Honeymoon in Asia
PT I: BALI
Bali was the first stop on our three week trip. A jumping off point for Raja Ampat, it was the perfect place to land after a long flight, complete with floating breakfasts in private villas, romantic dinners and massages. Bali holds such a nostalgic place in my heart — my family vacationed there often when we lived in Hong Kong, and I later went back several times while living in Thailand, so it felt really special to return with Ben. Highlights included rafting the Telaga Waja River, our stunning villa in Ubud, yoga at The Yoga Barn (actual yoga Disneyland), scooting up and down the northeastern coast of Bali, and freediving in Amed.
Note: If you ever need Bali recommendations, PLEASE reach out — I can help get you off the beaten path!!
PT II: RAJA AMPAT
Long story short, a girl I know from grade school runs a yearly dive trip in Raja Ampat, and I’ve had it this archipelago on my vision board/bucket list since I first saw her photos back in the early 2010s. When I saw her post about it last fall, I immediately signed us up. Ben was obviously along for the ride because free diving, spearfishing and ceviche are three of his all time favorite things. So I set about planning us the honeymoon of a lifetime.
The froths (as the Aussies on our trip called the highs):
THE DIVING. Hands down the best reefs I’ve ever seen
Ceviche apps and poke bowls made by an Aussie celeb chef onboard
Beach cookouts on tiny pristine islands, rainbows lighting up the sky and bioluminescence lighting up the ocean
Free diving up to five times a day including night dives (I made it down to 14m aka 45 feet!)
The troughs (lows):
Extremely hot nights of sleep
Bali belly (IYKYK)
A thoroughly battered immune system by the end
It was beyond worth it and I would go back and do it all again in a heartbeat!!!
A GoPro example of the pristine reefs we were diving on (NO EDITS):
PT III: HONG KONG
This stop snuck up on me as maybe even my favorite part of the trip because of how special it was to show Ben around my all-time favorite city.
This place holds SO many core memories for me. My first time taking the public city bus alone. My first middle school date at the movie theater in Pacific Place. Our bus stop at the bottom of Stanley Mound Road. Climbing trees on the beach with neighborhood kids after school. Shopping for school supplies and clothes in the chaos of Stanley Market. My mom pulling us out of school early for orthodontist appointments and somehow navigating a maze of escalators and foot bridges to the office.
This city is definitely what made me into the travel-addict I am today, and showing Ben around was one of the highlights of our marriage so far. We did every touristy thing possible — taxis, double decker buses, minibuses, ferries, the MTR, bullet trains — at least six forms of transportation in four days. We walked MILES. We hiked. We visited my old stomping grounds. I definitely wore the man out (lol sorry Ben). And the cherry on top was the coolest little Airbnb rooftop glamping setup in Mid-Levels!!
I mean it when I say, please hit me up for any and all Asia recs. I live for inspiring people to leave the comfort of their own home and go explore our glorious world!
(all 35mm film photos taken by Preston)