The lazy life of Lovina Beach...

When walking through Lovina, you could say that it is now what Kuta, Legian and Seminyak looked like in the past. Lovina is not actually a village, but a collective name of 4 villages: Tukad Mungga, Anturan, Kalibukbuk and Temukus.

These villages are not so densely populated and built as the Kuta area. Here the rice paddies between the string of beach-resorts and hotels still dominate giving it a country-like character...

Not only does the calm sea attract many travelers who want to spend their holiday at the beach, snorkeling or scuba diving but every day the beautiful clear waters also attract dolphins that playfully hunt for breakfast...

Here you can find out all the things that you need to know about Lovina and how to have a great time visiting the little villages along the volcanic black beach with stunning sunsets.

The large city of Singaraja, meaning Lion King was the capital of Bali during the colonial time and until today the historical influences can still be found around the city.

In the 1950’s tourism started at the northern coastal region. It is said that Anak Agung Panji Tisna, the king of Northern Bali had given the small strip of beaches its current name which is taken from the word ‘love’.

In the mid 70’s the area had become one of the first tourist beach destinations but was destroyed by an earthquake.

Only in the 80’s did travelers start to return and large numbers of guest-houses and resorts began to pop up in these villages along the 8 kilometer beach.

At first the area mostly attracted backpackers who were in search for the tropical beach with swaying palm trees and the relaxed lifestyle.

But today all types of travelers visit this area as it offers beautiful hotels set along the beach and in the mountains.

Compared to Kuta, Lovina doesn't get a large stream of travelers which makes it an ideal place for swimming in the sea, snorkeling, scuba diving, exploring the northern part of the island and watching dolphins make somersaults in the air.

The big mountain range dominating the landscape creates an even more secluded feeling and a sense of quietness...

Despite this beautiful setting, the relaxed atmosphere can be disturbed by pushy sellers and other people offering to help you ‘find’ a hotel. With the economic crisis in the late 90’s and the 2002 Bali bombing in Kuta, Lovina has suffered from low numbers of tourists these last couple of years.

It is obvious that the area has not recovered yet and the people depending on tourism are trying hard to earn from the scarce numbers of travelers.

The sellers at the beach have a more aggressive sales-approach than other areas in Bali as they will not take 'no' for an answer too easily.

Of course they are harmless but after a while it can get somewhat annoying, so just be prepared...

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Getting around

But once there, we discovered that Lovina is a name for six villages located at one main road, Jalan Raya Lovina. The villages from west till east are Temukus, Kalibukbuk, Anturan and Tukad Mungga.

Each village has its own character, with Kalibukbuk being the most tourist orientated and Temukus and Anturan (also known as Happy Beach) being the less crowded making it the ideal place to find budget accommodation.

It’s not really important to know when and where each village ends...there aren’t even signs indicating the boarders. Mostly, the hotel signs will give you an indication on where you are.

Most large beach resorts are located on Jl. Raya Lovina and onward towards Temukus. In Jl. Laviana and the whole of Kalibubuk there are also some resorts together with some cheaper bungalow options.

This is also the most popular and busiest part of Lovina.

To get there, just drive along Jalan Raya Lovina. Once you notice more restaurants, turn right into a small street.

We always use the blue bright sign of ATM BCA as an indication. It might say nothing to you now, but once you are there you will probably see it too...

During the day the streets in Kalibukbuk can be deserted and are only crowded during the evening when travelers go out for dinner. The two streets in this little fishing village are connected by a small beach pathway.

This is a nice place to stroll around, sit at the beach under the huge trees or watch the sunset while drinking a cocktail on one of the terraces.

Amazing sunsets...

In this area, at Jl. Bina Ria you will also find travel agencies, budget accommodation, internet cafes, diving-schools and of course...many boatmen who offer dolphin tours.

The beach hotels and resorts are located along the busy Jl. Raya Lovina. For those staying at these hotels, you will need transportation because most activities are found in Kalibukbuk.

Most resorts offer a hotel shuttle service, but otherwise there are enough blue colored bemos driving back and forth. It is not always the most comfortable way to travel around, especially if you are two times taller than the average Indonesian.

