Bali or Thailand? It is the question we hear most from couples who walk into our C G Road office with a wedding date and a budget of ₹1 to 2 lakh. Both are short-haul, both are easy on the passport, and both have a honeymoon reputation. But they are not the same holiday. One is quieter, greener and built around the villa; the other is louder, cheaper to reach from Ahmedabad and built around the sea. This guide compares Bali vs Thailand for honeymoon on the things that decide it: what the flight from Ahmedabad costs and how long it takes, the entry paperwork, which months are dry, what a six-night trip costs per couple, how romantic the stays really are, and how easy pure-veg or Jain food is. Fares and entry rules are as of October 2026.
Quick verdict
Pick Thailand if the wedding is between November and March, you want the cheapest and shortest journey from Ahmedabad, you like island-hopping and some nightlife, and the budget is under ₹1.5 lakh for two. Phuket plus Krabi is the honeymoon combination; skip Pattaya.
Pick Bali if the wedding is between April and October, a private pool villa matters more to you than a beach, you prefer temples, rice terraces and cliff-top sunsets to crowds, and you can stretch to ₹1.3 to 1.9 lakh for two. Ubud plus the south coast (Seminyak or Nusa Dua, with a night at Uluwatu) is the combination.
If you are still torn after reading, the tie-breaker is the month. Bali's rain and Thailand's Andaman-coast rain fall in opposite halves of the year, so for most couples the calendar decides.
Bali vs Thailand at a glance
| What matters | Bali | Thailand (Phuket + Krabi) |
|---|---|---|
| Flights from Ahmedabad | No non-stop; one stop via Delhi, Bengaluru, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. 12–20 hours door to door | One stop via Mumbai or Delhi to Phuket, about 9 hours; or non-stop AMD–Bangkok then a domestic hop |
| Return fare for 2, Feb 2027 (Kiwi, 31 Oct) | from ₹1,34,000 with checked bags | from ₹85,500 with checked bags |
| Entry for Indians | Visa on arrival or e-VOA, IDR 500,000 (about ₹2,700) + Bali levy IDR 150,000 (about ₹800) + free All Indonesia arrival card | Visa-free 30 days (since 15 Sep 2026) + free TDAC digital arrival card |
| Dry months | April to October | November to April on the Phuket–Krabi coast |
| 6-night cost per couple (indicative) | ₹1,30,000 – 1,90,000 | ₹1,05,000 – 1,50,000 |
| Signature stay | Private pool villa in Ubud's jungle or a Seminyak lane | Pool-access room or beachfront resort at Kata, Karon or Ao Nang |
| Signature experiences | Uluwatu sunset and kecak dance, Tegalalang terraces, floating breakfast, Nusa Penida day trip | Phi Phi and Maya Bay by speedboat, Krabi 4-island tour, Railay cliffs, Phang Nga Bay |
| Nightlife | Beach clubs in Seminyak and Canggu; quiet elsewhere | Patong and Bangla Road are loud; Krabi is calm |
| Veg / Jain food | Very easy in Ubud (vegan cafés) and Kuta–Seminyak (Indian restaurants); ask for no egg and no terasi | Easy in Phuket and Bangkok (Indian restaurants everywhere); harder on island tours; ask for no fish sauce |
| Watch out for | Nyepi, the Day of Silence, on 8 March 2027: airport shut for 24 hours, nobody leaves the hotel | Rough Andaman seas and cancelled boats from May to October |
Getting there from Ahmedabad
This is where Thailand wins clearly. Ahmedabad has non-stop flights to Bangkok, and Phuket is one short connection away via Mumbai or Delhi. On Kiwi.com on 31 October 2026, a return for two adults with checked bags, out on 6 February and back on 12 February 2027, started at about ₹85,500 to Phuket with a single stop in Mumbai on IndiGo, Air India, Akasa or SpiceJet. Total time each way is roughly 9 hours including the connection, so you leave Ahmedabad after breakfast and are on Kata beach for sunset.
Bali has no non-stop from India's west, so every routing is one stop. For the same dates the cheapest return for two with bags was about ₹1,34,000 on Air India via Delhi, but with a long overnight layover (about 20 hours each way); AirAsia via Kuala Lumpur was about ₹1,37,000 and Singapore Airlines via Singapore about ₹1,41,500 with tighter connections and a door-to-door time of 12 to 13 hours. The honest arithmetic: Bali's flights cost roughly ₹50,000 more per couple than Phuket's, and that gap alone is a weekend in a nicer villa. Fares vary by date; book 8 to 10 weeks ahead and avoid the Christmas–New Year fortnight, when both routes run 40 to 60 percent higher.
