CHOOSING AN AREA

|	Southern Areas	|	Western Areas	|	East Coast	|

|	West Coast	|	North Coast	|	Central	|

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Nearby Islands

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Southern Areas

KUTA

Well known for its fabulous shopping, restaurants, bars & nightspots as well as its surfing beach and magical sunsets. To the young at least Kuta has earned itself the reputation of being the very 'heart' of Bali, offering everything from the smallest of shopping stalls to the very latest in boutique fashions, famous surf gear shops and multi-storied departments stores. Just about anything can be bought in Kuta and the buying is fun.

The choice of accommodation in the Kuta area is enormous, ranging from the smallest of budget 'losmens' through moderate bungalows and hotels such as Legian Beach Hotel, Bali Mandira and the Bali Intan up to the rather luxurious beachfront properties like the well known Hard Rock Hotel, it's new next door neighbour the Mercure and the lovely Kul-Kul.

Many couples like to have a wedding on the beach, but it is recommended instead that they select a hotel which offers a garden area directly overlooking the beach or one which offers ocean views. Unfortunately in the Kuta area now almost every hotel has a road across the front between the property and the beach and therefore have lost that direct 'step onto the beach access' that once existed.

TUBAN

Once known as Southern Kuta, the Tuban area is not a very long walk (especially via the beach) from Kuta itself, however is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the more central Kuta. A more relaxed atmosphere prevails in Tuban and yet there is still a great selection of things to do such as the Waterbom Park, Go-Karting & Sling Shot and a good selection of restaurants offering various fares from around the world. There is even a new Bottle Shop selling fine brand wines and other alcoholic beverages right below the well known surfy restaurant ALL STARS in Tuban.

Many of the hotels in the Tuban area are located directly on the beach and are therefore popular with couples because a marriage can be performed in the hotel gardens and then the couple may step onto the beach for some more relaxed photographs and fun with the locals. The Discovery Kartika Plaza Beach Hotel and The Bintang Bali have proven most popular with wedding couples over the past few years and that's because they are so well located. Of the two however, Discovery Kartika Plaza offers the very best in terms of gardens and space.

A little further back towards Kuta is the Bali Garden Hotel which has just come back under its original management team and whilst this property offers simple accommodation it is very clean, very central and has one of the very best beach fronts available in the Tuban area. A little in the opposite direction is the well known and popular Holiday Inn Bali Hai which is popular with families so always has lots of children around. For weddings, it has a lovely private garden area directly overlooking the beach and hidden away behind their 'villa accommodations'. Very few even know this area of the hotel exists and yet it offers the chance for a fairly private ceremony and a cocktail party or dinner in this spot is a delight.

A booking in the Villa is necessary to ensure the garden area is available to you for your wedding ceremony and function.


NUSA DUA & TANJUNG BENOA

Located on the southern peninsular of the island, Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa seem to be a world away from the hustle & bustle of activity in other areas of the island but it's actually only a 20 minute drive from the airport, and the shops and nightlife of Kuta.

Known as Bali's premier resort area, Nusa Dua offers an enormous selection of 5 star resort hotels such as The Nusa Dua Beach Hotel, Sheraton's Laguna and Nusa Indah, The Grand Hyatt, Amanusa Resort, Club Med & Hilton to name but a few.

All of these properties are beach front, except Amanusa which has ocean views and a private beach club, and offer fabulous gardens so are excellent locations for weddings for couples with a 5 star budget. Lots of shopping opportunities are available too in Nusa Dua! The Galleria Shopping Centre offers a collection of fashionable boutiques, specialty shops and restaurants.

In the even quieter area of Tanjung Benoa just a couple of kilometres further on than Nusa Dua another selection of hotels such as the Club Mirage & The Grand Mirage, the excellent value Novotel, Melia Benoa and the small but lovely Suites Hotel Bali Royal are available beachside.

Although beach weddings are not generally recommended, there are a couple of quiet public beach spots you can use for a small and simple ceremony in the Nusa Dua area - an experienced professional wedding organizer will know these.

Western Areas

LEGIAN & SEMINYAK, KEROBOKAN & TANAH LOT

A far less frantic pace is to be had here in Legian and Seminyak! You can enjoy a more peaceful environment a good selection of boutique hotels and still be close to shops and nightlife. There is an enormous range of restaurants located in these areas, so if you don't feel like heading back south to Kuta for shopping and entertainment, there really is no need. Some of the most lovely beachfront hotels in this area are The Bali Oberoi, The Legian and now the new Santika Villas right next door in the 5 star category and the Resor Seminyak and Intan Bali in 3 star category. Not on the beach, but a delightful property in which to marry, is the Villa Lumbung.

