Romantic Bucket list things to do in Bali
I have always thought Bali was romantic and the more it got popular on instagram, I wondered if it would still hold the charm. Well, in this Bali travel guide, I will share the romantic bucket list things to do in Bali. Romance is my thing. I always find it in every little thing in life especially travel. Having a baby who travels with us has not stopped this and it is actually my most favourite part of myself.
Bali is magical to me and still incredibly romantic. I think where you go will largely determine the romantic experiences and vibe you will feel. This is why I chose to stay in Ubud. Upon my research of where to stay in Bali, I tried to go back to the essence of why I always thought it was romantic. For me, it was the deep cultural experience, the feeling of escapism and waking up surrounded by nature – that is Bali to me. So, I had to find it and my search led me to Ubud.
Disclaimer: Some of these experiences have no deep cultural value attached to them. However I had always associated them with Bali; so if you’re like me and love romanticising life and travel, read on.
Bali Travel Guide: 10 Romantic Bucketlist things to do in Bali
1. A Floating Breakfast
I remember when we were in the Maldives and one of the packages included a floating breakfast. I actually opted out because I knew I wanted the experience to be in Bali. We booked it with our lovely hotel, The Udaya and chose our menu. Since our room came with a private pool, it was the setting of our floating breakfast. It is important to mention that you don’t need to be in a pool villa/suite to have this experience.
Our breakfast was a lovely spread and the staff who set everything up did a great job arranging the flowers. It was so beautiful and we took lots of photos while watching him set up. He told us that it was one of the most popularly requested experiences; and he could set things up with his eyes closed. The breakfast was our usual order – eggs, sausages, fruits and coffee. It’s definitely a cute way to have your breakfast and I totally recommend for a romantic start to the day.
The reality of a floating breakfast
As much as I will share the romanticised version of anything, I will also share the reality if it differs lol. I found it simply unrealistic to stand in a pool while drinking my coffee tbh. This experience was very beautiful for the first 5 mins and thankfully that was when we took all the pictures. The pool was a little cold as it was only 10 am and I was hungry. As soon as photos were done, we sat down on the cabanas and enjoyed out breakfast.
I mean, it was still very cute and one of the most romantic bucket list things to do in Bali.
However it is a reality vs expectation experience.
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2. Flower Bath – “Celebration of Flowers”
When you look at my Bali Pinterest board, a flower bath is the main photo lol. I love the aesthetics of a flower bath. The fact that the flowers are said to have a calming effect made me feel like it was an important part of my Bali itinerary. Our lovely hotel, the Udaya is known as the hotel that started flower baths. So how can I not indulge in this Bali experience? We booked it for the penultimate day as part of our romantic package. Then, added on a couples’ Balinese massage.
The bath was prepped with thousands of colourful flower petals in warm water. Once the bath was ready, the lovely staff helped me in first and then Mr E next. There is a meticulous way of getting in so you don’t spoil the flower arrangement. We sat in the flower bath for about 45 mins and just enjoyed the calm. It helped that the back drop was the jungle vibes. Even though we were indoors, it felt like we were lost in nature.
3. Traditional Balinese couples massage
We added this to our flower bath experience; however, it is its own experience. Balinese massage reminds me of the typical Thai massage. In fact, it is the same thing in my experience.
We had the set up in the beautiful Kaveri Spa and it was wonderful. It was one of the most romantic bucket list things to do in Bali. For our lovely celebration of flowers, the massage table was already laid out with lovely calming music. Prior to getting into the massage room, we were offered different scents to choose from.
2 lovely masseuse introduced themselves as Natya and Juni; and got to work immediately. I must have drifted off a few times and only woke up each time they asked my consent. This was another thing I really liked; the fact that each time they moved to a different part of my body, they requested my consent. Massages can feel invasive so it is lovely that they asked before working on more intimate parts of the body.
I always find a couples’ massage quite romantic. The fact that we were having it in this space with the gorgeous jungle backdrop made it even 100 times more romantic.
4. Sunrise at Tegalalang Rice Field
For a more romantic experience, sunrise at the rice field is even more wonderful. However, we settled for just an early morning wander instead. We got to Tegalalang rice field at about 7am and had it to ourselves for the first hour or so. The experience was just so wonderful and made even more special by the lovely farmer we met. Although there are so many romantic experiences you can enjoy in the rice fields, we decided to do our own thing. There is the Bali swing and a lot of romantic spots for photos if that is your thing.
We absolutely loved our morning here as it was so quiet. It felt like we had the vast farm lands to ourselves. Putu, our driver and guide was with us; and after sometime he stayed back for us to enjoy it on our own. It was as if he knew it was a special morning for us. There is a serenity around the rice fields if you are there quite early. Once we were done taking it all in, we made our way out as we saw the first set of tourists.
5. Boat picnic with Koi Fish
Kamandalu resort was another hotel on my list when I was planning our trip to Bali. However, the Udaya won my heart in the end and we stayed there throughout our time in Bali. This did not stop us from lusting after some of the experiences we had seen in Kamandalu. One of such was the boat picnic with Koi fish which I had seem on instagram. Once our Bali trip was booked, I messaged Kamandalu and asked to reserve the experience.
