Deciding on where to go on our 3-week honeymoon was a difficult task for my husband and I. We love to travel, and we’ve been on dozens of trips together, so there was a lot of pressure to pick the perfect honeymoon destination. The first thought I had was to go on an African safari, but we had just done a safari in India. My next wish-list honeymoon idea was to rent a water bungalow in the Maldives, but oh. my. god… it’s WAY too expensive! Not for 3 weeks! So, I thought long and hard about a location that could offer us everything we wanted – relaxation, adventure, good weather, great good, and a little luxury – but on a mid-size budget. And then it came to me. Of course! Indonesia. This is our Bali honeymoon itinerary.
I think we really nailed our itinerary, and you should feel free to copy it! You may notice that we skipped Kuta, one of the most popular stops in Bali. We did this because we heard Kuta was mostly for partying, and we were looking for more romantic honeymoon vibes, without dodging a lot of drunk tourists.
3-Week Bali Honeymoon Itinerary (with the Gili Islands & Nusa P)
Day 1-6: Ubud
Located near the center of Bali, Ubud is a great place to start your honeymoon and splurge on a few spa treatments, fancy restaurants, and luxury hotels. The town is very bohemian, with boutique shops and top-notch yoga. Just outside of Ubud is a great area to explore some of Bali’s famous rice terraces. For a full list of my picks in Ubud, click here.
Only horses and bikes!
Day 6-10: Gili T
One day 6, we booked a shuttle from Ubud to the coast where we caught a 3-hour boat ride to our first Gili island. Gili T is the largest of the Gili Islands, but it’s also small enough that you can walk around the entire island in just a few hours. I really loved Gili T because there was plenty to do without it feeling overwhelming. The sunsets were absolutely breathtaking on these islands, and it’s also a great place to do some scuba diving.
Day 10-12: Gili Air
We took a quick ferry from Gili T to Gili Air, which is nicknamed the “local’s island.” Like Gili T, there is a main street area with restaurants and bars, and several great places around the island to watch the sunset. If you’re looking for more of a low-key vibe, you may prefer Gili Air or even Gili M to Gili T.
Day 12-14: Canguu
Day 12 we returned to Bali and crossed the island to the western coast. This was one of our longest travel days, but we made it to Canguu by 5pm to check into our hotel. Canguu is similar to Ubud is many ways, but with a beach.
If you love vegetarian food, you will love Canguu. My husband and I rented a motorbike and drove to Tanah Lot, which is not too far from Canguu, to catch the sunset. Highly recommend!
Day 14-16: Seminyak
Seminyak is the fancy-pants area of Bali, so if you’re looking for luxury, this might be the place to go all out! We ate at Mejekawi above the popular Ku De Ta, and had the 5-course meal! It was a splurge but still much more affordable than eating out at a nice restaurant back home. I also recommend grabbing a cocktail and catching the sunset at the gorgeous La Lucciola.
Are you seeing a theme? Indonesia has INCREDIBLE sunsets. I made a point of watching it every night.
Day 16-18: Nusa Penida
This island is still (in 2019 at least) relatively rugged and untouched by tourism compared to the other stops on this list. I wanted to do something a little adventurous, so I convinced my husband to spend two days without cell phone service on Nusa P. And we didn’t regret it! We hired a driver for the day to take us to several car-accessible sites. Each one seemed to be more spectacular than the other. A few of my favorites include Broken Beach (pictured above) and Kelingking or “T-Rex” Beach (pictured below).
Day 18-20: Uluwatu
The only way to do Uluwatu justice is to rent a motorbike and drive around to the beaches. If you’re brave, this is a good place to try surfing, but beware – the tide is strong! I was not brave enough to try, but my husband attempted body surfing… and he said it was extremely difficult. In fact, he came out of the water looking like a ghost. I suggest watching the surf instead, while you enjoy a cocktail or meal. Or, go at low tide and check out the wildlife in the tide pools.
Speaking of wildlife, watch out for monkeys! They are not very well mannered, and they WILL steal your stuff. I’m not a huge fan of monkeys, as I’ve mentioned before on this blog. I get it, they are cute… but it only takes one bite and BOOM – rabies!
Day 20-21: Jimbaran Bay
We spent the last night of our honeymoon eating lobster on the beach. Because why not? Jimbaran Bay is only 20 minutes from the airport, and they happen to have some of the BEST seafood on the island. Just go to the beach at sunset and you’ll see plenty of tables set up with seafood platters and live entertainment. It’s the perfect 3-week honeymoon send-off!
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