There are a number of spectacular restaurants on the beach fronts of Legian and Seminyak and a few of these are just perfect for a wedding ceremony. The now famous Ku-De-Ta Restaurant and the newly refurbished and styled Gado-Gado Restaurant to name only two. Many people already know the La Luciola Restaurant where you can relax and enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner, but unfortunately this restaurant does not host weddings on the property and more often than not will not accept a group reservation. Both Ku-De-Ta and Gado-Gado Restaurants are most welcoming!

Tanah Lot is only about 30 minutes drive to the west of Seminyak and the Le Meridien Hotel offers spectacular gardens, an incredible golf course and views of the Tanah Lot Temple from their lobby, bar, main caf?/restaurant and western gardens.

Unfortunately these days the view of Tanah Lot is marred somewhat by a new bridge style construction running from the mainland to the Temple and beyond to the sea but a clever photographer will be able to pose you in such a position that you really do only get the Temple as a backdrop at least once after your ceremony.

East Coast

CANDI DASA & AMED

Relatively unknown a decade ago, Candi Dasa is now a popular and relaxing retreat that has managed to retain its village identity. Attractions include snorkeling, scuba diving and tours to the seaward temple of Candi Dasa and the ancient traditional village of Tenganan famous for its mastery of double ikat weaving.

You can expect to find plenty of accommodation, restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, and some nightlife. There are fantastic views from the headland and, on a clear day, Agung Mountain rises majestically behind the range of coastal hills. The panorama encompassing islets to the left, Nusa Penida directly ahead and the headland to the right is easy to admire, with most of the hotels and resorts facing directly out to the sea.

West Coast

TABANAN

There a couple of lovely properties in this area to hold a wedding eg: the deluxe/5Star Le Meridian Nirwana Resort which has views to the famous Tanah Lot Temple from the garden area where wedding ceremonies are held in the dry season and, a much smaller more rustic property known as the Waka Tangga is another lovely choice. This property has only a handful of bungalow rooms, one restaurant and pool, all overlooking the ocean. One of the really special things about this small property (apart from the fact it is intimate and friendly) is the fact that it is surrounded by rice paddies and also offers views of the mountains in the distance.

North Coast

SINGARAJA/LOVINA

The north coast of Bali offers a different environment and atmosphere again from the other areas. A wedding here is possible but you will need to plan a minimum of one night stay.

Lovina is for those who like still waters (no waves) and are not fussy about the color of the beach. You may even encounter some local dolphins during your stay here. Tourists looking for a quiet beach resort head for Lovina. A long stretch of safe beach and a perfect place for swimming and snorkeling. Lovina also offers early morning dolphin viewing and is the perfect base from which to explore northern Bali.

You'll find that to have a wedding here in the North of Bali usually requires additional fees because of the time and distance involved in attendance.

Central

UBUD

Couples wanting to have that 'real Bali' feeling tend to choose Ubud as a location for their wedding ceremony. The artist colony of Ubud offers a great atmosphere, lush tropical gardens and, in many of the possible venues, wonderful views of the surrounding hills, valleys and rivers.

Although it is somewhat centrally located on the island and does not have a sunset as such, the Ubud skies generally display wonderful colours at sunset time which you are certain to enjoy.

It takes only about 40-60 minutes to reach from the main areas of Sanur and Kuta/Legian and there are some excellent restaurants available where your ceremony and celebration may be enjoyed. A professional organizer will be able to mention at least 3 or 4 great choices.

Nearby Islands

NUSA LEMBONGAN & LOMBOK

It is possible to have wedding ceremonies on both of these islands however surcharges naturally apply to cover the extra time, transportation and meals required to be costed into such arrangements.

The other point about weddings on these islands is that it is often not possible for the legal part of your ceremony to take place at the same time and place as your religious ceremony. Your organizer will be able to give you the details and solutions on this issue, which may result in your having a different date on your religious certificate to your Government legalizing certificate.

At 3.30pm all the day trippers depart from Nusa Lembongan and the island becomes a perfect peaceful place for your wedding ceremony however, you will need to cover the costs of your Minister, Registrar and Wedding Organiser to either hire a charter boat for their return on the same day or, to stay overnight if you wish to have the wedding later than 4pm on this nearby island.