North Bali Sightseeing route - Ubud to Lovina or separate Round trip Lovina

The North Bali sightseeing route takes you along the crater and into the mountains that surround the three lakes located in the north of the island. Make sure you bring warm clothing because once you reach the misty mountains it can get pretty chilly.

Nonetheless these chilly moments are definitely worth it, because the views are just stunning.

There are two different starting points for this option, all ending in Lovina...

Option 1: travel one-way from Ubud to Candidasa by waking up early and driving to Mengwi, Pacung, Bedugul, Lake Bratan, Lake Buyan, Lake Tamblingan, Munduk, Mayong, Seririt ending in Lovina.

Option 2: travel one-way from Ubud to Lovina passing Mengwi, Pacung, Bedugul, Lake Bratan, Gigit, Singaraja

Option 3: do a round trip from Lovina to Seririt, Mayong, Lake Tamblingan, Lake Buyan, Lake Buyan, Gigit, Singaraja back to Lovina

Starting point Ubud or Lovina
For the North Bali Sightseeing tour we will take Ubud as starting point. But if you plan to take the "Route Option 3" start from Lovina and head westwards and follow the village described earlier above.

Mengwi
To make sure you arrive in Lovina before sunset wake up together with the rest of the Balinese and leave when the air feels pleasantly fresh.

To get to Mengwi from Ubud, drive pass the Arma Museum and take the first right. I'm being a bit specific here because there are no signs to give you any directions. From here on continue following the signs to Sangeh until you see the first signs with 'Taman Ayun' on it.

 

Mengwi Temple or Taman Ayun

Taman Ayun is one of Bali's most beautiful temple and is located in Mengwi, which in the past was a very prosperous and powerful kingdom.

The thing that makes this temple special is that the temple ground is surrounded by water. To reach it you need to cross a small bridge. On top of that there is a huge garden with a lot of lotus ponds making the temple complex even more colorful.

When you have left Ubud early in the morning, then you are in luck. The best time to visit this temple is in the morning before dozens of tourist buses arrive.

After 20 minutes or so in Temple Taman Ayun it's time to drive further and continue the North Bali sightseeing route towards the mountains...

Bedugul

Typical scenes along the North Bali sightseeing route

 

This part of the route is pretty clear cut; just straight on with continuous views on the mountain tops. It can get busy on the road, but don't forget to look around and to take in the wonderful scenery around you.

Keep on driving to Pacung. Here you will notice that there are a lot of big restaurants here, often offering Buffet Lunch. We don't recommend the buffet lunches because not many tourist busses stop here meaning... that the food served will not be the freshest.

 

Alot of vegetables are grown in this part of Bali

If you feel like stopping for a drink though then it is a good option. Most restaurants have the best views over the valley. We often drive a bit on though.

After the road turns into one with hairpin bends we always stop at one of the first restaurants on the right called Saras.

Here we always go for our usual when we take the North Bali sightseeing route: hot lemon tea here and banana pancake. The place has a wonderful view and when the sun is shining, it is a nice place to warm up before driving further into the mountains.

After driving up the mountains the North Bali sightseeing route slowly takes you down to the village of Bedugul. You will know you have arrived in this village as soon as you find yourself at a big fruit market located right at the road.

Bedugul has other things to do besides strolling around the market. They have a Botanic garden and hikers can stay here to prepare for their climb up Mount Catur, the non-active volcano which casts a shadow over Lake Bratan.

 

The tops of Mount Catur always seem to be covered by clouds...

Lake Bratan
Lake Bratan immediately becomes visible once you leave Bedugul behind you. It is a beautiful sight when you see the misty tops of the volcano Gunung Catur towering over the lake.

At Lake Bratan you can have a quick stop at Ulun Danu Temple (see Bali Travel tip #10), located on the edge of the lake. Even though you can't enter the temple, the complex is really worth the visit.

The temples located in the water are particularly nice to see and not surprisingly it has been photographed many times as you can find them in every Bali travel books or on post cards...

A couple of hundred meters from the Ulun Danu Temple you can also find the Bali Handara Kosaido Country club which is famous among golf lovers. If you don't plan to play golf, there is not much to see here. You can stop here for some lunch if you don't mind paying more than usual.

