We just got back from our honeymoon in Bali and it was one of the most epic trips we have ever taken, so we wanted to share our Bali two-week honeymoon itinerary with you!
This itinerary is not just for honeymooners–it’s perfect for anyone traveling to Bali for the first time! Here is some information about Bali-week honeymoon itinerary:
Flight:
Bali is amazing, but it’s definitely one the farthest locations we could have picked, being in the US. We flew from LAX to Taipei, Taiwan (12 hours), had a short layover, then boarded our (5 hour) flight to Bali. Luckily, it was not nearly as rough as we were anticipating. We flew EVA Air and they took really good care of the guests. Meals were included, each seat had a video console, and they offered pillows and blankets. After arriving in Taipei, we had a four hour layover before our flight to Bali, which gave us time to cruise around the airport and grab a meal. For our returning flight, we had a two hour layover which, after delays leaving Bali, turned into a 30-minute window. It was a little stressful, but we still made our connecting flight.
Transport:
You can book a driver for the day in Bali for about 500,000 IDR which is roughly equivalent to $35 USD. Be sure to always pull out cash to pay for your rides, as the drivers do not take cards. We found that shorter rides were more expensive (but still not very expensive), so if you are planning on taking multiple stops, book your driver for the day! The shorter rides were between 100,000 and 200,000 IDR ($7-$14). There is really no need to rent a car–the scooters are crazy, everyone drives on the left side of the road, and traffic is bad, so don’t stress yourself out by driving.
We found a driver we liked, connected with him on WhatsApp, and used him our whole trip! He was very informative, polite, and trustworthy. (His name was Adi and you can contact him at +62 813-3850-5505 if you ever need a driver in Bali!) We did rent a scooter once, but only when we were in the Bukit area around Uluwatu, where it’s much quieter and definitely manageable to ride around on a scooter. I would not advise renting scooters in the major cities like Seminyak, though.
Geography:
Bali is not too big, but like I said, the traffic is bad. You don’t want to spend half your vacation in a traffic jam, so be sure to plan so you can book your stops as effectively as possible. That way, you are not traversing the island multiple times.
Tipping:
Most places in Bali include a government service tax, which is the tip. However, if you really enjoyed the service, tips are always appreciated. If you are eating at a smaller restaurant, check your receipt to see if they have included the tax. We tipped our driver at the end of our trip and he was very appreciative.
Food:
Balinese food is amazing and full of flavor! We had the best food of our trip in the Uluwatu area. Some of the best dishes to try are the crispy duck, Balinese pork ribs, chicken satay, and my favorite dish, Kari Ayam, a coconut chicken curry dish. The fish is also amazing. Just be sure to eat at established restaurants–I know street meat can smell amazing, but unfortunately you can easily get sick from it. Also stay away from the water; always order bottled water or make sure it’s filtered.
Bali Two-Week Honeymoon Itinerary:
Day 1:
When I booked our hotel, they offered to send a driver to pick us up from the airport, and being first-timers, I went ahead and booked us one. That is not necessary at all. The airport is filled with drivers waiting to take you where you need to go. We stayed at the Astagina, which was nice and also close to shops and restaurants. Most importantly, it was close to the airport. I knew that after that long flight we would want to chill as soon as possible.
Day 2:
Tanah Lot Temple on the way to Ubud: We struck up a conversation with a tour guide the night before and she suggested having our driver stop by Tanah Lot Temple on the way to Ubud. I was really glad she suggested it. I told her where else we would be going and she said that this was the best time to squeeze it into our itinerary. It was maybe 30 minutes out of our way, so it didn’t change up our schedule, either. The temple is insanely beautiful! If you go at low tide, you can walk out to it, but unfortunately the tide was too high when we were there. Still beautiful and worth seeing, though!
Day 3:
Hanging Gardens in Ubud: Ubud is up in the mountains and we had some friends highly recommend the Hanging Gardens of Bali. This was definitely a honeymoon splurge at $600 USD a night! I know, that is a lot! But on average, our hotels and Airbnbs were about $40 a night so I figured it would average out. And it was actually worth every penny. This place is majestic! Each room has a private infinity pool and incredible views!
Read more about Hanging Gardens.
Day 4-5:
Ubud: We wanted to spend more time in Ubud (but obviously not at $600 a night), so we relocated to an Airbnb for the rest of our time there. While in Ubud, we went to the sacred monkey forest, saw the Tegalalang rice fields, did some yoga, participated in a coffee tasting, went river rafting, and visited the sacred water temple! As you can tell, Ubud has a lot of activities and sights to see! We stayed at Sunrise Villas on Airbnb. Adi at the front desk helped us book most of our activities while we were in Ubud; there’s no need to do it ahead of time, and she got us the best deals, too!