Bangkok option: fly AMD–Bangkok non-stop (around 4.5 hours), spend two nights in the city, then take a one-hour domestic flight to Phuket or Krabi. It adds a little cost but removes the Mumbai connection.
Entry rules for Indian passports (as of October 2026)
Thailand
Since 15 September 2026 Indians enter Thailand visa-free for 30 days for tourism; the earlier 60-day window was cut to 30, and a plan to move Indians to a paid visa on arrival was dropped in July 2026. You must file the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online at tdac.immigration.go.th within the 72 hours before landing. Officers can ask for proof of funds of THB 10,000 per person or THB 20,000 per family (about ₹28,000 and ₹57,000), a confirmed return ticket within 30 days and a hotel booking, so carry printouts. Passport validity of six months and a blank page are required. Entry is always the officer's decision; we make sure the documents are complete.
Bali
Indians get a 30-day visa on arrival for IDR 500,000 (about ₹2,700 per person), which we recommend paying online in advance as an e-VOA to skip the counter queue at Ngurah Rai; allow about three working days for it. On top of that, Bali charges a tourist levy of IDR 150,000 (about ₹800 per person) payable at lovebali.baliprov.go.id before you fly, and Indonesia requires the free All Indonesia arrival card (immigration, customs and health in one QR code) submitted within three days of arrival. Passports need six months' validity from the date you arrive. One more thing for 2026: Bali's provincial government announced in January that tourists may be asked for bank statements as proof of funds; as of October 2026 this is enforced for the 60-day visitor visa and only by spot check for visa-on-arrival tourists, so carry three months of statements on your phone and you will not be caught out. Our Bali visa on arrival guide and Thailand visa guide walk through both step by step, with screenshots of the forms.
Nyepi warning for Bali: the Balinese Day of Silence falls on Monday 8 March 2027. The airport closes for 24 hours, no vehicles move, lights stay low and guests must stay inside their hotel. If your honeymoon dates touch 8 March, either treat it as a planned villa day or shift by two days.
Weather: the month usually decides
Gujarat weddings cluster in two seasons, and each one favours a different island.
November to March weddings (the main season, Devuthani Ekadashi through Holi): Thailand's Andaman coast is in its dry season from November to April. Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay have calm seas, speedboats run daily and the water is clear for snorkelling. Bali, by contrast, is in its wet season from November to March, with January and February the wettest; rain usually comes as a heavy afternoon burst rather than all-day drizzle, and Ubud still works, but beach days are a gamble and the sea at Seminyak is rough. Verdict for winter weddings: Thailand, unless you specifically want a villa-and-spa honeymoon and do not mind rain.
April to June weddings (summer vacation season): Bali's dry season starts in April and runs to October, with May and June near perfect. Thailand's Andaman coast turns monsoonal from May to October, with ferries to Phi Phi and Koh Lanta cancelled when seas rise and red flags on Phuket's west-coast beaches. Thailand's Gulf side (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan) is dry from January to September, so if you are set on Thailand for a May honeymoon, swap Phuket for Koh Samui. Verdict for summer weddings: Bali, or Thailand only if you move to the Gulf coast.
October: the overlap month. Bali is still dry and quieter than July–August, while the Andaman coast is drying out and prices are low. Either works; Bali is the safer bet for sunshine.
What a 6-night honeymoon costs per couple
These are indicative ranges for two people on a private, customised trip booked 8 to 10 weeks ahead for February 2027 (Thailand) or May 2027 (Bali), including return economy flights from Ahmedabad with checked bags, 4-star or boutique stays with breakfast, private transfers, the main day trips, visa and arrival fees and travel insurance. They exclude lunches, dinners, shopping and spa. Prices vary by date and hotel.
