Real-Life Honeymoon - Bali

Jan Southwood took a hedonistic trip to Bali, the land of mystic temples, awe-inspiring mountains and tempting beaches…

Bali is a great choice for your honeymoon, for so many reasons. It's not just the beautiful beaches, the out-of-this-world cuisine, the stunning landscape and the super-friendly people. It's not even the eclectic mix of visitors - from back packers to multi-millionaires - that make it such a fascinating place. It's something intangible. Something so tantalisingly alluring, which turns Bali into an irresistible magnet for those people who return to its Indian Ocean shores time after time, drawn as though on some sort of pilgrimage. Addictive, hypnotic and so romantic, Bali continues to be a hotspot for couples looking for the holiday of a lifetime.

So what exactly does Bali have to offer? While I lay on a near-deserted beach on the last day of my trip, listening to the sound of the waves crashing into the shore, the tropical birds flittering around overhead and the palm trees gently swaying, I made a mental note of all the things that conspire to make this one of the ultimate honeymoon destinations…

Affordable luxury

Visiting Bali won't break the bank. It's about as reasonably priced as any tourist trap can be these days, making it one of the most affordable, long-haul destinations. Eating out is a dream, with a vast choice of eateries serving up all kinds of dishes from all over the world. You certainly won't go hungry in Bali! Best avoid the food chains and head for the smaller, local restaurants, which serve mainly Indonesian food - similar to Thai or Chinese food but with a bit of a kick and oodles of flavour. The emphasis, of course, is on seafood (and world-class seafood, at that), but you can also expect to eat a lot of pork, nasi goreng (fried rice) and mie goreng (fried noodles).

Bali boasts some incredible hotels as well as the infamous backpackers' accommodation. The Nusa Dua, Seminyak and Ubud regions accommodate most of the five-star resorts, including the Conrad Hilton in Nusa Dua where we stayed.

The hotel was nothing short of spectacular. Calm, serene, beautifully landscaped, with gorgeous swimming pools, bridges, arches, and an awesome infinity chapel - perfect for exchanging or renewing your vows - the Conrad is the place to stay for a blissful romantic getaway.

Not only is there the beach area with comfy cushioned loungers facing the sea, there's also the lagoon pool that forms a moat around the hotel; there's a brilliant spa; the opportunity to upgrade to a club-lounge stay (free cocktails every evening!), and it's only 30 minutes from the airport. But don't take my word for it; seeing is believing…

Beyond belief

You'd expect to be pampered a bit on your honeymoon; you'd expect (after researching for hours on the net) to find the honeymoon hotel of your dreams. But the things that you can't factor in are those winning smiles, those floral scents that run through the air, the calm gentle breeze running through the hotel and its grounds, adding to the already serene feel of the place. It's these things that you can't count on, but it is exactly this that you get at the Conrad, and much much more, which count towards making it a very special place indeed.

Nothing is too much trouble for the staff at the Conrad. They genuinely seem pleased to make your honeymoon the trip of a lifetime, and even when you decide you want to get out and explore, they will provide you with a driver who by the end of the day feels like one of the family! Bali is an island of true extremes, where nature meets civilisation and, well, gets on with it!

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