However it's not only cheap, around Rp. 3000 for one trip but you can also hop on or off whenever you want. So if you see something nice along the road, just yell ‘stop’ and you can get off instantly...

Another option is renting a car or motorcycle. This is the best choice if you want to explore the northern part of Bali and see beautiful landscapes...

Terrific views along Lovina’s main road...

The tourist numbers are pretty low and less dominant in this part of the island, so you will definitely get good prices for renting a car or motorcycle. Expect to pay around Rp.100.000 for a Suzuki Katana and Rp.30.000 for a motorcycle per day.

Be careful though...the main road is one of the busiest, as trucks with heavy loads coming from Java pass through on their way to central Bali.

If you are going or leaving Lovina and do not have your own transportation, there are many shops and agencies that sell tickets for the Perama Tourist Shuttle Bus. They leave once a day, so book one day in advance.

You can choose between different routes. The shuttle bus links Lovina with Kuta, Sanur or Ubud via Bedugul or Kintamani. Both routes are amazing as the bus passes through the mountain range with rice-field terraces, lakes, mountain slopes and temples.

Important Addresses and Handy Phone numbers

The Prodiac Clinic (0362-24516)) can be found in Singaraja on Jalan RA Kartini no.12.

The Singaraja Hospital is located on Jalan Ngurah Rai no.30 and can be contacted on 0362-22573.

The Tourist Office is set up at Jalan Raya Lovina next to the traffic lights when you enter Kalikbukbuk and they are housed in the same building as the Police Station (0362-22510).

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Things to do

It is also an excellent place to start exploring the northern area of the island. It is easy to do day trips to the West Bali National Park, the former capital Singaraja and the sacred Lake Batur.

Unlike the other beach villages located south of Bali, Lovina does not have the action and crowds. Everything is found in low numbers and spread out.

The only tourist hot spot is Kalibubuk, which has small streets with several shops, restaurants and hotels. In the evening these streets can be busy with travellers who come together to watch the magnificent sunset and enjoy dinner at one of the fine restaurants.

The beaches at Lovina are covered with black volcanic sand and the sea is calm due to the reef. This offers great opportunity for swimming whole day around. This is also an excellent location to learn how to scuba dive.

Ready for a stroll or a swim?

The reef is pretty poor, but the calm waters are ideal for beginners. All over town you can find shops which offer introductory courses and PADI certificate courses.

The clear water is also good for snorkeling, except in the months February and March because of heavy rains.

Like many others, I went snorkeling in the morning. As mentioned before, the quality of the coral could be better. However at that time of day the water was really calm which was good to spot several species of bright colored fish.

If you plan on snorkeling, ask the boatman to take you further away from the shore and ask to pass the areas where the other boats usually stop. It is more likely that you will find a better reef there.

Nevertheless, snorkeling along Lovina beach is a nice way to spend the day...

For just Rp. 50.000 you will get snorkeling gear and also a wonderful boat trip. Don’t forget to look over your shoulder when heading towards the sea, the view of the mountain range at sea is magnificent.

Dolphin trip: We had a great time during this tour. Despite waking up early in the morning, we were all wide awake on the boat and were actively spotting for dolphins. It was exciting to see the dolphins jump out of the water or to see them swimming close to our boat. The trip was completed with the sun rising above the misty mountains of Bali…

Singsing Waterfalls: This waterfall plunges in a small water pool where you can take a very cold refreshing swim. The icy water might not be comfortable in the beginning, but trust me...it's great to swim in. I had a wonderful time swimming under the waterfall and I enjoyed the beautiful river setting...

Banjar hot springs: These springs are beautifully set along a river gorge and in a lush tropical garden. This makes bathing in a 38 degrees hot-spring more special. I thought the water would be too warm in the tropics, but once I was standing under the water spewing dragon statue I knew why hot springs attract so many people...

Singaraja City: Even though the Dutch had to leave Singaraja there are still architectural reminders of their influence, especially near the former harbor. Here you can still see the old coffee and tobacco warehouses, the antique bridge, the white colonial houses and the statue of freedom fighter I Longtong, who points with his finger to sea...

