As you know this year we are getting married and the honeymoon plays a big part in the whole process. We love travelling so even before we had anything else in our wedding we already knew where to go for our honeymoon and how it would look like. But how much does a honeymoon to Bali cost? A lot of people asked me about the budget and costs of our diy honeymoon, so I want to share with you how we did it, how much it cost and what we are getting for it.
Plan a honeymoon is very personal so every couple will have their must do's and will be no equal as any other. The first thing to choose is the destination, we wanted some place with beach but also full of possibilities if we wanted to visit cultural sites and nature. Indonesia is the perfect balance for us to have a bit of everything: nature, beach and relax, and culture in the same destination. It might be why Indonesia is one of the top destinations for honeymoons, it allows you to choose from a wide range of prices and accommodation choices for all budgets, and being in Asia if you travel from Europe/Americas it is probably a cheap destination.
A honeymoon through a travel agency can cost you from 5000 euros for 8/10 days in Bali to limitless amounts of money, and if you want it tailor made the prices go up. My recommendation is diy, nothing better than to choose everything from flights to accommodation. This requires though time spent in those tasks but if you are like me a travel freak, you will enjoy in the process as well. Travelling starts months before you actually travel, only during the preparation months you will start discovering the country.
I will explain you now how I do it, from our route, our accommodation choices and our budget split into different concepts of the honeymoon. Check out my tips to save money organizing your own honeymoon.
Our route in Indonesia: Bali and Java islands
Our route will be Barcelona- Bali island-Java island-Singapur-Barcelona, we have a total of 18 full days to be in Indonesia. Our budget for all expenses in Indonesia counting the flights is 4000 euros for the couple, 2000 euros per person.
Indonesia is a country with 17000 islands, so we needed a plan before going there on where we wanted to go and what islands to choose. I am a cultural freak so I wanted to see the UNESCO sites of Pranamban and Borobudur in Java and the Jatiluwuh rice fields in Bali that are also UNESCO. We like Asia, prices are good and for a 18 days honeymoon it was the perfect choice for us. I have the feeling that we will be coming back to Indonesia after our honeymoon, everyone that went says that it is this kind of places that catches your attention.
I will look for my Eat, pray, love moment...I think the movie has helped put Bali on the spot and maybe too high expectations to find love with a Javier Bardem kind of man in the island. Lucky me I am bringing the man with me from Barcelona.
Our budget: How much does a honeymoon to Bali cost?
As mentioned before, our route in Indonesia will have two stops: Bali and Java island. In order to balance your budget you need to take into account what places are cheaper of the ones you visit so you can balance the daily allowance and keep expenses into what you expected.
I will explain you how we manage our budget and how are our expenses distributed by group:
Flights: Barcelona-Bali/Singapur-Barcelona: 1428 euros 2 pax with Qatar airways
Internal flights: Bali/Yogyia - Yogyia/Singapur with Air Asia for 2 pax: 227 euros
Accommodation: 845 euros for 17 nights (private double rooms with ensuite bathroom, for 2 pax mid range)
Activities/Food/Transportation: 1480 euros of budget for 2 pax
The flights could have been around 100 to 200 euros cheaper per person if we would fly from and to the same place, but we wanted to end up our honeymoon in Singapur so this raised the price a little bit. The flights are in economy class and we are flying with Qatar airways.
Because we wanted to move around we needed transportation between islands and we choose to fly to not loose time and we are doing two islands: Bali and Java. We wanted to move internally and another option and cheaper was by boat, but I hate boats because I feel very bad on them so we went straight to the flight option.
Our budget for meals, transportation, activities and others is around 1500 for the 18 days for both if us, this leaves us with a budget of 84 euros per day for 2 pax. Taking into account the cost of things in Indonesia, it is a mid range budget, there will be some days that we will spend more than this but it will be compensated with easy days where we will be relaxed just walking around with no extras.
Accomodation in Indonesia
It is our honeymoon so we wanted nice places but not 5 star places as we will not be lying in bed all day, we want to go out and visit things but still go back to a nice place to sleep and be there if we have a lazy day. Our budget for accommodation is from 40 euros per night to 90 euros per night approximately, if you calculate our total 845 euros 17 nights, we go on average at 50 euros per night for the both of us, 20 euros per person per day on accommodation.
This budget allow us to sleep in local nice bed and breakfasts, small luxury hotels on local chains or individual hotels, most of them with breakfast included in private rooms and ensuite bathroom all of them. In the cheaper locations due to the cost of life we saved in order to spent more of our budget in the more expensive locations. Java is cheaper in general than Bali, so our average daily rate on accommodation is higher in Bali but we compensate with our cost reduction in Java.
See the split we have per location and the hotel chosen:
Ubud: 3 nights in a Deluxe Room at Pajar House Ubud for 109 euros + 2 nights in the same accommodation later on for 78 euros.
North Bali accommodation: Village above the clouds Hotel, 2 nights for 121 euros (1 night complimentary)
An incredible paradise, this is our most exclusive accommodation and we expect to enjoy it to the maximum, we have booked the sunrise suite that has a private pool in the room in this amazing landscape overlooking Munduk Andong Valley. I am imagining myself already doing some meditation in the morning in our private deck.
Accomodation in North Bali, in the lakes: one night complimentary atMunduk Coffee Plantation, a very especial hotel that is ecofriendly and every concious about the environment. It has been awarded by Tripdavisor by their Excellence and it is well known to be in the top worldwide ranking for its amazing infinity pool.
Munduk infinity pool
Accommodation in Jimbaran: Jimbaran Bay Beach Residence, 3 nights in a one bedroom lodge for 203 euros. See a tour around our lodge, cool isn't it?
Accomoodation in Yogyia: 5 nights at Jambuluwuk Malioboro boutique hotel in a Superior Room for 213 euros. Yogyia would be our location base to discover central Java, we will visit Borobudur and Pranamban from there. We will leave for another time the Eastern part of the island that is known for the volcanoes.
Accommodation in Singapur: 2 nights at Hotel Moon in a standard room for 121 euros. We will stay our last days in Singapur, and is the only accomodation that does not belong to Indonesia. But I couldn't help adding it, it is a nice boutique and design hotel.
I hope you enjoyed our tour around the accommodations booked and our budget split, rest assured that a review will follow once we come back on these incredible accommodations.
If you want a honeymoon that is affordable and your way, you need to plan ahead and organize it yourself. You will not only save money but choose where to spend it.
Hope you share your honeymoon tips so we all can learn!