If you're a regular reader of our blog then you'll know that last June we got engaged and since we arrived back in Australia a few months ago we've been planning like crazy! One of the biggest and most exciting parts for us, other than the wedding is of course our honeymoon! Dan and I have been lucky enough to have travelled extensively and have visited almost 30 countries in the last few years together and so choosing a destination for our honeymoon isn't the easiest decision! After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing I think we've finally decided on Indonesia and we can't wait to share how we are thinking of spending our honeymoon in this incredible country!
Indonesia isn't a country I'd previously considered for our honeymoon but is a country which Dan travelled through when he was younger and it is still one of his famous countries in the world. A lot of factors have gone into our decision with the main one being the travel time from Australia as we have limited holidays now and need to use our time off work wisely and don't want to spend half our honeymoon in transit and jet lagged! We also wanted to choose a decision that had something for both of us, I'm seeking luxury, islands and paradise whilst Dan wants to add surfing and activities to the mix as he isn't the best at relaxing! We only made our decision in the last few weeks and so our plans are quite rough but we know that we planning on spending about three weeks exploring the diversity and beauty of Indonesia on our honeymoon.
BALI
There's quite a few things that we plan on doing during our time in Bali which include visiting some of the incredible temples there and indulging in as much incredible Indonesian food as we can! I also want to visit Ubud and cycle through the rice terraces and explore the beautiful countryside as well as hiking up Mt. Batur to see the sunrise which we've heard is a highlight for many people visiting Bali. Finally there's something each of us has on our list for Bali, and for me it is staying in a gorgeous, luxury villa and Dan of course, wants to try surfing whilst we are there.
JAVA
Java is the most populated island in Indonesia and during my Indonesian studies at High School was a part of Indonesia that we really focused on. I had a pen pal who lived in Bandung, which is the fourth largest city in Indonesia and is a city I'd love to visit as well as being a great starting point to visit a lot of the main attractions on Java. Again, whilst staying in Java I'd choose to stay in a luxury hotel when organising our hotel booking, such as the Hotel Hilton Bandung. Whilst on Java we're planning to visit Yogyakarta and the incredible Buddhist temple of Borobudur which is the world's biggest Buddhist monument that was built in the 9th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'd also like to take a trip from Bandung to visit some of the incredible volcanoes such as Mount Bromo.
LOMBOK & THE GILI ISLANDS
The Gili Islands have been described as being the "Maldives of South East Asia" and are comprised of three untouched, unspoiled islands that boast crystal clear waters, swaying palm trees, vibrant coral reefs and stunning white sand beaches. The Gili Islands are the epitome of paradise and are also an affordable paradise and we can't wait to spend some time relaxing and exploring the islands and surrounding coral reefs! Lonely Planet has a fantastic Gili Islands Guide which will help us (and others) decide which is the best island for us!
SUMATRA & KOMODO
Indonesia is a country filled with beauty and diversity and whilst we'd love to visit all of it during our honeymoon we know it isn't possible and so will certainly plan another trip back to Indonesia in the future. Two other islands that are on our Indonesian Bucket List are Sumatra where I'd love to visit the Orangutan and Dan would love to go surfing as well as visiting the famous Komodo Island to see the Komodo Dragons.
Have you been to Indonesia?
We'd love to hear any recommendations you may have for us for our Honeymoon!
This post is brought to you in collaboration with Traveloka.
Our opinions are as always, our own.