At a glanceTwo nights on Sentosa to recover from the nonstop flight and eat your way through Singapore, a two and a half hour hop to Bali, four nights in a villa above Ubud's river gorges, then four nights on the clifftops of Uluwatu near the airport. It suits couples who want food, culture and beach in one easy loop. Go from May to September.
Singapore and Bali pair neatly because the hard part of the journey is done in one go. Singapore Airlines has flown nonstop from Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle and the hop from Changi to Bali takes about two and a half hours. Both sit in the same time zone, so you only adjust once.
This route starts on Sentosa, Singapore's resort island, rather than downtown. You get a pool and greenery for the jet-lag days, with the city's hawker centers and the Gardens by the Bay light show a short ride away.
In Bali, you split the stay between two moods. Ubud, in the hills about an hour or so north of the airport, gives you rice terraces, temples and villas hanging over the Ayung River gorge. Uluwatu, on the Bukit Peninsula in the far south, gives you cliffs, surf beaches and sunsets over the Indian Ocean. Ending in Uluwatu keeps you 30 to 45 minutes from the airport on the last morning.
The route
- SentosaSingapore · 2 nights
- UbudIndonesia · 4 nights
- UluwatuIndonesia · 4 nights
- Best months
- May to September
- Trip length
- 11 days
- Budget
- About $500–1,200 a night for two in luxury resorts, with boutique villas from roughly $200 (approximate)
Day by day
Days 1–2: Singapore and Sentosa
Land at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) after a long nonstop flight. A taxi or Grab to Sentosa takes about 30 minutes. Before leaving the airport, walk through Jewel to see the indoor waterfall, which takes ten minutes and wakes you up. Then check in, swim and sleep.
On day 2, keep the morning easy on the island. Walk the forest paths or the boardwalk to Palawan Beach and cross the little suspension bridge to the southernmost point of continental Asia. In the afternoon, take the cable car from Sentosa to Mount Faber for the harbor views, then head into the city.
Eat dinner at a hawker center such as Lau Pa Sat or Maxwell, where a feast of chicken rice, satay and laksa costs little. Stay on for the free Garden Rhapsody show at the Supertree Grove in Gardens by the Bay. Lying back under the lit Supertrees with the music playing is the romantic moment of Singapore.
Days 3–6: Ubud
Fly to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) on day 3, about two and a half hours. Your driver takes you north to Ubud, one to one and a half hours depending on traffic. Settle into your villa and listen to the frogs at dusk.
On day 4, get up early for the Tegallalang rice terraces before the crowds, then visit Tirta Empul for a temple water blessing. You will be given sarongs. Both of you step into the spring pools and move along the spouts with a guide.
Day 5 is the slow day. Take a Balinese cooking class with a market visit, or book a couples massage and spend the afternoon by your pool. At dusk, walk the Campuhan Ridge path through the long grass. That walk, with the valley turning gold on both sides, is the romantic moment of Ubud.
On day 6, raft the Ayung River in the morning or visit the art museums in town. In the evening, watch a Legong dance at the Ubud Palace.
Days 7–10: Uluwatu
Drive south to Uluwatu on day 7, about one and a half to two hours. Check into your clifftop hotel and spend the afternoon at the pool.
On day 8, go beach hopping on the Bukit. Padang Padang, Bingin and Melasti all sit below limestone cliffs, often down steep steps. Check the tides, since some coves shrink at high water. Late in the day, go to Uluwatu Temple for the Kecak fire dance at sunset. The temple is perched on a cliff above the ocean and the chanting circle of performers is unlike anything else on the island. Hold on to sunglasses and phones, since the resident monkeys grab them.
On day 9, take a surf lesson for two on a gentle break or book a flower bath at your resort's spa.
Make day 10 your splurge night. Book a clifftop dinner at your resort, or have grilled seafood with your toes in the sand at Jimbaran Bay as the sun sets. A table on the cliff edge with only ocean ahead is the romantic moment of the trip.
Day 11: Home from Bali
The airport is 30 to 45 minutes from most Uluwatu hotels, longer around sunset traffic. Ask your resort for a late checkout and a driver timed to your flight.
There are no nonstop flights from Bali to the US. The easiest route home is back through Singapore, which also lets you add a night there if you want one more round of hawker food. Other good connections run through Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei and Hong Kong.
If your flight leaves late in the evening, spend the morning at a beach club on the Bukit or take a last swim at Melasti. Shower at the resort spa before you go. Leave space in your bags for Ubud's handwoven textiles and silver, which make better souvenirs than anything at the airport.
Getting Between Stops
In Singapore, taxis and Grab are cheap and reliable. The Sentosa Express monorail links the island with the HarbourFront MRT station and the cable car is the scenic way across.
Changi to Bali takes about two and a half hours on Singapore Airlines, Scoot and several other carriers. Book a morning or midday flight so you reach Ubud before dark.
