Lovina

Lovina is a relatively new name coined in the 1950s by a local Buleleng Regency official with a good eye for future tourism-based development. It consists of seven traditional villages, which all merge into one on a ten kilometre stretch of the main road which hugs the north coast to the west of Singaraja: Temukus, Kalibukbuk, Anturan, Pemaron, Tukad Mungga, Banyualit and Kaliasem. Kalibukuk is the main hub of this area and is often thought of as the "Lovina town centre".
The whole stretch of coast here is fringed by narrow black sand beaches, which are accessed by a multitude of small lanes which run perpendicular to the east-west coast road. The beaches are generally safe for swimming, and the waters of Bali's north coast, in direct contrast to the crashing surf of the south, are relatively calm.
Diving, snorkelling and dolphin watching are the main activities, but perhaps above all else, this is an area in which to relax and take in a very slow, traditional pace of life. It can get a little crowded in July and August, outside that peak season, this is a quiet part of the island.
Lovina also has a large number of cafés. Some of these establishments are not selling tea and sandwiches. They often provide loud music and an expensive and often boring assortment of alcohol. Many of the girls working there keeping the patrons company during the evening may be of questionable or negotiable virtue having little issue in following the patrons home after closing time.
It is also not unusual to see older white men in the company of much younger local girls, with the girls acting as short-term girlfriends during the weeks or months the men stay in Indonesia.

By bus

Perama offers transportation from major tourist destinations in Bali and has a local Lovina office in Anturan. Perama shuttle buses to Lovina leave from Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Candidasa and Padang Bai. They use mini buses without air-conditioning and the prices are more than reasonable.

By bemo

Long distance bemos are a bit of challenge, but the most experienced of budget traveller. It is always possible to get to Lovina from most major towns in Bali, almost always via Singaraja.

By car

Most visitors arrive in Lovina from the south in a self-drive hire car or with a car and driver. A journey from Kuta takes about 3 hours and from Sanur slightly less. Ubud is a 2-hour car journey over the central highland range. Many visitors from the south choose though to break their journey at Bedugul or Kintamani.

By taxi

A pre-paid coupon taxi direct from the airport will cost you Rp 450,000 and takes about 3 hours.

This is a good area for walking as the roads are relatively quiet and the beaches long and easily passable.
Renting a bicycle is popular and again, easy to find. Many hotels have their own. You should be aware though that away from the coast road, there are a lot of steep hills.
The easiest way to visit the surroundings of Lovina is by renting a motorbike. There are many roadside outlets and expect to pay between Rp 50,000-90,000 per day. The roads are quite good here and nothing like as crowded as in south Bali.
Local bemos ply the north coast road between Singaraja and West Bali, stopping at all points on the Lovina stretch. You will need some patience and they can be very crowded indeed. As there is only one main road it is hard to get lost. The normal price is Rp 5,000 (Apr 2008) one way.

Lovina’s black sand beaches are quite lovely and lend themselves well to exploration on foot at a leisurely pace. The sea is very calm here and is safe for swimming. The feeling on the beaches is one of laid-back tranquility with small, colourfully decorated traditional outriggers called perahu dotted along the shoreline. These are a reminder that you are in a traditional fishing community. There are a few hawkers, but nothing like as many as on the southern beaches, and this is as good a place as any in Bali to explore quiet beaches at your own pace. At the highest of tides the beaches can get a little difficult to traverse in places, so it is best to time your walks for a falling tide. Be aware that many of the 'black sand' beaches (particularly in the central area) are an unappealing dirty brown with significant amounts of plastic rubbish
The small road that runs down to the beach-front from the main east-west coast route at Kalibukuk is called Jalan Bina Ria. At the beach end of this road is a dolphin statue (complete with one-jawed rusting dolphins). Apart from being a notable piece of kitsch, this is a reminder of the reason for the initial drive beind tourist development at Lovina (dolphins, obviously). Mini wooden and stone replicas of this statue are for sale widely in the area.
Your hotel can (and will repeatedly) offer day tours to the nearby sights including the beautiful highland scenery of Munduk to the south, the beaches of Pemuteran to the west, and the city of Singaraja to the east. All are within easy reach.
You can arrange a half day trip to the Les Village waterfall, bat cave and coral protection project, 40 km to the east.