Cultural activities: The local cultural group, Yayasan Budaya den Bukit Lovina organizes many cultural activities such as rice pounding, cooking and dancing. There are also bull races which are held every Friday afternoon at 4 o’clock. Go to the tour agencies in town and they will be able to help you out...

West Bali National Park: This park is located on the western tip of Bali and is the most important conservation area of the island. There are treks from 1 or 2 hours to 7 hours. You are not allowed to enter the park without a guide. Guides can be arranged a day before at the headquarters at Cekik. From here you can also go to Pulau Menjangan, an island for excellent diving and snorkeling.

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Restaurants

If you drive along the main street of Lovina you will see many signs of restaurants, which are located in the side streets towards the beach. Some of these are large seafood restaurants where you can choose from fish, crab or lobster that are still swimming in a fish tank.

However Kalibubuk is the place where restaurants are located close to one another. Along both streets there are various types of restaurants, from large fully packed ones, to less prominent ones.

The nice thing about dining in Kalibubuk is you can stroll around town until you have found a nice place. There are a couple of restaurants located at the beach so while having dinner you can gaze at the amazing sunset where Lovina is famous for.

Besides grilled and fried fish, a large number of restaurants serve fish prepared in the Balinese way. Most famous is the ikan pepes which is fish wrapped in banana leaf and grilled together with dozens of herbs and spices.

It is very tasty, but be aware that every restaurant you visit prepares their ikan pepes differently.

There are also places that promote other dishes besides seafood. There is abundance in Western food such as pizza’s, spaghetti’s, tuna sandwiches and even cheeseburgers.

So there is always something for everyone...

These are the restaurants which we think are worth having a bite...

Warung Bintang Bali: This restaurant is one of those places where there are always people sitting while other restaurants are still empty. We had a difficult time choosing; because once we were seated we saw that besides the dishes on the menu there were more mentioned on blackboards hanging on the ceiling. They sounded all really tasty...

Tropics Restaurant & Bar: This big restaurant with an open seating is located at the beach in Kalibukbuk. If you order fish or pizza you can see them preparing it on the grill and stone oven just in the back of the restaurant. The food and coffee is really good and together with the beautiful sunset, it’s perfect for lunch or dinner. Try the grilled tuna; it's perfectly prepared...

The Sea Breeze Restaurant: This cafe on the beach at Jalan Bina Ria serves delightful food and has a view to die for with the amazing sunset. Try the seafood Shishkebab and you won't be dissappointed. There's also an acoustic live band in the background that plays songs on your request. Arrive around 5pm since it gets pretty busy...

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Hotels

There are a lot of hotels along the Jalan Raya Lovina starting at Tukad Mungga in the east all the way to Temukus in the west. Just like in Kuta the whole area lacks planning from the government and those villagers with a little bit of money start their own hotel.

Some listened to their customers and know exactly what their expectations are during a holiday, others just built a hotel and then hope to be lucky.

In general staying in any of the hotels in Lovina is far cheaper than the other beach villages in the south of Bali, even the high quality ones.

I have listed here a couple of characterful hotels that I think are really worth staying at when you have a couple of days in Lovina...

Damai Villas: This top-end hotel is really a fantastic place to spend a couple of days on your travels through Bali. It’s an idyllic place, quiet and peaceful and has the best vistas in Lovina. Fortunately is so remote that the pushy Lovina vendors will not bother you with dolphin tours or souvenirs...

Aneka Hotel: This beach hotel is a good and cheap mid-range hotel that is a perfect place to spend a couple of days for dolphin watching, snorkeling or just lazing at the pool...

Aditya Hotel: The Aditya is a mid-range hotel right on the beach and is the perfect place for those who love to laze around the pool, stroll along the beach and watch one of Lovina’s beautiful sunsets...

Budget hotels in Lovina

This has had a huge impact on the economy and the quality of the cheap hotels in Lovina. Some haven’t seen maintenance or renovation for years while others have a healthy stream of customers throughout the year.

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