In Bali, hire a private driver for each transfer. Your villa can arrange one. The airport to Ubud takes one to one and a half hours and Ubud to Uluwatu takes about one and a half to two, depending on traffic. Ride-hailing apps work for short trips. Scooters are common, but roads are narrow and busy, so skip them unless you are both experienced riders.
Where to Stay
On Sentosa, Capella Singapore sits in restored colonial buildings on the hill with cascading pools. Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa is right on Siloso Beach and W Singapore Sentosa Cove faces the marina.
In Ubud, the best resorts line the Ayung River west of town. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan is reached by a bridge onto a lotus pond roof, with villas stepping down to the river. Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, has walled pool villas on the riverbank and dinners in bamboo pods. Capella Ubud, designed by Bill Bensley, has luxury tents with saltwater pools on a jungle ridge.
In Uluwatu, Bulgari Resort Bali sits high above the ocean with an inclinator down to the beach. Alila Villas Uluwatu has striking modern pool villas and a cabana suspended over the cliff.
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When to Go
Bali's dry season runs roughly from April to October, with August usually the driest month. May, June and September are the sweet spot, with good weather and fewer crowds than July, August and the Christmas holidays. The wet season from about November to March brings heavy afternoon downpours, though rates drop and the rice fields are at their greenest.
Singapore is hot and humid all year, with highs near 90°F. February to April is usually its driest stretch and November to January the wettest, but showers rarely last long.
The Uluwatu surf breaks are best in the dry season, which also brings the most reliable sunsets. Ubud is a little cooler than the coast at night, so pack a light layer.
Budget and Booking
Plan on roughly $500–1,200 a night for two in the luxury resorts named here, with the top villas higher. Boutique villas in Ubud and the Bukit can cost from about $200 a night. Singapore hotels are expensive for what you get, so a two-night stay keeps that cost contained. All figures are approximate.
Book the Ubud and Uluwatu villas first, since the best ones fill early for July, August and the holidays. Then add the Singapore to Bali flight.
Budget separately for drivers, which are affordable when hired by the day, along with cooking classes, temple donations, spa treatments and beach club minimum spends. Singapore's hawker food is one of the best-value meals in Asia, so save your splurges for Bali.
Make It Shorter or Longer
For nine days, cut Singapore to one night at an airport hotel or skip it, then spend four nights in Ubud and four in Uluwatu.
With two weeks, add two or three nights in Sidemen in East Bali between Ubud and the coast, for quieter rice valleys and views of Mount Agung. Or take a fast boat from Sanur to Nusa Penida for two nights of cliffs and manta snorkeling.
Couples who want more city can add a night in central Singapore, near Marina Bay, for rooftop bars and the Botanic Gardens. Keep Uluwatu at the end of whatever you add, since its short airport transfer makes the last day easy.
Honeymoon Tips
At Balinese temples, both of you wear a sarong and sash, which most sites lend or rent at the gate. Cover shoulders. Women who are menstruating are traditionally asked not to enter temples.
Uluwatu's beaches can have strong currents and sharp reef. Swim only where lifeguards or locals do and wear reef shoes at low tide. Do not feed or tease the monkeys at Uluwatu Temple or the Ubud Monkey Forest.
Drink bottled or filtered water in Bali and be careful with ice at simple warungs. Dengue occurs in Bali and Singapore, so use repellent at dawn and dusk. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices for both countries before booking. Entry and visa rules depend on your citizenship and can change at short notice, so check the official government website before you book.
FAQPlanning this trip
How do we get from Singapore to Bali?
Fly from Singapore Changi (SIN) to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), about two and a half hours. Singapore Airlines, Scoot and other carriers fly the route many times a day. Both places share a time zone, so a midday flight still gets you to Ubud by late afternoon.
Why stay on Sentosa rather than in central Singapore?
Sentosa gives you a resort pool, greenery and beaches for the jet-lag days, while central Singapore is still 15 to 25 minutes away for dinner. If you care more about rooftop bars and museums than lounging, stay near Marina Bay instead. Either works for two nights.
Is four nights in Ubud too many?
Not on a honeymoon. One day goes to rice terraces and a temple blessing, one to a cooking class or spa and one to rafting or galleries. The fourth night gives you a slow day at your villa, which is often the best part of staying in the Ayung River valley.
Can we swim at Uluwatu?
Yes, but choose your beach and timing. Melasti and Padang Padang are the gentlest options at the right tide, while many coves have strong surf and shallow reef. Your resort pool will do much of the work. For calm lagoon swimming, add Nusa Penida or another island instead.
When is the best time for a Singapore and Bali honeymoon?
May to September, when Bali is in its dry season. May, June and September have the best balance of weather and crowds. Singapore is warm and humid every month, so it fits whatever dates suit Bali. Book early for July, August and the Christmas holidays.
