My material for inspiration came easy once I arrived at the Viceroy Bali hotel. An hour and a half drive from the Denpasar airport, the hotel is set inland on a secluded area of the island. During the drive, I was immediately inspired by the various markets, rice fields, and temples that passed me by. Everything from the colorful fabrics that made up the Balinese uniform to the work ethic of the locals had me wanting to stop and make conversation. The culture is beyond intriguing, and I was lucky to spend a few nights immersed in it.

The Experience

Just married? Go ahead and jetset here for some post-wedding bliss. Everyone else has. The hotel is crawling with honeymooners, and I can certainly see why. Perfectly placed in the heart of a valley with wildly gorgeous landscaping, the hotel setting is unique, private and accommodating. The breakfast doesn’t disappoint, either. After the wedding workouts, go ahead and indulge in the pancakes. You deserve it.

The Villa

Upon given the keys to a Deluxe Terrace Villa, I did what any hotel guest would do: I took advantage of my hut on the water.

It’s hard to justify spending much time indoors when this is your backyard. I take that back. Once you experience Bali humidity in May, you’ll undoubtedly appreciate the minutes spent indoors, not sweating. Then it becomes a battle between cooling off in a private pool with this view:

Or spending time in A/C here:

I chose both.

Lembah Spa

So you’ve had a massage in your lifetime, but perhaps not the Balinese type. On my final day at the Viceroy, I was scheduled for a romantic couples massage with my mother. Yeah, you read that correctly. I failed to mention to the hotel that my boyfriend could no longer join me on this trip, but that my mother would be in attendance instead. You better believe we took advantage and graciously accepted anyway. It was absolutely in the top three best massages of my lifetime, and this playful bathtub was just icing on the cake!

A special thank you to my masseuse for ridding of all my knots. I know I’m hunched over at my computer too often, so I’m very thankful for your beautiful talent!

This hotel, incorporating just 25 villas, is perfect for:

-Honeymooners & Mother-Daughter trips  🙂

Ubud

The city of Ubud engulfs visitors as they drive into its lush greenery. Street markets, narrow roads and traffic jams are common here, making you antsy as you inch towards your destination, scooters and bikes flying past. Then the shopaholic in you emerges. You see a gallery of handcrafted wooden chairs, distressed doors, Buddha heads or metal sculptures and think, “Now where could that go in my house?” To the plethora of House Hunters and Property Brothers episodes I’ve seen, this is your fault.

Additional attractions include the Holy Water Spring temple, the monkey sanctuary, coffee plantation, and Tegalalang rice field. The best part? The staff at Viceroy Bali will drive you free of charge in their shuttle service to and from town. They obviously appreciate their guests getting in on the Balinese culture, and I appreciate that more than they know.

The highlight of my day in town was when we caught the cremation ceremony of a royal family member who had recently passed away from cancer. As a proper goodbye, it’s custom to celebrate her life by carrying her coffin through town one last time before ending at the site of cremation. Her husband was next to her the entire time, giving her a final farewell on earth.

See more images from my time in Ubud below!