Kelly Meharg and her new husband head to Bali for their honeymoon – do they recommend Ayana Bali for your own special post-wedding escape?
If you’ve ever got married, you’ll know that there’s a time in the lead-up to the big day where, overwhelmed with admin, you’ll be looking forward to the honeymoon more than the actual wedding.
Yes hi, that was me.
My wedding day was the best day of my life – but my God, it was a lot of work and by the time came to finally wheel my suitcase into Auckland Airport, my husband (hehe) and I were READY for a break away from the demands of real life.
Ayana, a fancy-pants five-star resort in Bali, had been mentioned by a few well-travelled pals as a perfect place to unwind after the demands (and joy, ofc) of a wedding. I’d had advice from a few people to take a break straight after the wedding day to enjoy the ‘just married’ bubble for as long as possible and hell, if there’s ever a time to splurge and enjoy a few days of uninterrupted bliss, it was now.
So here’s my take on a four-day honeymoon to Ayana Bali:
What is Ayana?
Perched on the rocky cliffs of Jimbaran Bay in Bali’s south, Ayana Bali is a mega-resort featuring four – yes, FOUR – different hotels, each offering a different vibe, 14 pools, 30 restaurants and bars (including the world-famous Rock Bar), a working farm, award-winning museum, private beach, golf course, night club, shopping village, and spa and fitness centre. The grounds cover 90 hectares (222 acres if you’re old school) and is about 30 minutes away from the airport.
You can travel between hotels easily, thanks to the free shuttles that arrive every five minutes from designated bus stops, so you can find your perfect vibe no matter where you’re actually staying, including adult-only pools (amen), family-friendly pools and playgrounds, activities and different restaurants. The only pool that’s off limits is the one reserved for Ayana Villas Bali guests, but there IS a way around this if you’re happy to lean into influencer life for five minutes (see below!).
Put it this way, there’s always something to do!
What are the rooms like at Ayana Bali?
We stayed at the OG Ayana – Ayana Resort Bali – the property’s flagship. Its style is more traditional Balinese and sits close to the sea, facing west to enjoy epic sunsets (what is it about a woman in her 30s and a sunset, we can’t get enough). We loved staying in the heart of the complex – if we were to go back, we’d try Ayana Segara Bali next time (the newest hotel that’s a little more modern and, crucially, has an adults-only pool on the roof that we adored.)
That being said, we loved our huge room – it had everything we needed to relax and enjoy some downtime. But when booking, have a look at Ayana’s (quite impressive) website and pick the hotel that works the best for you – if you’re coming with kids, Rimba by Ayana Bali has playgrounds and family-friendly pools, while if you’re super fancy, go for ultimate luxury with the private Villas.
The staff throughout were amazing, the turndown service was always so lovely and supplied us with little treats – a cap, chocolate and even a photo frame complete with a photo of us from our wedding!
What’s the food and drink like?
Plentiful. Fantastic. Diverse. There are SO many choices at Ayana it’s hard to get around to them all, and there’s always something that’ll satisfy your every craving. Breakfasts are insane – a buffet, of course, but with everything you could want. Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Western, kid-friendly, you’re covered. I enjoyed noodles and broth pretty much every morning (ok fine and then pastries) where my husband tried out everything from omelettes to sushi to fried chicken to cereal.
On the honeymoon/romance side, we were treated to some amazing once-in-a-lifetime experiences – a private lobster dinner at seafood restaurant KISIK, out on a pier overlooking the ocean, complete with bubbles, a 360 degree view of the waves and coastline and yes, *ultimate romance*. Honestly I’ve never felt so special which is EXACTLY what you’re after on your honeymoon! (The lovely staff even slipped Mike a bouquet of roses to give to me and if this isn’t what all men need, then I don’t know WHAT is).
We also spent an evening at the famous Rock Bar, which you’ve no doubt seen on Instagram and gone ‘holy crap that’s a BAR?’. An outdoor bar stretching 270 metres along the cliffs, you’re treated to drinks and dinner as the waves crash against the rocks, making for a magical experience. As you might expect, it’s the most ‘touristy’ part of Ayana as it’s also open to the public, so make sure you book. If you’re a cocktail connoisseur, you might find the drinks a little on the weaker side, so my advice is grab a bucket of Bintangs, order some chips and snacks and instead focus on the true luxury of the setting – your surroundings.
