We just wrapped up an absolutely blissful babymoon in Bali, which had the perfect mix of relaxation, nature, luxury, culture, dining, and activities to make our last trip as a childless couple so memorable and romantic. Even if you’re not pregnant, there is so much to see and do, so keep reading to see how we made the most of our time in Bali’s jungle and wellness paradise of Ubud.
Last time we were in Bali, we stayed in the more central and bustling Seminyak where we ate, partied and went to beach clubs. This time around, we decided to just explore Ubud for the jungle and nature, and Nusa Dua for the beach so there wasn’t too much moving around.
I normally love exploring local areas, eating street food, going on outdoor adventures, and experiencing the nightlife, but since I was 6 months pregnant we prioritized relaxation and staying free of injuries and “Bali belly” 💩🤮😂 This meant no hole-in-the-wall restaurants (just in case they use ice that isn’t from filtered water), waterfalls, hiking, swings, or water sports of any kind, which were replaced by eating at reputable sit-down restaurants, lounging at day clubs, and taking photos at pretty sites.
I definitely need to make it back to Bali post-baby to explore Uluwatu, Canggu, and other areas! But for now, read on to see how we spent our 5 days in Ubud with helpful tips for your trip, whether you’re pregnant or not.
JUMP AHEAD:
Save Time Before Arrival in Bali
Apply for your e-visa online so you can skip all of the lines at immigration and go straight to the electronic gates. You’ll be through immigration with zero wait time!
You can also complete your customs declaration and pay the tourist tax online to save time at arrivals.
Our Ubud Babymoon Resort
We chose Maya Ubud Resort and Spa as I knew I wanted to stay in a villa with a private pool and jungle view. Since we were staying 4 nights and didn’t want to deal with traffic too much, we wanted a bigger resort with multiple restaurants, pools and plenty of activities on site so we didn’t have to leave often. Maya checked off all the boxes—you can read my in-depth review with my recommendations for a great stay on the property here.
Other Ubud Resorts to Consider
If we were staying in Ubud for 2-3 nights, I would have booked Natya Resort Ubud. Natya is a much smaller property with just 24 villas and one restaurant, but the villas are even more gorgeous in my opinion as they have private infinity pools overlooking a more lush jungle view.
I also considered Ibah Luxury Villas, which was converted from a temple into a resort so it had a unique Indiana Jones-esque vibe.
We also visited the Viceroy Bali for lunch at CasCades Restaurant one day, and were impressed by the next level elevated jungle views. The villas here have private infinity pools and suspended sitting areas over the jungle, and definitely seem like they would be worth the splurge. I’ll have to save these for our next trip to Ubud!
Top Things to do in Ubud for your Babymoon
Relax at a Day Club Overlooking a Waterfall at Omma Bali
Since waterfalls are too risky to visit while pregnant, Omma Bali offers the perfect solution with a day club and pool overlooking Tegenungan Waterfall. You can take in the spectacular view and relaxed vibe from the comfort of a sunbed, or book a pool access pass and dine at the restaurant. The food is pretty good (except the calamari, skip it) and it wasn’t crowded the entire time we were there from 10AM-2PM. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can also walk down to see the waterfall up close. See more photos from our visit here.
Tip: Don’t forget your pregnancy-safe sunscreen! If you’re in Hong Kong, China and Singapore, you can get 10% off this my favorite brand with my code INDULGENT
Unwind with Massages with River and Jungle Views at Maya Spa
Even if you aren’t a hotel guest at Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, you can still book a treatment at their beautiful spa that overlooks a river. They were able to do a prenatal Balinese massage for me where I laid on my side with a pillow between my legs, and you can add the floral bath or book one of their spa packages that includes it. Be sure to request a floral bath with river view to get a photo like above. Even if you don’t do the floral bath, they have treatment rooms with seating platforms that look over the river. It’s so relaxing getting your treatments with the sound of the river flowing.
Explore Ubud’s Rice Terraces & Mount Batur Volcano on a Private Tour
I really wanted to see Mount Batur volcano and explore Ubud’s rice terraces in comfort, so we booked this private tour that takes you to Instagrammable locations all around Ubud so you can nap in the car and have somewhere to keep your belongings between stops. We did the tour labeled “St glass factory, paperhills IG kafe, Taman Dedari, Riceterrace and Swing” as we didn’t want to do any waterfalls since I didn’t want to risk slipping and falling. If you really wanted to customize the itinerary, you could book a private driver and tell them exactly where you want to go.
The tour started at Uma Ceking Resto & Swing with views of the Tegallalung Rice Terraces. You can rent a long dress for 150k IDR, which is especially photogenic if you aren’t pregnant and want to go on the swings. Instead I just took photos at all of the stationary photo spots and enjoyed the scenery.
Next we visited Sari Timbul Art Gallery, which features hand-carved wooden sculptures and gardens made for Instagram. You get a dedicated guide who will direct you and help you take photos and videos around the space, which is relatively small but pretty magical in how they’ve designed it.
Then we had lunch at Paperhills Cafe for those volcano views in a spacious, relaxed environment. They have a variety of sitting areas, from tables to sun beds and lounge seating, all with excellent views of Mount Batur and its surrounding crater lake. The burgers and drinks here were tasty too.
We ended the tour at Taman Dedari, which is a beautiful, spacious open-air restaurant with massive Balinese sculptures and lush greenery. I wish we were hungrier to try the food here as it looked good, but we just cooled down with drinks and took in the surroundings.
Enjoy a Casual Lunch Overlooking the Jungle at CasCades
The main restaurant at Viceroy Bali serves a mix of western and Indonesian fare overlooking the jungle. We thoroughly enjoyed our tasty club sandwich, rich lamb curry with tender meat and a dragonfruit smoothie in the relaxed environment.
Dine at one of Asia’s Most Progressive Restaurants at Locavore NXT
For a cool and unique dining experience for lovers of fine dining, Locavore NXT is a must, though with some caveats. This innovative restaurant is part of a compound that feels like it’s straight out of The Menu, as their massive self-proclaimed spaceship has their own rooftop farm, modern museum-like interiors, multiple rooms that you enjoy different courses in, and even 3 cabins that you can stay at on the property. The tasting menu uses exclusively local Indonesian ingredients, all of which you can peruse in their high-tech digital library on a big touch screen while you enjoy your second course surrounded by the mushrooms they grow on site.
All of that being said, while I respect the concept and what they’re trying to do, I think the food itself could have been tastier. Everything was good, but I was only wowed by 2 of the 16 dishes we tried, which is low considering this was our most expensive meal in Bali (we paid US$384 for 2 tasting menus, 1 wine pairing and 1 soft drink). The current menu definitely gives you a lot of new combinations to try, but feels like it’s trying a little too hard to push the boundaries at the expense of flavor. That said, we still had a really nice time, and it was fun to try something really unique and different.
Splurge on an Intimate Private Dining Experience
One of the main reasons we chose Maya Ubud Resort is that besides the typical floating breakfast, they also offered a unique in-villa grill where a personal chef sets up a grill in the yard of your villa for a multi-course meal. It’s like having your own private restaurant with your own personal waiter serving you as well. Definitely the perfect way to celebrate your babymoon.