• Brahma Vihara Arama

  phone: +62 816-4733-609
  address: Dencarik
  Bali's largest Buddhist monastery located near the village of Dencarik. The monastery is absolutely charming and commands lovely views. Whilst obviously Buddhist with its orange roof, numerous gold Buddhas and stupas recalling those at Borobudur, the carvings and ornamentation are very Balinese. The combination works well and if it were in a location easier to reach, this attraction would receive far more visitors than it does. A visit here combines well with Banjar Hot Springs.

• Coba Baca Public Library

  phone: +62 813-3834-7824
  A collection of Indonesian, English and Dutch books. Courses in Indonesian language are offered for tourists and expats. The main activity of the organization is to increase the knowledge level of the local inhabitants. This is done with help of English courses, books and other activities. The NGO was founded in 2009 and the number of members is growing. A visit to the library combines well with nearly all the activities in the area.

You will be offered dolphin sighting trips every other minute. These leave the main beaches each morning at dawn, and have mixed reviews as the boats tend to outnumber the dolphins. It can though still be an enjoyable ride, and if you do find a pod of dolphins it is of course very worthwhile. The price is fixed by the local boatmen's association, and is Rp 60,000 per person. If you are in a group, ask about chartering your own private boat.
Cockfights are popular around Lovina, perhaps more so than anywhere else in Bali. This is taken very seriously, and you will see many older men training the cocks at the roadside throughout the area. At the fights, huge sums of money change hands as illegal gambling on the outcome is rife. Given the cruelty, and deaths of the birds, think twice about attending.

• Banjar Hot Springs

  phone: +62 362 92901
  address: Dencarik
  Located west of Lovina, this is an enchanting hot springs with stone carved mouths gushing water in a lush garden setting. The waters are naturally a very pleasing temperature and have a high sulphur content. The whole experience here is extremely therapeutic and cleansing. Changing rooms and lockers are provided on site. This is not a straightforward place to get to, and for that reason it is often way less crowded than you would expect for such a lovely spot.

• Morning Dolphin Watching

  phone: +62 811387010
  address: Lovina Beach
  Enjoy the morning dancing dolphins in their natural habitat accompanied by beautiful sunrise, it's really unforgettable experience lifetimes.
• Aling-Aling Waterfall (about 15 km southeast)

Diving

There are several dive operators based out of Lovina that operate daily dive and snorkeling trips to Menjangan Island, Tulamben and Amed, as well as dives from the local beaches. Be sensible and careful as some hotels and counters try to sell unlicensed diving trips that may look official on paper. Do not pay before you have seen the dive centre, and check that you will dive with certified divemasters/instructors.

• Bali Spice Dive

  phone: +62 362 41305
  Offers day trips to all of the dive spots on the northern coast of Bali. Guides are available in a variety of languages and multi-day discounts are available. Long-established and the largest dive operator in the area. Has a handy booking office in Jl Bina Ria, Kalibukuk, and the main centre is on the beach at Kaliasem close to the Aditya Beach Resort.

• Lovina Dive

  phone: +62 812 3842415
  address: Jalan Banyualit, Kalibukuk
  PADI dive centre with a full range of courses and fun dives to the major dive sites in north Bali.

• Sunrise Dive Centre

  phone: +62 362 411820
  address: Jl Bina Ria, Kalibukuk

Spas

Lovina has several spa facilities. While they are more low key than the spas in south Bali, the service is excellent and the prices are much lower than in the south. Do not under-rate or overlook the traditional massage women who work on the beaches at Lovina. Most of these women come from families where massage skills have been passed down through many generations, and they really know what they are doing. A beach massage will also cost you less.

• Agung's Spa

  phone: +62 362 42018
  address: Jl. Damai Kalibukbuk
  Offers body scrubs, facials, and massages. The nicest spa facility in Lovina, though it is much smaller and basic than what you would find elsewhere on the island.

• Bali Samdahi Spa

  phone: +62 813 38275206
  address: Tejakula
  Offers a variety of massages.

Cooking schools

• Adjani

  phone: +62 812 36232019, +62 87762361709
  address: Enjungsangiang
  Small family-run cooking school near the post office on the main road at Kaliasem. Classes include a trip to see the growing of medicinal herbs and a spice garden. In 2-3 hours, students learn five Balinese recipes.

