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If you're thinking of exploring the north coast of Bali, Lovina makes a fabulous base.
Roughly an hour and a half's drive to the west and you will find yourself in the West Bali National Park - with stunning scenery and the amazing waters around Menjangan Island to explore. Heading south, you'll find the lush green slopes of Munduk and the twin lakes area which offer culinary delights, cultural must-do's, waterfalls galore and adventure if that's your thing.
Just East of Lovina, you'll find Singaraja which was once the main city of Bali before Denpasar grew to take its place. On the drive between Singaraja and Amed you can catch a glimpse of authentic Bali life as you pass through villages with the jaw dropping backdrop of Mt Batur, and Mt Agung on one side and sparkling blue ocean on the other.
Famous for its dolphin watching tours, Lovina is situated on the north coast of Bali around a 4 - 5 hour car ride from Ngurah Rai Airport. It boasts black lava sand beaches, stunning sunsets, fantastic snorkelling, fishing and even swimming with bio-luminescent plankton. You can also take a guided walking tour through the village of Kalibukbuk for an in-depth authentic village life experience. Lovina sunsets are renowned as being extra special, and the sheer number of people who gather on the pier to watch them is a testament to their popularity.
If you're staying in Lovina, you absolutely must visit Funky Place. This place was HAPPENING! A beach bar with an eclectic decor mix, beanbags, swings at the bar and nightly entertainment on the sand. We were treated to a seriously enthralling fire twirling show, complimentary arak sampling, and a real tiki / beach bar vibe. They also offer accommodation however as we have not stayed there, I can't comment on what it's like. The reviews seem to indicate it's pretty popular though.
At home we see dolphins often when out on the boat, so we didn't really need to worry about chasing these ones with the other 100 boats that go out. Our must-do for Lovina was to book a sunset boat cruise, followed by a swim with the plankton - you will need to wait until it's completely dark though to be able to see them. Komang, from our accommodation at Kubu Elsa, helped us organise a tub with ice for some sunset drinks to make the experience really special. The pretty pink of my Hatten's Rose was a perfect match for the gorgeous sunset hues.
In all honesty, I was so excited for this experience and while the plankton was cool it was a little underwhelming. However, the sunset beforehand was possibly one of the best we have ever been lucky enough to witness. The cruise was worth it just for the sunset alone.
Lovina makes a great base for exploring on day trips throughout the North. We stayed three nights in a beautiful boutique hotel, Kubu Elsa, and covered the experiences below over a full day guided tour, and on our way to and from Lovina.
Kubu Elsa is a charming and peaceful place to stay, just a short walk from the beach. The rooms are clean, cozy, and renovated beautifully, with a lovely pool area perfect for relaxing. Komang, the manager, was incredibly helpful and made our stay even more enjoyable, offering great local tips and ensuring we had everything we needed. Whether you're looking for a quiet retreat or easy access to the beach, Kubu Elsa is a fantastic choice for your stay in Lovina.
This was our first stop on the way from
Menjangan to Lovina. At the end of a long,
bumpy lane, we were greeted on arrival with a friendly welcome and led upstairs to the showroom. Here we were able to browse the array of pearls on offer, watch a short video about the operation, and see first-hand the process of the nucleus being inserted into the gonad of an oyster to develop into a pearl. From the deck, you could see the scale of their North Bali operation, with floats and nets stretching for miles out into the water. They have pearl farms across 8 locations and export their product worldwide.
Travelling from Menjangan to Lovina, our driver, Robert, pulled in at this location and announced, "We are here, enjoy the wine garden!" and I think I will now only ever refer to vineyards as wine gardens from here on in.
As a wine lover, for quite some time I found it really hard to buy a glass I'd enjoy at venues in Bali. My preference is a perfectly chilled Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in the warmer weather and it took me a while to find it, but the Hatten's Aga White is now my drink of choice when I visit. Established in 1994, Hatten's have several vineyards dotted around the island where they grow a mix of heritage Balinese grapes along with international varieties. For Rp. 100,000 (roughly $10 AUD) you can stop in at the cellar door for generous tastings and a guided tour at this one on the north coast. Our guide showed us through the different varieties on the property, and took us to visit their observation deck with stunning views across the vines stretching all the way to the Bali Sea. After snapping a few photos that really didn't do the location justice, we meandered back to the cellar door to sample a few drops. Personally, the entire Aga range was my pick as I like dry wines. Danny loved their fortified offering - Pino de Bali - a sweet, oak aged blend of Muscat and Balinese Alphonse Lavallee grapes. Two bottles somehow found their way into our suitcase!
