Curator’s statement
I first went to Bali with my now husband, Jasper, when we decided the best way to find out if we worked as a couple was to take a very long trip. We spent our first month here, and it has lived in my mind ever since. There’s something about Bali that’s both deeply romantic and disarmingly human. It smells like incense and ocean air, people actually smile at you, and the light makes everything look like a movie scene. It’s hard to go once and not spend the next decade planning your return.
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Things to do in Bali
Explore Ubud’s rice terraces: Wake up early and walk through Tegalalang before the heat sets in. It’s one of those rare places that looks exactly like the photos and somehow better.
Visit the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA): A quiet, beautiful space that captures Balinese culture through painting, sculpture, and traditional performance. It’s the kind of museum where you actually want to linger.
Take part in a water blessing at Tirta Empul: A sacred ritual that somehow feels both ancient and intimate. Even the least spiritual person will feel something shift.
Spend an afternoon at the spa: Book a Balinese massage at Mandapa, Four Seasons Sayan, or Amandari. You’ll leave convinced that jet lag is a myth invented by people who don’t know how to relax.
Bike through the countryside: Cycle past temples and small villages, wave at farmers, and remember that travel is better when it’s slow.
Take a private Balinese cooking class: Learn to make nasi goreng or sate lilit from someone’s grandmother. You’ll start out clumsy, end up full, and leave with new respect for galangal and coconut milk.
Hop over to the Gili Islands: No cars, no clocks, no decisions. Just turquoise water and naps. Lombok works too if you prefer a touch more polish. Snorkel with the sea turtles.
Watch the sunset at Uluwatu Temple: Perched above the sea, this is the sunset that spoils all others. Stay for the Kecak fire dance and the dramatic applause of the waves.
Eat dinner on the beach at Jimbaran Bay: Tables in the sand, grilled fish, smoky air, and a string of lights that could make anyone feel in love.
End the day with live jazz in Ubud: Ambar Ubud Bar and the classic Jazz Café both host live sets. Go for a drink, stay for the surprise of realizing you’re in the jungle listening to Coltrane.
Places to eat & drink in Bali
Syrco BASÈ (Ubud): Led by Dutch chef Syrco Bakker, formerly of a two-Michelin-star restaurant in the Netherlands. This is Bali’s most ambitious fine-dining newcomer—refined, intimate, and beautifully rooted in local ingredients.
Apéritif (Ubud): Fine dining with a sense of occasion. The colonial-style dining room, tasting menu, and cocktails make it a full evening, not just a meal.
Mozaic (Ubud): An icon of Bali dining, seamlessly blending French technique with Indonesian flavor. Dinner in the garden feels cinematic.
Locavore NXT (Ubud): Modern, creative, and completely devoted to local produce. The evolution of Bali’s most famous restaurant.
Naughty Nuri’s (Ubud): The smoky, cheerful opposite of fine dining. Famous for ribs, martinis, and the kind of joy that can’t be Michelin-rated.
Merah Putih (Seminyak): Grand, glamorous, and quintessentially Indonesian. A perfect “first night” dinner when you still feel like you’re in a movie.
Sangsaka (Seminyak): Small, wood-fired, and quietly excellent. Think Indonesian flavors filtered through an inventive modern lens.
La Lucciola (Seminyak): Open-air, right on the beach, and effortlessly romantic. Order the seafood, watch the sky change color, and stay long enough for dessert.
Mauri (Seminyak): Elegant Italian with a Balinese sensibility. Refined without being stiff.
Kilo Kitchen (Seminyak): Chic but relaxed. Excellent for lunch or the night you don’t feel like dressing up.
Need to know
Plan for at least two weeks if you can. Bali was made for honeymoons. Start in Ubud, where mornings are wrapped in mist and the air smells like coffee and rain. Then head to the coast, where time moves slower and the sunsets make everything feel possible. Stay somewhere that feels like a dream come to life, like Four Seasons Sayan, Mandapa, Amandari, or Capella. Let yourself sleep late, wander without a plan, and say yes to every small adventure. Have dinner with your feet in the sand, laugh too much, and watch the sky turn gold together. Bali has a way of making love feel both brand new and ancient at the same time.
Travel Advisor
Kate Van Dell
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