Bali honeymoon ideas

In Bali, honeymoons are opportunities to soak up the culture – one bathing ritual at a time.

Before a wedding, a Balinese bride takes a bath. Not just a quick dip, but melukat – a traditional purification ritual in readiness for marriage, perhaps featuring a boreh (body scrub) made to a handed-down family recipe using homegrown ingredients.

Where wedding traditions start, so honeymoon traditions continue – Bali, land of over a thousand spas, invites you to sink in and succumb: to flower baths, milk baths, and Balinese massage. Famed for its spirituality, this is an island of retreats, as our Bali honeymoons combining spa villages and seaside relaxation show.

Speak to anyone about Bali, and sooner or later they will mention its wonderful energy. The island is a centre for healing – witness the profusion of yoga studios and retreats – but this reputation runs deeper too; there are traditional healers, opportunities to take part in healing ceremonies, or be blessed by mangku – Balinese Hindu priests. Add in the quality of the light: whether that’s at sunrise, watching the sun appear over the side of a mountain, or sunset, as it bleeds orange through the clouds above the rice paddies, and you get the feeling that there’s magic in the air.

Bali is a unique island among Indonesia’s thousands – it’s the only majority Hindu island, and this can give it a very different look and feel from the rest of the country. There are over 20,000 masterfully sculpted pura (temples) on Bali, and every house has a shrine. Ubiquitous on street corners are the canang sari – little trays fashioned from banana leaves, piled with offerings of flowers, rice, coins and burning incense and left on the ground. If you’re here for a honeymoon, you’ll find a celebratory atmosphere abounds; frequent festivals take place across the year and it’s not unusual for gamelan orchestras to block the streets with processions.

Karl Sell from our partner for Bali honeymoons, Selective Asia, sums it up: “A honeymoon in Bali is the best of both worlds – blissful spa days and dreamy sunsets mixed with experiences that bring you closer to the island itself.” He lists some of the more traditional activities you can take part in on the island: “One day you might be cooking with a local family in a village kitchen, the next joining a temple ceremony or waking up to the sight of farmers in the rice fields. It’s relaxing, romantic, and filled with moments you’ll treasure long after the journey ends."

Bali is getting increasingly busy. This is the most visited island in Indonesia. Whilst no building can be taller than a coconut tree – making even busy tourist areas high-rise free, you’ll still witness (or be stuck in) traffic jams of mopeds on the roads, and see the crowds around Canngu for all-day parties and beach clubs. The south of the island is busiest – and here Bali has a reputation as an inexpensive party island popular with neighbouring Australians. Ubud – an arty inland community, known for itinerant yogis and wellness influencers – is getting busy too.

Here’s where to honeymoon off the beaten track instead: less traffic and tourists, more milk baths and mountains. The north coast is less-explored and less-exploited – consider Tembok, a fishing village in the northeast, or the more peaceful north and west of the island – where, at Pemuteran you can enjoy diving snorkelling. There’s more nature in West Bali National Park plus snorkelling at the marine reserve around Menjangan Island, off the coast. Inland Bali can be quieter than the busy south coast – visit Munduk, a small village surrounded by rice terraces and mountains for trekking and canoeing. The Gili Islands off the coast are popular for snorkelling. Neighbouring island Lombok – often twinned with Bali – is quieter still.

Our tailor made honeymoons often combine a few days inland with a longer period to unwind on the coast, spending between 12 to 14 days on the island. This gives you up to a week of relaxation, after a few days’ exploration.

Bali’s high season (dry season) aligns with the popular wedding season in the northern hemisphere: May to September is the best time to go – for exploring, lounging, and diving (the water is clearest). October to April is the rainy season, which peaks from December to February – there are more showers, but lower prices and a quieter island.