Bali: The Ultimate Honeymoon Island
Bali has been called “The Ultimate Honeymoon Island,” because of its beautiful beaches and jungles, vibrant culture, and focus on bodily and hedonistic pleasures like food, dancing, and massage. The people live laid-back lives surrounded by natural beauty. For travelers of any sort, a stay in Bali can be an inexpensive experience of a lifetime; for honeymooners, the natural romance of the island will provide a wonderful start to a life journey together.
Bali is a paradise for spa-goers, and because a honeymoon is designed to be a time of sweet relaxation, how better to spend your days than being pampered at one of hundreds of locations all around the island. There are as many types of spa as there are locations that offer it. Whether you’re looking for a deep tissue massage with supplemental treatments ranging from Javanese Lulur with herbs and spices to volcanic clay masks designed to cleanse the skin, or whether you want something a little more sensuous like a dip in hot springs filled with flower petals, you are sure to find your dream treatment on the island of Bali. The ubiquitous “cream bath” is more relaxing than it sounds, involving a scalp and shoulder massage using thick conditioning cream. You will always leave the spas in Bali with a healthy glow to your skin, hair, and entire being.
Where better to head after a spa treatment in Bali than out for a delicious dinner in luxurious Seminyak? Kolega, a favorite among locals and expats, is delightfully free from a tourist rush. This is the perfect introduction to Indonesian food – meat, local vegetables and rice, completely fresh and spiced to perfection.
The Mano Beach Side Cafe is a great choice for before or after a day on the impeccable southern beach. Locally cooked meats are put in sandwiches and served with choices of many types of fruit juice, ranging from mango, papaya, watermelon, banana, orange, cantaloupe, lime, peach, pineapple, and even avocado, just to name a few, in every combination imaginable.
If your honeymoon experience tends more toward cultural exploration, consider a trip inland to Ubud. Barong Dance, just fifteen minutes south of the city, offers local dance performances daily at 9:30 PM. Every dance is also a story, and the cultural mythology of the Balinese people is played out every night in these dances. Puri Saren & Puri Saraswati are more impromptu performances in the center of the city, usually done every night.
Museums range from the traditional Puri Lukisan, filled with cultural treasures of the island, to the Antonio Blanco museum, dedicated to a Spanish surrealist painter in love with all things Balinese. There are over a hundred Hindu temples all over the island, each one more beautiful than the next. A night out at the Oka Warung Babi Guling along the main drag is considered a pilgrimage for locals all around Bali. It is famous for its fried rice dishes, and the babi guling, or spit-roasted pig, is to die for.
Both Kuta and Seminyak in the south have vibrant nightlife scenes, perfect for showing off the relaxed, beautiful, fun-loving self your spa and food treatment have hopefully invigorated. The Double Six along the beach in Seminyak is well-known and draws in crowds of locals, expats and tourists by the thousands. Expect to party until dawn! Meanwhile, in Kuta the parties tend to go until two or three, at trendy bars like the Kama Sutra on the waterfront and the Mbargo on Jalal Legian, near the town center.
Whatever your interests, spending your honeymoon in one of the many hotels in Bali is sure to be relaxing, rewarding, interesting and invigorating! Consider your romantic getaway today!