Kalibukuk has a number of shops both on the main coast road and on Jalan Bina Ria selling the usual selection of Bali goods. You will find everything from arts and crafts to T-shirts at prices very marginally higher than you would pay in south Bali.
A Lovina speciality though are dolphin statues, usually carved from wood (don't believe those trying to convince they are from ebony!). This is due to the strong association of Lovina with dolphins, and if you want to take home just one souvenir from Lovina, then this is the most appropriate.

• Barakuda

  phone: +62 362 41405
  address: Jl Mawar, Kalibukuk
  Popular restaurant specializing in Indonesian style seafood. A good value for the set menu.

• Kakatua

  phone: +62 362 41344
  address: Jl Bina Ria, Kalibukuk
  Popular with tourists and not without reason. The menu is varied, the staff friendly and you can see the food being prepared and cooked from fresh ingredients.

• Kopi Bali

  address: Jl Bina Ria, Kalibukuk
  Cheap and cheerful Indonesian food. Extremely popular with budget travelers and a good place to hang out to talk travel.

• Sea Breeze

  address: Kalibukuk
  Very well known eatery on the beach in Kalibukuk. Been around for many years serving good value meals. Fish is especially recommended.

• Warung Bambu Pemaron

  phone: +62 362 27080
  address: on the entrance road to the Puri Bagus resort
  Balinese and other Indonesian food at excellent value prices. Often has live dance performances and also offer cookery courses.

• Warung Jegeg

  phone: +62 81337996096
  address: Jalan Raya Singaraja-Seririt, Kalibukbuk
  The really nice lady Wayan offers authentic and delicious Balinese/Indonesian cuisine as well as cooking classes. Great value for money!

• Volcano Club

  phone: +62 362 412222
  address: Banyualit
  The only disco in town. A rather bizarre rustic building which resembles a concrete cave.

• Waru Bali

  phone: +62 362 41553
  address: Jl Mawar, Kalibukuk
  Cool place to get get a beer and watch the sun go down. One of the oldest warungs in Kalibukbuk and still very popular. Stay late and you might enjoy a singalong with some of the locals.

• ZiGiZ Bar

  address: Jl Bina Ria, Kalibukuk
  Acoustic music with 2 guitar players and DJ every night, starts around 8PM. Large cocktail selection. Satellite TV sports broadcasts on 4 screens.

• Apple Warung

  address: Jl. Mawar

• Triple 9

  phone: +62 81 33 708 4318
  address: Jl. Mawar
  Bar and restaurant operated by Dutch owner. Good food, live music and great cocktails.

There is a huge amount of budget and mid-range accommodation in Lovina and many visitors turn up without reservations. Options at the higher end tend to be more limited in availability.

Budget

• Lovina Beach Hotel

  phone: +62-362-41005
  address: Kalisem, Lovina Beach

• Angsoka Hotel

  phone: +62 362 41841
  address: Jl Bina Ria, Kalibukuk
  44 room hotel, has been around a long time and it will win no design awards. The cheapest rooms are very cheap indeed though and it is a popular choice with backpackers for that reason. Also have more expensive and grander accommodation options.

• Elsa II

  address: Kalibukuk
  A small but excellent new budget option in Kalibukbuk. Opened in June 2008. Clean rooms, hot water, with fan or air-con and breakfast is included.

• Gede Homestay Bungalow

  phone: +62 362 41526
  address: Anturan
  The rooms are clean with air-con and hot water. A small family run homestay with a good restaurant and nice seats in front of the bungalows.

• Happy Beach Inn

  phone: +62 362 41017
  address: Happy Beach, Tukad Mungga
  Just 4 basic rooms with no hot water arranged in a nice little garden. 2 min walk to Happy Beach.

• Harris Homestay

  phone: +62 362 41152
  address: Kalibukuk
  Nice homestay owned by a German-Indonesian aged couple. Cheap, but well maintained and unusually (for budget Indonesian homestays) clean rooms with new furniture. Fan-cooled and without hot water, but price speaks for itself. Good choice for extremely tight budgeted travellers. Breakfast is included.

