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the time I spent at the Amankila and would go back, but only if total relaxation were my objective.

As I said, I haven’t stayed at the 4S in Sayan, but for sure it has a lot of satisfied customers. For me, the Como Shambhala is in a class of its own – in design, in location, in service, and in general ambience. The emphasis is on health and well being and the programs are excellent. But the Como IS more remote than the other resorts in the area and it’s difficult to move around Ubud using it as a base.