My husband and I tied the knot last year in November in India. As soon as the wedding date was firmed up, my first task was to start planning the honeymoon. I knew that after a multi-city 4-day affair, I would be ready to retreat into tranquillity! As we were getting married in India, we evaluated destinations in Asia and the Indian Ocean. The shortlist included Maldives, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and of course, Bali. The second I started looking into hotels in Bali, I was sold! It was almost too good to be true! Rice fields, infinity pools, forests, mountains, volcanoes, a stunning coastline! It ticked every single box on our honeymoon checklist – romance, adventure, relaxation, luxury, food, culture… We instantly booked flight tickets from Chennai to Bali, and after a magical wedding, my hubby and I boarded the plane to paradise!

We decided to divide our 8-day stay in Bali equally, so we could spend half the time in Ubud, exploring the central and northern part of the island ,and the other half on the south coast. Our stay was split between 3 hotels…as there is too much choice and variety to just pick one or two! Each hotel is different, but equally alluring!

Our first hotel in Ubud was the STUNNING Alila Ubud. We had to drive through the village of Ubud, across rice paddies and up on a hilltop, where the property was located. The rooms were built like traditional Balinese houses, made of wood and stone, with a little balcony overlooking the vast Ayung valley. There was a beautiful outdoor bathroom with a bath and shower amidst banana trees. The star of the property was the jade green infinity pool, hanging precariously over the edge of the hill, offering the most sublime view over the lush Ayung valley. We had a late evening swim in the pool, when we had the whole pool to ourselves, in the middle of a light, tropical drizzle. It was magical! Swimming towards the edge of the pool is an exhilarating experience, as you get the feeling of being sucked into the massive valley beyond. That night we enjoyed a lovely dinner in the hotel whilst watching a traditional Balinese song and dance performance. After a peaceful night and a delicious Balinese breakfast the next morning, we checked out of this phenomenal hotel and into an even better one! Stop 2: Villa Kalisat.

Villa Kalisat is not a very well-known property in Ubud, as it is slightly off the beaten path, set in a micro village amongst local settlements. The property is perched up on the edge of a hillside cliff overlooking the rain forests and Petanu River gorge. We had the largest room in the property called the ‘Monkey’s Throne’. Aptly named, it offered the most breath-taking jungle view with a feeling you were so deep in nature, it was surreal! We went to sleep every night to the sound of geckos chirping, and woke up every morning to the crisp, clean air and the sights of a dense jungle several hundred feet beneath us. Sometimes we received an early wake-up call from the rooster in the village behind 🙂  The room and entire property was decorated with exotic antiques, rustic artwork, richly brocaded furnishings and unique touches. Right outside our room door was the spa, housed in an open enclosure with a thatched roof , with massage beds overlooking the rain forest. I had a massage every single day – with the soothing sounds of the river flowing beneath me and a light breeze from the jungle, it was the most relaxing experience! Breakfast was served in our room every morning – hot banana pancakes, eggs, Balinese coffee, fresh breads and jams, and the most refreshing smoothie bowl. Staying here was one of the most authentic Balinese experiences as it allows you to completely immerse yourself in local culture. You get to see the Balinese way of life as you step out of your room, interacting with the children learning to play the Gamelan, or the family preparing dinner on the porch, and the friendly chickens who drop by to say hello.

Villa Kalisat was perfectly positioned to help us explore Ubud. During our 3 days in Ubud, we visited the spectacular Tegallalang Rice Terraces, Ubud Monkey Forest (where we had monkeys climb up my husband’s legs and sit on my head), Ubud Art Market, Pura Taman Saraswati water temple, Ubud Palace and Tegenungan Waterfall. In the nights, we ventured into the town centre to watch a mythological dinner show at the water temple, where we dined on the floor sitting on straw mats, and also enjoyed a full moon dinner (on supermoon night). We took an entire day to drive up to Mount Batur and Kintamani, stopping by the famous Besakih Temple, the oldest and holiest Hindu temple complex in Bali, perched high up on Gunung Agung. We also visited the Elephant Safari park, and enjoyed feeding and playing with baby elephants. During our honeymoon, I was hooked on to Nasi Goreng, which is an Indonesian fried rice dish topped with a fried egg, often served with a side of chicken satay. The best Nasi Gorengs I enjoyed in Bali were at the atmospheric Murni Warung on Campuhan River Bridge, and Bebek Bengil. The latter is an oasis with gardens, pools and waterfalls inside the restaurant, and a seating area set amidst the rice fields, where you can enjoy the best crispy duck that the restaurant is famously known for.

After our wonderful Ubud experience, we moved down south of the island to Sanur, stopping on the way to try some Luwak coffee and shop at Sindhu crafts market. Our last hotel was Puri Santrian, a more modern hotel located right on Sanur beach with access to large outdoor pools and cabanas in the ocean. We spent an entire day in Sanur, hopping between the pool and beach, enjoying a unique sea-walking experience, where we were dropped from a boat into the ocean, coming face-to-face with beautiful sea life. Walking on the ocean bed, we could feed colourful fishes that swim around your face amidst clear blue water. This is the best way to experience underwater life, if you do not have enough time to get training or a diving certification.

The rest of our time in Sanur was spent exploring the surrounding areas and seeing the iconic sea temples, Tanah Lot and Uluwatu. Both are dramatic at sunset with the multi-coloured skies casting golden glows, crashing waves and picturesque views. After Uluwatu Temple, we drove down to Jimbaran Bay where we had a candlelight dinner on the beach. With our feet in the sand and the waves lapping gently, we could truly enjoy the freshest and most flavourful seafood we had ever eaten! Fresh fish and tiger prawns that were caught just hours before, strongly spiced and char-grilled to perfection were the most exquisite treat to the palate.

On our last day on the island, we took a private Balinese cooking class. After an early morning visit to the local Sindu farmer’s market where we hand-picked herbs, spices and fresh produce, we returned to our cooking stations by the beach where we learned how to make authentic Balinese staples – Sambal, Bumbu Bali, chicken satay with peanut sauce, fish wrapped in banana leaves, and braised chicken with Balinese spices and coconut milk. After working up an appetite using the pestle and mortar (harder than it looks!) we sat down to eat the meal we prepared with our chef, who then presented us with a certificate recognising our newly-acquired skills.

On our last night in Bali, we walked around the Sanur area, stopping by a small seafood shack for dinner and enjoying the last few hours of our magical honeymoon, before we hopped on our plane at Ngurah Rai to start our new life together. Though we like to say that this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, we know we will be back to Bali at some point in our lives to re-live paradise!