• Mumbul Guesthouse

  phone: +62 858 5743-8882
  address: Jl Raya Singaraja-Seririt, Anturan
  Located in the fishing village of Anturan and just a short walk to the beach. 4 rooms with hot water and air-con, all look out onto the adjacent rice field. Large pool and separate kids pool. Free WiFi, breakfast and taxes are included in the price.

• Puri Bali Lovina

  phone: +62 362 41485
  address: Jl Mawar, Kalibukuk
  30 room hotel with traditional style rooms around a large pool. Standard restaurant, a secondhand book store/exchange and an internet cafe. Free wifi. 5 minute walk to the beach. The cheaper rooms have no air-con. Also has a nice two bedroom family unit for those travelling in a group or with children.

• Rini Hotel

  phone: +62 362 41386
  address: Jl Mawar, Kalibukuk
  A good budget option and they take credit cards. The cheaper rooms do not have air-con. Good sized salt-water swimming pool.

• Sanders

  address: Kalibukuk
  Situated beach-side. Rooms are clean with no hot water. One of the better backpacker places in town.

• Puri Manik Sari

  phone: +62 362 41 089
  address: Kalibukuk
  Hotel located in the absolute center of Lovina. Close to all the bars, restaurants and the beach. A budget option. Located in a Balinese garden. Tours can be booked at the receptionApr 2018 Price start from 150.000 Rp with basic breakfast

• Villa Agung Beach Inn

  phone: +62 362 41527
  address: Anturan
  A splendid little family run hotel right by the beach. Very quiet location. Offers a range of accommodation, some rooms have air-con.

• Perama Bungalow

  phone: +62 362 41161
  address: Anturan
  Clean room with air-con or fan, hot & cold water, and a bath in the bungalow. Cold shower with fan for economy room. The bungalow is 200 m from the beach. Restaurant onsite. Bookings for daily tours (1 day or half day tours), dolphin & snorkelling (lovina area or menjangan island), daily shuttle bus, travel bookings and arrangements.

Mid-range

• Aditya Beach Resort

  phone: +62 361 8528521
  address: Kaliasem/Temukus
  Variety of accommodation available in this large beach front resort. Cafe, bar, in house massage treatment and large swimming pool.

• Bali Paradise Hotel

  phone: +62 362 41432
  address: Kalibukbuk-Lovina Beach
  Ocean and mountain views, huge swimming pool and large rooms. This is a good option for any visitor who wants to stay away from the from the beach but still close to all the facilities. SatTV and WiFi available throughout hotel. Incorporates the Le Gong restaurant, poolside or inside with air-con, open from 9AM-10:30PM.

• Bali Taman Lovina Resort and Spa

  phone: +62 362 41126
  address: Anturan
  Good value beachfront resort with large pool, restaurant, and a notably good in-house spa facility called Arjuna Spa.

• Chonos Hotel

  phone: +62 362 41569
  address: JL Singaraja Seririt
  12 renovated rooms, all are air-con, hot and cold water, minibar. Swimming-pool in the garden. Free WiFi available. Also a nice restaurant with western and Indonesian food, very good breakfast.

• Nugraha Lovina Seaview Resort & Spa

  phone: +62 362 41601
  address: Kaliasem/Temukus
  Small resort with large waterfront swimming pool. 17 rooms in large, pleasant gardens, include 1-bedroom villa & 2-bedroom villas, all with ocean views. Hotel is in a coconut grove along Lovina Beach waterfront.

• Puri Saron Baruna Beach Hotel

  phone: +62 362 41252
  address: Tukad Mungga
  35 rooms in large, pleasant gardens close to the beach. The cheaper rooms are inward looking while the more expensive options have great ocean views. Large swimming pool located right on the waterfront.

• Rambutan Beach Cottages

  phone: +62 362 41388
  address: Jl Mawar, Kalibukuk
  A lovely little family hotel near the beach. It has two pools and a pleasant restaurant with a mix of excellent local and western food. This hotel has good rooms and gardens and many amenities for children. The owners and staff are extremely helpful and friendly.

