Bali highs are intoxicating and addicting!

The last time we were in Bali was a lifetime ago, so when dear friends Vic and Corlu Caparas invited us to the wedding of their only son, Harvard and Wharton grad Miguel, to the stunning, smart-as-a-whip Yessa Yu, we were definitely more than eager. We had the privilege of staying at the Semara Luxury Villas in (take a deep breath) Jalan Pantai Selatan Gau, Banjar Wijaya Kusuma, Ungasan, where some 80 family members and guests from Manila, Hong Kong, Canada, Norway and the United States were feted with three days of seamless celebrations and heartwarming hospitality.

If Bali is a favorite place for wedding destinations, Uluwatu, on the southernmost tip of the peninsula, literally and figuratively tops the list. It has accommodations that offer breathtakingly panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. Semara, with seven well-appointed, tastefully-designed villas, is perched at the edge of limestone cliffs. Each villa of four to five bedrooms is architecturally different from the other, and has its own infinity pools with absolutely awesome ocean surf views.

The welcome dinner was held at Di Mare, Karma Kandara, a resort next door. Delicious Indonesian food was served and short speeches by friends and relatives about the bride and the groom entertained the guests. An intoxicating evening, literally and figuratively!

Miguel and Yessa recited their marriage vows in a short ceremony held at Villa Pawana. Toasts were made at Villa Ambar and a delicious, lamp-lit dinner was served at Selatan — all at Semara. A local band provided great music for dancing. Some guests even sang with the band!

On the day after the wedding, the guests enjoyed a poolside “recovery” barbecue. This magical wedding experience was so perfectly orchestrated by the bride and the groom that the guests, all afflicted with a withdrawal syndrome, had difficulty getting back to reality.

Aside from Semara, The Bulgari Resort and Alila Villas are also in Uluwatu.

The Bulgari Resort is one of three (Milan, London) and soon six (Dubai, Shanghai and Beijing) in the world. Very exclusive huts with their own plunge pools are clustered on a mountainside, with dramatic ocean views. Golf carts move guests to and from their rooms to the main dining rooms and pools on top. And, fret not if you forget some beach bijoux to go with your bikini: a Bulgari boutique is happy to be of service.

The Alila Villas are architecturally very interesting. The rooms are nestled on a hill, and they each have a wooden cage-like structure, making them blend with the trees and shrubs. The sleek, minimalist main reception building has the signature large, cube-shaped cages — a favorite for weddings as well.

After hearing Mass at St Francis Church in Kuta, we went to Seminyak, about a 45-minute (light Sunday traffic) ride from Uluwatu. The long road that meandered along the shoreline was lined with hotels, restaurants and shops. We noted that boutiques and bars had very interesting, artsy facades. There were so many shops, and we had so little time.

Bali offers the whole range of resort-quiet respites from urban noises and the buzz of touristy bars, souvenir shops, and boutiques with plenty of local flavor. Because of heavy traffic, a trip from one town to another takes an hour or more. Depending on what one’s preferences and wallet size are, the choice of accommodations can be carefully selected. If you have the luxury of time, a few days in a luxurious Balinese resort and a few days in a hotel in bustling Seminyak would be ideal.

Bali is, indeed, amazingly addictive, and hard to leave behind. Actually, no one will want to.