What about stuff to do on your honeymoon at Ayana?
My husband and I love what we call ‘loose plans’ which pretty much translates to having one ‘thing’ planned a day, and we pretty much stuck to this during our honeymoon so we could ensure we had time to simply chill and enjoy hanging out with each other. We do, however, have a tradition that we always make sure to partake in on every trip – a cooking class. We find it a great way to learn more about the history of where you are, what makes it tick and, of course, the local cuisine (and you get a new skill to take home!). We joined a couple from Korea, also on their honeymoon, and learnt how to make sambal, fish sate (turns out sate just means ‘on a stick’ NOT peanut sauce, who knew) and snapper wrapped in leaves.
We also headed to one of Ayana’s prized facilities, the Thalassotherapy pool in the spa. It’s a heated seawater hydrotherapy pool with different zones that aim to massage you via the jets, currents and bubbles and Jeeeeesus, what a vibe. You make a lap of the pool, enjoying the different jets as you go, and when you emerge you do feel somewhat like a very relaxed seal and I’m here for it. Pair this experience with a massage at the amazing spa, you’ll be in a state of bliss that it’ll be dangerous for you to operate heavy machinery (thank God raising a wine glass to your mouth doesn’t count!).
My husband also really enjoyed a nine-hole golf course – it’s small but, in his words is ‘bloody fantastic’ while I lay by the pool and read, sunbathed and napped and man, isn’t that just the perfect start to a marriage?
What were your favourite parts about your honeymoon at Ayana?
When you travel, even if it’s for something as relaxing as a honeymoon, you know there is always an element of ‘lean in and go with it’ and this was very much the case at Ayana too – which is how we found ourselves downing tequila shots at the nightclub, After Rock, on a Monday night with an apparently famous Chinese influencer. The staff were amazing, the drinks were flowing, it certainly didn’t feel like a Monday night and I don’t know how it happened but I ended up singing an Adele song with the band and trying to teach the aforementioned Chinese influencer (who arrived with a posse of chain-smoking minders and a gaggle of friends, an incredible sight) how to drop it low (?!) with minimal success. Ten out of 10 experience, would do again. (Also am I famous on Weibo now?)
What would you recommend if I was to book a stay at Ayana?
Take your time exploring the resort on your first day, and you’ll pretty quickly find your favourite nooks and crannies. My personal favourite spot was the Ocean Beach Pool, located next to Rock Bar. It’s one of those places you dream about when you mention the word ‘honeymoon’ – an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, with lovely attentive staff and a food and beverage menu that means you don’t have to get off your sun bed unless it’s for a leisurely swim. It’s also only available to those aged 12 and up, so there’s a certain element of peace you can expect. We kept going back to this pool and my husband enjoyed his new discovery, the Flight Radar 24 app on his phone, as he tracked which planes were leaving and landing at the airport in the distance (there was a lot of “what airline do you think that one is?”. Let the good times roll.
And finally, *the photo*. It’s par for the course at Ayaya – a shot of you in your best set of togs in the famous River Pool, a two-tiered pool that encompasses the Ayana vibe perfectly. Small catch – it’s the pool in the Villas complex that you usually can’t access unless you’re staying in said Villas, HOWEVER, you are allowed to come on by for a photo between the hours of 6.30am and 9am. A helpful waiter told us earlier that sometimes the line can get up to 100 people to get *the shot* and look, I love a good IG photo as much as the next millennial gal but I have my limits, especially when it cuts into my cocktail time. So we got up early one morning and managed to snap the shot first thing.
Look at me balance! Trust me, this was harder to do than it looked but hey, worth it.
Kelly and her husband were hosted by Ayana Bali – but all opinions here are very much her own. This is part one of our Bali honeymoon series – stay turned for Kelly‘s take on Bali as a whole for a honeymoon destination, as well as a very different vibe for a post-wedding getaway option!
