Before it all starts, we need to get there! Bali happens to be an epic distance from New York. We are departing Monday night following the wedding. The flight to Hong Kong lasts 16 hours and from there, it is a further 5 hours to Bali. Basically, we will have earned our first day on the beach!

We are staying for 11 nights in Bali and 2 nights in Hong Kong. In Bali, we will stay at first in Seminyak, a sophisticated beach town with smart restaurants. Our room will feature its own infinity pool!

After lounging on the beach in Seminyak, we will move further inland to Ubud, the cultural and artistic center of the island. The scenery is dominated by lush jungles and rice paddies. Our room will be in a tree house!

Without a visa, there won't be a honeymoon!

This will clearly be a lot of fun!

To us, one of the best parts of traveling is experiencing new flavors and dishes. Off the beaten path, we expect to find adventurous and tasty foods!

Indonesia contributed to the introduction of its native spices to world cuisine. Spices such as nutmeg/mace, clove, Pandan leaves, and galangal are native to the country. You can see why we are very excited to sample the food!

The Balinese cuisine is spicy with hints of sweet and sour. Spices are pounded down into pastes and sambals (chilli sauces) which are then cooked slowly. So we can recreate these tastes when we return to New York, we will take a cooking class with a local chef that will feature a trip to the market to pick out spices and ingredients. (Hint: This is a gift that keeps on giving to our New York-based friends).

Laura practices yoga frequently. Lucas, not so much. This will be an opportunity for us to try it together!

In this unusual place of worship, mischievous monkeys run around among the temples and jungle. The forest is a short distance from Ubud.

Balinese massage involves a combination of techniques, including massage, acupressure, reflexology, and aromatherapy into one session. These will keep us well relaxed throughout the honeymoon!

We plan to visit Tirta Gangga as a day trip from Ubud. The former royal palace features tiered fountains, gardens, and stone sculptures of mythical creatures spouting water into bathing pools.

Gunung Kawi is a temple complex centered around royal tombs carved into stone cliffs in the 11th century, located north of Ubud.

We plan to attend this performance by a circle of 150 or more performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and throwing up their arms. It depicts a battle from the Ramayana, the Hindu epic.

The beautiful Ulun temple, located on a serene lake in Bedugul, is so iconic that it is featured in the 50,000 Indonesian rupiah currency note (Note: Lucas is a huge currency nerd).

The palace was erected at the end of the 17th century, but largely destroyed during the Dutch colonial conquest in 1908. The kingdom of Klungung was the last holdout against the Dutch and the ruins are nonetheless a sight to behold.

Hong Kong is known for its great casual street food, but also its top-rated fine dining. We will have two nights to sample restaurants that feature local ingredients and techniques.

What a better way to see the Hong Kong skyline than by sailing in Victoria Harbour in a traditional hand-made Chinese junk ship? Bonus: cocktails will be served.