| Cost head (2 people, 6 nights) | Thailand: Phuket 3N + Krabi 3N | Bali: Ubud 2N + Seminyak/Nusa Dua 3N + Uluwatu 1N |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights with bags | ₹85,000 – 1,05,000 | ₹1,30,000 – 1,50,000 |
| Visa, levy, arrival cards | ₹0 (visa-free, TDAC free) | about ₹7,000 (e-VOA + levy for two) |
| Stays, 6 nights with breakfast | ₹36,000 – 60,000 (4-star sea-view); pool-access rooms ₹55,000 – 85,000 | ₹45,000 – 75,000 (one-bedroom private pool villas); cliff-top or luxury villas ₹90,000+ |
| Private transfers + day trips | ₹18,000 – 28,000 (Phi Phi speedboat, Krabi 4 islands, Phang Nga) | ₹20,000 – 32,000 (private car with driver for 4 days, Nusa Penida boat, Uluwatu kecak tickets) |
| Travel insurance for two | ₹1,500 – 2,500 | ₹1,500 – 2,500 |
| Indicative total | ₹1,05,000 – 1,50,000 | ₹1,30,000 – 1,90,000 |
Two things the table hides. Thailand's lower total depends on the ₹85,000 fare band, which exists on weekdays in February but not over Christmas, Uttarayan week or Holi. And a one-bedroom villa with its own pool in Ubud or Seminyak costs about what a sea-view room without a pool costs in Phuket, which is why Bali feels luxurious on a mid-range budget. If the private pool is non-negotiable, Bali is cheaper per night; if the beach is non-negotiable, Thailand is cheaper overall. Our earlier posts break down a Bali honeymoon cost for a couple and a 7-day Thailand budget from Ahmedabad line by line.
Stays and romance: villa versus beach
Bali is the private-villa honeymoon. In Ubud you sleep in a one-bedroom villa with a plunge pool facing jungle or paddy and order a floating breakfast; the south coast adds Seminyak's beach clubs, Nusa Dua's calm lagoon and the cliff-top villas of Uluwatu, where the kecak fire dance at the temple at sunset (IDR 150,000 per person; book the 6 pm show) is the evening's event. Add the Tegalalang terraces at 7 am and a fast-boat day to Nusa Penida for Kelingking cliff and the manta snorkel. The sea is Bali's weak point: Kuta and Seminyak have surf and strong currents, so this is a pool honeymoon with the beach as scenery.
Thailand is the sea honeymoon. Phuket's Kata, Karon and Nai Harn beaches are swimmable, and Patong is for one curious evening at most. Krabi is the softer half: Ao Nang as the base, Railay reached by longtail boat under limestone cliffs, and the 4-island tour to Phra Nang cave beach. The Phi Phi day trip by speedboat from Phuket (about THB 2,000 to 2,800 per person, roughly ₹5,700 to 8,000) takes in Maya Bay, Pileh lagoon and Bamboo Island; book a small-group boat, not the 40-seater. Pool-access rooms at Kata and Ao Nang give you the villa feeling for a little more than a sea-view room.
Pure veg and Jain food: Bali vs Thailand
Bali is the easier of the two for strict vegetarians. Ubud has dozens of vegan and vegetarian cafés on Jalan Hanoman and Jalan Goutama serving tempeh curries, nasi campur without meat and good smoothie bowls, and many villas with a kitchen staff will cook a no-onion, no-garlic Jain meal if we tell them a day ahead. Kuta, Seminyak and Nusa Dua have established Indian restaurants, several Gujarati-run, and a thali is never more than a 20-minute drive away in the south. The trap is terasi (fermented shrimp paste), which hides in sambal and in some vegetable dishes, and egg in nasi goreng. Say "tanpa telur, tanpa terasi" (no egg, no shrimp paste) and ask for sambal on the side. Balinese Hindus will understand a vegetarian request immediately; Jain restrictions take a sentence more.
Thailand has far more Indian restaurants, especially in Phuket's Patong–Karon–Kata strip and in Bangkok, so a daal-roti dinner is never a problem; several Phuket restaurants will pack a Jain lunch for the Phi Phi boat if asked the evening before. The trap is fish sauce (nam pla) and oyster sauce, which go into almost every stir-fry and curry paste. Learn "mai sai nam pla, mai sai nam man hoi" (no fish sauce, no oyster sauce) or look for the yellow-and-red jay sign, which marks food cooked without meat, egg, onion or garlic; it is common in October during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival and available year-round at some stalls. Island tours include a set lunch that is usually fried rice and fruit; carry theplas and khakhra for the boat.
