Bali is three destinations pretending to be one. Ubud is green and slow, the best yoga, waterfalls, temples. Canggu is fast and crowded, beach clubs, surfing, the digital-nomad scene. Uluwatu is cliffs and sunsets. Pick two, not all three, if your trip is under eight days.
Our default honeymoon plan: three nights Ubud, four nights Uluwatu. Skip Canggu unless you are under 28 and want the party. Ubud: one villa with a pool in the ricefields (Chapung Se Bali or Kamandalu), and eat at Locavore, Mozaic, and the little warung in Penestanan that has no name but makes the best lawar in town. Uluwatu: Bulgari Resort if the budget allows, otherwise Alila Villas or one of the cliffside boutiques in Pecatu.
What to do: Tirta Empul for the temple bath (at sunrise, not peak hours), the Campuhan Ridge walk before breakfast, a day trip to Nusa Penida if the weather is good, Uluwatu temple for the Kecak fire dance at sunset. Mount Batur is optional — see the separate piece on why.
A final, unpopular opinion: skip the monkey forest. It is crowded, the monkeys will steal your sunglasses, and there are better temples five minutes' drive away.
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