• Starlight Restaurant and Villas

  phone: +62 362 7005271
  address: Jl Starlight
  On the beach near the centre of Lovina, opened in 2011. Cottages with double bed, large wardrobe with shelves, tea and coffee making ingredients, a small refrigerator and flatscreen TV with sat channels. Cottages have safes, air-con, fan and a mosquito net, high-quality modern sanitary facilities and walk-in showers with extra large shower heads. 4 person cottages have a second, twin-bedded room. The restaurant has an open kitchen, beachside dining and life acoustic music. Depending on the weather you may be able to sit on the beach with a bonfire or at one of the outdoor areas. Sometimes it is possible to spot dolphins from the beach or the restaurant. Free internet for guests.

• Sunari Villa and Spa Resort

  phone: +62 813 37536464
  address: Kalibukuk
  Large resort by Lovina standards with 129 rooms and eight individual villas. A variety of different room standards, large communal pool and bar/restaurant.

Splurge

As of December 2016, there are several 4-star hotels.

• Damai

  phone: +62 81 338 437 703
  address: Jl Damai, Kayu Putih
  Fourteen luxury hotels and villas up in the hills. They have an interesting antique collection.

• Frangipani Beach Villa and Hotel Bali

  phone: +62 362 3435764, +62 819-3655-2532
  address: Jl. Kartika, Kalibukbuk-Lovina
  Two villas, each with two independent deluxe rooms. Located on the Lovina beach-front with views of the Bali Sea, mountains and surrounding rice fields. A short walk from the heart of Lovina in a quiet area.

• Lilin Lovina Beach Hotel

  phone: +62 36241670
  address: Jl Singaraja-Seririt
  Beach-front villas with private plunge pools, garden courtyards, and beach-front lounges. Air-con and fan cooling, TVs/DVDs on request, free WiFi and a breakfast served in your room or at your private beach-front lounge.

• Puri Bagus Lovina

  phone: +62 362 21430
  address: Tukad Mungga
  Pleasant beach front setting in a very quiet part of Lovina. Mature gardens and a decent restaurant. Some of the individual cottages are much nicer than others.

• Zen Resort Bali

  phone: +62 365 93578
  address: Seririt
  A small boutique resort offering integrated ayurveda, yoga, pranayama & meditation. Very quiet and beautiful location.

• Villa Insulinde

  address: Jl. Lotus M9
  Private villa for 10-12 persons with large pool and own staff.

Visitors to Lovina are often offered magic mushrooms. Although the Indonesian legal position on mushrooms is unclear, this is very much at your own risk and best avoided.

The telephone area code for Lovina is 0362.

Internet

You can use some free wifi sharing password such as Instabridge or Free WiFi in cafes not as common here as in the main South Bali tourist destinations, so specialist internet cafes are still quite numerous.

• Bits and Bytes

  phone: +62 817 522511
  address: Jl Raya Singaraja
  Decent 256 kbps connection and good range of facilities.

• Inet

  phone: +62 817 522511
  address: Jl Pantai Bayualit
  Close to the beach at Banyualit. Check your email in the open air while hearing the waves.
• Spicelink Internet Cafe (not to be confused with Spice Dive) in Lovina, Jalan Binaria (street w/ dolphin statue at the end of it). +62 81362 41509, open daily 08:00-22:00, Rp 2,000/min, minimum 10 min. It has A/C and some drinks. They also have landline phones (though not cheap), a scanner and can email you the scanned document, and fax (though fax is not always reliable). Internet is relatively fast and they also sell wireless cards so you can use the internet in and around Lovina with your laptop if the signal is sufficient. If you plan to stay in Lovina long-term, they can arrange internet services at your own premises.
• Mitsuya Cafe has very slow internet. It is just east of Malibu Dive on Jalan Raya Singaraja.
• Restaurants, cafes, bars and convenient stores are now offering free WiFi if you patronise their venues.

• From Lovina you can continue your Bali trip 50 km westwards to Pemuteran and West Bali National Park for more diving, trekking and birdwatching.
• The old administrative capital of Bali at Singaraja is just 20 minutes to the east.
• Bedugul area for lakes, mountains and the botanical gardens, 20 km south, approximately 40 minutes by car.

from Singaraja every day at 19:00 departure a Menggala bus to Surabaya (Java) and stop in Lovina. Apr 2018- price 190.000Rp one way