On our third night in Ubud, we had the most romantic dinner at Bridges. The food and wine at Bridges were phenomenal! We even bought some wine to take with us to our next stop. Micah and I both love wine and unfortunately good wine was hard to come by on this trip, so we recommend stocking up like we did. You can check out more specific on Ubud for first timers here!
Day 6-8:
Uluwatu: We then journeyed down from the mountains and up the bukit (which means “hill” in Bahasa Indonesian). We stayed in an Airbnb right by the Uluwatu temple. It was just perfect–quiet and peaceful! It was a few miles from the surf break and restaurants, but our Airbnb had scooters for rent so that was our means of transportation. Go to Single Fin for a beer and sunset! There are a few places below Single Fin also worth checking out like Delpi Cafe. I hung out at the pool at Delpi while Micah surfed all day.
Day 9-10:
Bingin Beach: Bingin beach is not far from Uluwatu, so you don’t have to change hotels to enjoy both. We were able to book a killer Airbnb with an oceanfront room and we were glad we did. Heads up, Bingin is not for anyone with issues with stairs! There are a lot of stairs that are uneven and a little sketchy. Once we got to our room, we barely left the area. There are eateries and bars right there! We even had a killer seafood dinner on the beach.
We had some of the best food while we were in the Bukit area! We also went to The Rolling Fork in Padang Padage one night and had, I kid you not, the best Italian food!! All homemade pasta! They also have a location in Seminyak.
Day 11-13:
Gili T: We boarded a boat from Benona Harbor and headed to Gili T, one of three Gili Islands off the coast of Lombok. Next time, I would like to stay in Padang Bai and leave from there. That was one spot on our list we didn’t get to.
If you love beautiful beaches, Gili T is a must!!! We actually spent three nights in Gili and that was the perfect amount of time. It’s a very small island so there is not too much to do, but it’s amazingly beautiful. The water is teal and sun is always shining! Pack lots of sunscreen and don’t make the mistake we did of napping on the boat’s upper deck without reapplying sunscreen. We stayed here at Le Pirate! The staff was so nice, and the food and drinks were so good!! Try the Kari Ayam, that chicken curry dish I was talking about earlier! They also do movies on the sand at night, and they have bikes for rent, making it easy to get around the island (we utilized them the entire time we were there!).
We also booked a private snorkeling tour, though not through our hotel (although they do offer it)! There’s no need to book activities in advance; you can do it all when you get there.
Day 14:
Jimbaran / Seminyak: After our time in Bingin and Gili T, we had had plenty of sand on our feet and we were ready to do some serious shopping! I booked us at the Bali Paragon Hotel in the Jimbaran beach area because it’s known for its seafood dinners on the beach, it’s close to the airport, and it’s also close to Seminyak where all the good shopping is! I was able to find a hotel that had all the amenities we were looking for, like coffee in the lobby, TV, and air conditioning. While everywhere we stayed was super cool, some were definitely on the “beachy” side and it was nice to have some of the comforts of home before heading out on our long flight back to LA.
We hired our driver for the day and spent the last day shopping in Seminyak, which was amazing! We had to buy an extra bag to take home our goods. Then we headed back to our hotel to freshen up before our seafood dinner on the beach. The seafood dinner on the beach was a neat experience, but I think the food was just okay; we both liked the seafood dinner in Bingin beach better. There are several places to eat on the beach though, so I am sure some are better than others.
Overall, we had an amazing time in Bali–it was truly the perfect honeymoon! If you’re planning a trip to this beautiful island and have any questions, we’d be more than happy to answer them–leave us a comment below!
Let us know if any of our Bali Two-Week Honeymoon Itinerary was helpful to you and your travel plans!
Want tips on planning an epic “on budget” vacation? We got you covered!
2 comments
Hi!
Thank you so much for this post! We are ourselves at the moment planning which stops to do during our honeymoon, and Gili is one of our favorites. However, we are thinking of going to Gili Air. I do have a question, how did you experience the boat ride to Gili T? I’ve heard the waters between Bali and the Gilis is not one of the quieter ones? Was the boat trip ok and how long did it take for you to get there?
Thank you in advance!
/Angelica
It wasn’t bad. Our boat ride there was really smooth, coming back to Bali it was a bit rough. If you get seasick easily I would being something to take. It was an hour and half there about about 3 hours on the way back because we had to make more stops at different island. They have seating inside and on the top. Inside they play movies. By the time we were on the boat ride back to Bali we were tired so it was nice to chill and watch a movie for a little bit.
Let me know how it goes! Next time we go we want to stay on Gili Air and Gili Meno too! ( ;