This open-air restaurant was the suggestion of our driver, and he was right on the money. We were asked to choose two fish from a huge ice chest, which were then prepared and served to us as a soup and a whole grilled main with accompanying vegetables and rice. Everything was super fresh and absolutely delish! Where we sat was an elevated structure, with views over the top of a frangipani lined temple and onto the water which was 100 metres in front of us at most. The sea breeze was a welcome reprieve from the stifling north coast heat. As we ate, we were surrounded mostly by local families which is usually a good sign that the place is top notch and that you can expect true local flavours. Unfortunately, we didn't take any photos here but you can find it on the map by clicking the link in the heading.
Day tripping from Lovina
This was the first stop on our full day tour of the area surrounding Lovina. A local guide met us at the parking area and we set off through some beautiful river valley to find the waterfall. There was a bit of a walk involved and then quite a lot of steps down to the river, which were really steep and very green and slippery in places. If you're like me and have knee issues, take it super slowly!
Our guide explained that the main waterfall (pictured top, centre) is sacred and swimming there is not allowed. The locals gather for two hours every Sunday to collect rubbish and care for the river, and the river was pristine as a result. In addition to the main waterfall, there are a few smaller falls and swimming holes with jumping platforms (5m, 10m and 15m) for those who like a bit of adventure (that would be Danny, not me!)
Continuing on from the main fall, we came to the "small jump" pool. Although it's the smallest, at 5 metres it still takes a bit of guts to do. There were people of all shapes, sizes and ages having a go, including Danny - of course I did not film it...
This pool also had a natural slide (bottom picture) which we watched several people come down. Their reactions were a bit mixed, some loved it, some declared "nope, never again". As a spectator, it looked like it would be pretty rough on your back, with a pretty high potential for donking your head on a rock. In saying that though, we didn't see anybody get hurt and the guides assured us it was safe and that you could opt to wear a life vest to protect your back if you were worried. If you're totally unadventurous like me, the pool below the waterfall was stunning and a very refreshing spot for a dip to recover from coming down all those stairs, before you have to go back up them. It was a little treacherous getting in and out as you have to climb up and down a rock. The bottom was quite rocky though, and I really think reef shoes would have made it a lot easier and more comfortable all round.
Pura Ulun Danu is a Hindu temple built on the shores of Lake Beratan in 1633 and is used for offerings and ceremonies today as well as being a significant tourist attraction due to its unique location and beauty. When the water level is high, it gives the illusion that the temple is floating as the waters of the lake surround the structure. It is a photography enthusiast's dream, but good luck getting a clear photo as the place was VERY popular!
The temple collects an entry fee of Rp 75,000 (approx $7.50 AUD) per person, and there is a small charge for parking. Once inside you can wander at leisure through the pagodas and gardens, enjoy a snack and refreshments at the onsite cafe, feed the massive Koi, and have photos with a variety of animals (which, personally I'm not a fan of, but each to their own.)
With a temperature of roughly 38C, and a sulphur content of 26%, the waters of the Banjar Holy Hot Springs are said to have powerful healing properties. The complex consists of three main pools - a 2m depth for swimming, a 1 m depth children's pool, and a shower pool where the cascading streams of water have enough oomph to give a soothing massage.
We arrived here later in the afternoon so it was nice and quiet. After buying our tickets (Rp 45,000 ea or $4.50 AUD) and walking through the mandatory market stretch on the way in, we found our way to the 1m pool which we had to share with only a couple of other people. The gardens surrounding the springs were lush and beautiful, and a natural stream flows below a bridge that you cross to enter. Getting in the water was quite an interesting experience - the water is not clear, and the steps and bottom are quite slick, but the temperature coupled with the sulphuric smell of the volcanic water somehow makes you want to stay in because you know it's good for you. Well, so I'm told. It also kind of felt a little like human soup. In the pool, several ornate dragon-like busts adorn the wall with thick cascades of water pouring out of their mouths, and it did feel amazing positioning my tired back underneath one. We didn't stay long, just a quick dip and some pics on the GoPro as we still had another temple to get through and I think Robert was starting to tire. He was having a nice snooze when we arrived back at the car.
This was our last stop on the day tour, and it was such a stunningly beautiful and peaceful place. Perched in the hills of Tegeha Village, the temple had incredible views all the way to the coast at Lovina Beach. This Buddhist temple and monastery is also known as Banjar Buddhist Temple and is the largest monastery in Bali. From its beginnings in the 1960s catering to around 25 followers, the compound has expanded to cover 4 hectares of land with its stunning gardens, stupa and statues. Visitors from all around the globe visit here to take in the beauty and tranquility of the temple, meditate, and to explore and develop spirituality. It is well worth a visit if you are ever in this part of the world!
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