Two sample 6-night honeymoon plans
Thailand: Phuket 3 nights + Krabi 3 nights (February)
Day 1: morning flight AMD–BOM–HKT, private transfer to a Kata or Karon resort, sunset on the beach. Day 2: Phi Phi and Maya Bay by small speedboat, evening free. Day 3: Big Buddha and Promthep Cape at sunset, dinner at an Indian restaurant in Karon. Day 4: road transfer to Ao Nang (about 3 hours) or ferry via Phi Phi; evening at Ao Nang beach. Day 5: Krabi 4-island longtail tour, Phra Nang cave beach. Day 6: Railay by longtail for the day, couples' spa in the evening. Day 7: Krabi–Bangkok or Phuket–Mumbai–Ahmedabad.
Bali: Ubud 2 nights + Seminyak or Nusa Dua 3 nights + Uluwatu 1 night (May)
Day 1: arrive Denpasar around midday (one-stop flight), private car to an Ubud pool villa, evening at the Ubud market and a Legong dance at the palace. Day 2: Tegalalang terraces at 7 am before the crowds, Tirta Empul water temple, floating breakfast ordered for the next morning. Day 3: transfer south via Tanah Lot for sunset; check in at Seminyak or Nusa Dua. Day 4: Nusa Penida by fast boat: Kelingking, Broken Beach, Crystal Bay snorkel. Day 5: free morning at the villa pool, beach club or Waterbom in the afternoon. Day 6: move to a cliff-top stay at Uluwatu, kecak dance at sunset. Day 7: morning flight home via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.
Who should pick which
First trip abroad, nervous about paperwork: Thailand. No visa, one free online form, and the Mumbai connection is on a single ticket.
A private pool is the whole point: Bali. Villa prices there are among the best value in Asia for what you get.
You want beaches you can actually swim in: Thailand, November to April.
Wedding in May or June: Bali, or Koh Samui if you insist on Thailand.
Still cannot choose: couples with 9 or 10 nights sometimes do both: Bali via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, then a low-cost flight to Phuket or Bangkok and home non-stop from Bangkok. It costs more in flights, and only the Bali leg needs a visa.
FAQ: Bali vs Thailand for a honeymoon
Which is cheaper for a honeymoon from Ahmedabad, Bali or Thailand?
Thailand, by roughly ₹25,000 to 40,000 per couple for a comparable 6-night trip, mainly because the Phuket flight from Ahmedabad costs about ₹50,000 less for two than the Bali flight. Bali's hotels are not more expensive; its flights are.
Is Bali or Thailand better for a honeymoon in December?
Thailand. December is dry season on the Phuket–Krabi coast and wet season in Bali. Bali in December still works for a villa-and-spa honeymoon, but beach days are uncertain and the 20 December to 5 January fortnight is expensive on both islands.
Do Indians need a visa for Bali and Thailand in 2026?
Thailand is visa-free for 30 days since 15 September 2026, with the free TDAC form filed within 72 hours of arrival. Bali gives Indians a 30-day visa on arrival or e-VOA for IDR 500,000, plus the IDR 150,000 tourist levy and the free All Indonesia arrival card. Rules are as of October 2026 and can change; approval is always the immigration officer's decision.
Can we do Bali and Thailand on one honeymoon?
Yes, with 9 nights or more. AirAsia and other low-cost carriers connect Denpasar to Phuket and Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok has non-stop flights to Ahmedabad for the return. Budget about ₹2.2 to 2.8 lakh per couple for 10 nights.
Which has better pure veg food, Bali or Thailand?
Bali for variety and villa cooking, Thailand for the number of Indian restaurants. In both, the risk is hidden shrimp paste (Bali) or fish sauce (Thailand), so tell us your food rules and we brief every hotel and driver in writing.
Plan it with Vibrant Holidays
We have been planning honeymoons from our C G Road office in Ahmedabad for 11 years, since 2015, and we will tell you honestly which island suits your dates and budget rather than selling you the one with the better margin. Every trip is private and customised, with pure-veg or Jain meals arranged in writing. See our Bali tour packages from Ahmedabad and Thailand tour packages from Ahmedabad, browse all honeymoon packages, or compare more islands in our guide to honeymoon destinations abroad from India. Add travel insurance and forex in the same booking.
Call toll-free 1800-313-4262 or visit us at 2nd Floor, Ashish Complex, Above Liberty Showroom, Swastik Cross Roads, C G Road, Ahmedabad – 380009. Tell us your wedding date and we will send a day-wise Bali and Thailand plan side by side, with prices, usually the same day.
