Bali as a Couple — Beautiful, Touristy, and Unforgettable Anyway
13 nights, three islands, a private pool — and the honest answer to whether we'd go back.
It was our first trip together. Not a lifelong dream, not a bucket list item — just: Bali. Thirteen nights, three hotels, three completely different worlds on one island.
Getting There: Frankfurt → Singapore → Denpasar
We flew out of Frankfurt on the evening of October 12th with Lufthansa — about twelve and a half hours to Singapore, then the next day with Jetstar on to Denpasar, another two and a half hours. Around 15 hours of actual flight time plus the layover. You arrive tired. That's fine.
What you shouldn't handle while tired: the situation right at the airport.
Arrival tip: At the taxi stands in Denpasar, people will aggressively try to get you into their car — at prices well above market rate. My advice: set up the Grab app before you land (Asia's equivalent of Uber) and book your driver directly through it. Everything goes through the app, the price is fixed upfront, no negotiating. Also: exchange a bit of cash at the airport, as many drivers prefer cash.
Nusa Dua — The Laguna, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa
Oct 13–18 · 5 nights · Deluxe room with garden view
First hotel. At check-in they offered us an upgrade — we let ourselves be surprised. The room was solid, quiet, garden view. Since the hotel doesn't have direct ocean views anyway, we quickly made peace with it and were happy.
What made our room special: a private access to a separate pool area — via a small wooden ladder directly from the room. That's also what makes The Laguna what it is, and what gives it its name: water everywhere. Expansive pools, waterways winding between buildings. If you love water landscapes, this place was made for you.
What The Laguna really delivers: service. The staff knew our names after introducing ourselves once. The food at the hotel was simply excellent. The waterfront promenade is great for an evening walk — and a fresh coconut in hand makes everything better.
One honest note about the beach: Nusa Dua is subject to tides. On an unlucky day, there's barely any water to swim in — the beach can look anything but paradise-like. This isn't a flaw of the hotel; it's just nature. Checking the tide schedule before you go saves disappointment.
The hotel also offered complimentary cultural activities — from weaving traditional Balinese decorations together to participating in local rituals. A relaxed way to get closer to the culture without booking a tourist excursion.
Within walking distance there's the Bali Collection in the evenings — a kind of shopping and restaurant strip. We went once or twice, tried some smaller restaurants nearby. But the best was always the hotel itself.
The most honest thing I can say about Nusa Dua: you barely feel Bali there. It's a very polished, very tourism-oriented corner of the island — pleasant, but sterile. You lie by the pool, drink coconut water, you're on holiday. Sometimes that's enough.
Our recommendation: Book The Laguna at the end of a Bali trip, not the beginning. If you want to be pampered and wind down after more intense days, this is the place. As a starting point, it lacks the contrast of the actual island.
Ubud — Royal Kamuela Villas & Suites at Monkey Forest
Oct 18–22 · 4 nights · Villa with private pool
Ubud was a different world. The hotel sits right at the Monkey Forest — and that's not marketing speak, it's literal: monkeys walk past the entrance. The long-tailed macaques roam freely inside the forest, and you're not supposed to feed them. Most tourists know this. Many do it anyway.
The humidity in Ubud is intense. We had a few rainy days, a few sunny ones — always humid, always warm. We explored everything without a guide.
What we did:
Kopi Luwak Plantation at Kumulilir (Jl. Raya Pujung Kaja, Sebatu, Tegallalang): Entry is free — you get a guided tour of the grounds explaining the coffee-making process from plant to cup, followed by a complimentary tasting of various teas and coffees. In return, they're happy if you buy something in the shop. There's no pressure, more of an unspoken expectation — and a fair one, since the prices are reasonable. Even the drinks on-site are affordable, making it easy to linger a while.
The star of the show is Luwak coffee — beans that a civet cat eats, digests, and then, well, passes. What comes out is considered one of the rarest and most expensive coffees in the world. The taste: surprisingly mild. Not a must — but an experience you're better off not thinking too hard about while drinking.
Beyond the tasting, the grounds have a few lovingly arranged photo spots — nothing over the top, but charming and worth a snap.
Tegalalang Rice Terraces: Breathtakingly green, even though the weather didn't fully cooperate. We walked through the terraces anyway — it's beautiful rain or shine. There's a small surcharge for drone footage, around €5. Worth it.
And then there was the Bali Belly — Carina had the pleasure. Anyone spending more than a few days in Bali knows the risk: stomach issues from unfamiliar food or water. Charcoal tablets and vitamins helped within 2–3 days. Better to bring them than to search for them.
Ubud is also where you actually feel something closer to the real Bali — the temples, the green, the atmosphere on the streets. Even if mass tourism has long since arrived here too.
The hotel itself: The most beautiful place we've ever stayed. Full stop. The layout, the design, the atmosphere — it was unlike anything else. We rarely used the private pool, but it was always nice knowing it was there. The service, on the other hand, was barely noticeable — much more low-key than Nusa Dua.
Getting to Nusa Penida
We booked the transfer through 12Go — straightforward, well communicated, no issues. If the meeting point is too far from your hotel, you can arrange a pickup for a small extra fee. Worked perfectly for us.
Nusa Penida — Atalaya Villas, Adults only
Oct 22–26 · 4 nights · Suite with private pool
The final chapter — and the quietest. The Atalaya Villas sit on a hillside with a backdrop you couldn't make up. We were almost the only guests, the restaurant felt like it was cooking just for us — and the food was genuinely good.
One evening we ate out at Nusava Restaurant (Sakti, Nusa Penida). Almost empty, nice atmosphere, good service. The dessert was a different story — simply inedible. We didn't have to pay for it in the end, which, honestly, impressed me.
Most of the time we spent at the private pool. Nusa Penida is rougher, less developed than Bali — and that's exactly the appeal.
Beach Hopping: We did day trips to the beaches from our accommodation. All three absolutely worth it:
- Mata Air Crystal Bay — turquoise water, calm atmosphere
- Kelingking Beach — the T-Rex rock. Famous for a reason.
- Pandan Beach — less known, all the better for it
If you're on Nusa Penida: beach hopping is non-negotiable.
The Honest Verdict
Would we go back to Bali? Probably not.
Bali is beautiful — that's true. But it's also very touristy, very built around tourism, and the real Bali is hard to find if you're looking for it. Ubud gets you closest — but even there you can feel how much mass tourism has already shaped the place.
There are more beautiful spots in the world. Quieter ones. More authentic ones. Less crowded ones.
What stays: our first trip together. The Monkey Forest. The stillness of Nusa Penida. The coconut by the pool in Nusa Dua. The best hotel we've ever stayed in.
That's enough for a trip you don't forget — even if you don't go back.