The boat picnic with Koi Fish at Kamandalu Ubud is one of the most romantic bucket list things to do in Bali. We were ushered to the bright yellow boat and our food was already onboard. The fish are so colourful and you are given fish food to draw them towards your boat. We jumped in and fed the fish, got some lovely photos and just enjoyed the experience.
Mr E and I opted to eat our picnic on the terrace instead of on the boat to avoid those pesky flies. This is an experience that is more for the “photo op” than culture but it is cute.
6. Staying in a traditional romantic villa
There are a lot of romantic villas in Bali as it is a well established romantic destination. However, our Jungle pool villa in The Udaya, Ubud gave everything romantic that it was supposed to give. All over Bali, you will find the gorgeous tree houses, villas set in nature and to me, this gives a romantic feel.
Our jungle pool villa was very secluded that it felt like we had the whole area to ourselves.
It was intimate, romantic, serene and of course scenic. The layout of the open bathroom which opened up to the pool gave a very sexy vibe which I loved. Our bed felt like one of those 4 poster beds in period movies and there was something quite old school about it.
For a romantic bucktet list activity to do in Bali, a very sexy villa should make the list. The wonderful thing about this is that with whatever budget you have, you will find something suitable.
7. Romantic dinner experience
Romantic dinner at Kamandalu Ubud
I remember walking down the stairs in Kamandalu Ubud and gasped. Mr E and I thought that it felt like we were in an episode of Love Island.
If you watch the reality series, there is usually a romantic final date where the production team goes all out. The date is usually very OTT and that was exactly the scene we walked into. As we approached the steps, we were greeted with candle lights lining top to bottom. The view was gorgeous and the set up was the most romantic thing I had seen.
The only way to describe it is epic.
Romantic dinner at the Udaya Bali
Our 2nd romantic dinner experience was at our hotel, the Udaya. They had organised a lovely romantic dinner for us on our final night as the sun set. It was really beautiful but I’ll admit that because we had done the Kamandalu experience, this one did not feel as epic.
We preferred the experience at Kamandalu and would 100% recommend especially if you are thinking to propose in Bali. The Udaya’s set up was lovely as well; but if I had to pick one, it’d pick Kamandalu’s romantic dinner experience.
8. Catch the Balinese sunset
What is more romantic that catching a sunset with the love of your life in different locations? Absolutely nothing. For some reason, we missed sunsets every evening until our final night. It’s usually the time we discuss the peak and pit of our trip. This is what we loved the most and what we did not particularly like. The beautiful Balinese sunset was the perfect backdrop for this.
At the end, we did our little dance to the sound of the nearby fountain and knew it would be a trip we’d never forget. Ending our trip to Bali with the sunset felt serendipitous; like it was the perfect end this trip we had always wanted to go on.
Romantic Bucket list things to do in Bali: Outside Ubud
9. Lempuyang Temple
Did you even go to Bali if you did not get that famous photo at the Lempuyang Temple? Yes, that one in the middle of the temple gates with the dreamy backdrop.
The Temple is beautiful and I loved the area around it. We made it somewhat a date morning and romanticised the entire experience.
While waiting, we found a coffee shop and relaxed there until our number was called.
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The photo call is quite quick. Afterwards, we walked to the other side of the gates to check out the surroundings.
Now, I understand the entire process does not sound romantic at all. However, this is one of those experiences that you have to go with someone you like and an open mind. We had the best morning café hopping, discovering gems around the temple and just enjoying the ambiance.
10. Visiting the Tirta Gangga
This picturesque place that you see all over Instagram is a former royal palace named after a sacred Indian river. It is beautiful. One of the most beautiful places in Bali and even when busy, is quite peaceful and laidback. I am not sure what it was. Maybe the beauty, koi fish swimming around or little kids playing; but it was such a relaxing place.
It was probably one of the most romantic places in Bali that we visited. I honestly was not expecting much from here as I had read about how busy it can get. However, we got there at about 9am and at that time, it was not yet busy so maybe timing matters.
History of Tirta Gangga
Tirta Gangga was built by the last king of Karangsem (where it is located) in 1946. It was to be used as a recreational space for his family and was almost destroyed in 1963 by the eruption of Mount Agung. Today, it is known as a Holy water site and still used for recreational purposes. The entrance fee was 70 000 IDR per adult, and you can spend as much time once you are in.
Feeding the koi fish is allowed; I noticed people came with their bread but I’m not sure this is good for them. There are vendors who sell fish food which is probably better than feeding them bread. Just make sure you have some cash for this.
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Bali Travel Guide: Romantic Bucket list things to do in Bali
Bali was really everything I had dreamt of for the last 11 years. Even before I got engaged in 2013, I knew Bali was going to be our honeymoon destination. When we started researching, I quickly found out that travelling to Indonesia on a Nigerian passport was a tall order. Since travel has never been something I like to stress over, I parked that dream.
Fast forward 2022, we got our British passports so the dream trip to Bali looked possible again. I am happy we went for our 10 year wedding anniversary and know it will stay in our hearts forever.
Cheers to more romantic travels with the person you fancy.
Bisous, Bugo x