Lake Buyan
If you pass the Country Club the North Bali sightseeing route goes up again into the mountains towards the crater of Lake Buyan. The views on this lake are gorgeous and there are many possibilities to stop along the road for some holiday picture moments.

Once you take in the view you will soon be greeted by friendly (or aggressive, if you are a bit unlucky) macaque monkeys who wander along the busy road doing their business. In most occasions they are harmless and if you like you can even buy some peanuts and feed them.

After passing a shrine right where the road bends you will eventually come to a junction. It isn't that clear, but all of the sudden you can choose to go straight or make a slight U-turn to the left.

Well at this point of the North Bali sightseeing route you can decide to go to Lovina by going downhill passing Gigit and Singaraja (Route option 2) or continue passing the two other lakes before heading for the northern coast to Lovina (Route option 1).

The quickest choice from this point is Route option 2. If it's getting late and you want to get to Lovina soon click here. Otherwise continue reading from here and discover where Route option 1 will take you.

Last stretch of Route option 1

The Twin Lakes
Once at the junction you more or less make a U-turn to the left. All of a sudden you will then find yourself on the road with hardly any traffic. On this part of the route everything seems more peaceful and quiet.

 

View over Lake Buyan from the West

Before you reach the point where you can see both Lake Buyan and Lake Tamblingan you will be treated with a view on the ocean on your right. A quick preview on where you will be finalizing the North Bali sightseeing route at the end of the day...

Driving through green vegetation the road follows the edge of the crater giving you ample opportunity to enjoy the twin lakes and the lush forests below.

Right between the two lakes there is a nice place to stop and have a hot cup of coffee or tea. The terrace has front seat view on the lakes, so ideal to take a seat and catch your breath.

Not surprisingly this area attracts many travelers who love to do hikes through the beautiful mountains. Most of them stay in the cottages located downhill in Munduk.

Munduk
Just continue to follow the road and you will eventually drive into the small mountain village of Munduk. The road is not the best we have seen but we had not troubles with our motor bike.

Besides the occasional passersby and people carrying heavy loads this part of the North Bali sightseeing route is very quiet and like most mountain areas you will immediately feel better after breathing in the fresh air.

From here all you need to do is follow the signs to Lovina or Singaraja. Either turn right in Munduk or drive a bit further and eventually make a right at Mayong.

Both roads will pass the only Buddhist temple complex on Bali the 'Brahma Vihara-Arama' and the hot springs/'Air Panas' in Banjar. If it is late in the afternoon it is of course a relaxing option to end your tour by soaking in these hot water springs.

From Banjar all you now need to do is head west towards the 4 villages that are collectively named Lovina. Kalibukbuk is the most popular among tourists and has the most hotels and restaurants. But there are many other resorts scattered along the main road as well.

If you are on time make sure you head for the beach to watch the colorful sunset of Lovina.

Last stretch of Route option 2

Gigit
As soon as you pass the shrine located right where the road bends all you need to do is continue the North Bali sightseeing route by driving straight on. Follow the rest of the traffic because most of them are heading for Singaraja too.

I always make sure that if I travel on this road I head for Lovina instead the other way around because I just can't get enough of these views.

 

On this road there is nothing more to do then to go...

Downhill!!!

Make sure you stay on your half of the road and be careful at each bend. Many drivers tend to think they are in a rally or something and take the bend very widely. Just take it slow and most of all: enjoy the moment...

Along the way you will pass small isolated houses and of course you will meet many strange looking dogs. Something you will see throughout the island.

Singaraja
Once you are down hill you will notice that traffic has become much more busy. Make sure you follow the signs out of Singaraja and to Lovina as soon as possible for the final stretch of the North Bali sightseeing route.

It's very common at this point that you will suddenly be accompanied by someone on a motorbike who can help you out with accommodation. If you need help go for it.

If you have already something in mind try to decline friendly and remain persistent. Nowadays Lovina is not a busy tourist area anymore resulting in many hotel owners desperately trying to get hold of every tourist entering the area.

So you will definitely be 'greeted and assisted' a lot in Lovina.

Once in Lovina you have finalized your North Bali sightseeing route and all you now need to do is relax. One thing that you should do when you are there is arrange a dolphin tour one day before. This should not be missed.