When walking along Lovina beach in North Bali, you could say that it is now what Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak looked like in the past.
Unlike the south, there are no signs of uncontrolled mass tourism development here yet. And with the big mountain range which dominates the landscape, you can almost say that you feel pretty secluded from the rest of the world.
The area around Lovina beach isn’t densely populated and tightly built as Kuta Beach. Instead, 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 volcanic black beach, go snorkeling or scuba diving at Lovina or Menjangan island but every day the beautiful waters also attract dolphins that playfully hunt for breakfast. Today the latter is the main attraction at this beach.
History of Lovina Beach
In the past, North Bali had a great influence. It was especially important for the Dutch and Chinese with their trade shipping around the world. The large city of the north, Singaraja, meaning ‘Lion King’ was the capital of Bali during the colonial time. Today you can still find historical remains around the city.
In the 1950s tourism started in the northern coastal region. It is said that Anak Agung Panji Tisna, the king of North Bali had given the small strip of beaches its current name which is taken from the word ‘love’.
The tourist numbers to Lovina beach have always been a bit unstable. In the mid-’70s the area had become one of the first tourist destinations but was destroyed by an earthquake.
While it recovered significantly in the ’80s resulting in large numbers of guest-houses and resorts popping along the 8-kilometer beach it had to struggle again during the economic crisis in the late ’90s. Finally, the 2002 Bali bombing in Kuta hardly any tourists visited this area or Bali in general.
This may be the main reason why the sellers at the beach have a more aggressive sales-approach than other areas in Bali. 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.
Lovina has however slowly recovered and you can see tourist development in the area. It is very likely that this development is going to continue as the government is planning to build a second airport in North Bali soon.
The first time we arrived in Lovina beach, we got pretty confused. We thought that it was a village on the beach, just like Candidasa or Sanur.
But once there, you discover that Lovina is a name for six villages located at one main road, Jalan Raya Lovina.
The villages from west to east are Temukus, Kaliasem, Kalibukbuk, Anturan, Tukad Mungga, and Pemaron.
Each village has its own character, with Kalibukbuk being the most tourist-orientated and Temukus and Anturan (also known as Happy Beach) being less crowded. These villages make it the ideal place to find hotels with good deals because you are probably the only guest here 😉
It’s not really important to know when and where each village ends. There aren’t signs indicating the borders of each village.
Mostly, the hotel signs will give you an indication of where you are.
Kalibukbuk Lovina
Most large beach resorts are located on Jl. Raya Lovina and onward towards Temukus. In Jl. Laviana and the whole of Kalibukbuk 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 the BCA ATM 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 pathway along the beach.
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.
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.
Transportation in Lovina
Most resorts offer a hotel shuttle service, but otherwise, there are enough blue mini-buses 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.
But it’s cheap, around Rp. 3000 for one trip and 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.
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 beach and do not have your own transportation, there are many shops and agencies which sell tickets for the Perama Tourist Shuttle Bus. They leave once a day, so book at least one day in advance.
You can choose between different routes. The shuttle bus links Lovina beach with Kuta beach, Sanur or Ubud via Bedugul or Kintamani. Both routes are amazing as the bus drives through the mountains with rice-field terraces, lakes, mountain slopes, and numerous temples.
Important Addresses and Handy Phone numbers
The Post Office is located on Jalan Raya Lovina between the villages of Kalibukbuk and Temukus.
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 in Lovina beach is set up at Jalan Raya Lovina next to the traffic lights when you enter Kalibukbuk. They are housed in the same building as the Police
Station (0362-22510).
Things to do in Lovina Beach
Even though life is pretty slow there are some cool things to do in Lovina Beach. The only obvious tourist hot spot is Kalibukbuk, which has small streets with shops, restaurants, hotels and tour agencies.
Here is our list of 7 things to do in Lovina Beach for a great day out:
1. The beaches at Lovina are covered with black volcanic sand and the sea is calm due to the reef. These calm waters offer a great opportunity for swimming and learning how to scuba dive. The reef is pretty poor, but the calm waters are ideal for beginners. All over town, you can find shops that offer introductory courses and PADI certification courses.
2. The clear water is also good for snorkeling, except in the months of February and March because of heavy rains. If you want to be blown away by the beauty of the underwater world then we suggest skipping Lovina and head straight to Menjangan island, a 40 minutes drive. Here you can arrange boats to take you on diving or snorkeling trips to the coral reefs.
3. In the evening Lovina beach is the perfect place to watch the sunsets and enjoy dinner. One of our favorite restaurants is the Seabreeze Restaurant where the food is good and where they perform live acoustic music.
4. The main attraction in Lovina is the wild dolphins. Despite the excitement of seeing them jump out of the water we still have mixed feelings after such a trip. There seem to be more boats than dolphins these days. As soon as a dolphin fin pops out of the water dozen of boat races to get there first. Dolphin spotting it has turned into dolphin chasing.
Nevertheless, it is a wonderful experience to wake up before sunrise, jump in a boat and see the village wake up slowly.
5. If you want to learn more about the Balinese people pay a visit to the local cultural group, Yayasan Budaya den Bukit Lovina. They organize many cultural activities such as rice pounding, cooking, and dancing.
6. 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 with tickets and how to get there.
7. Nearby Lovina there are other places you can visit too. Head west to the Sing Sing Waterfalls if you feel like a refreshing dip and continue to the Banjar hot springs for a relaxing 38 degrees swim.
Restaurants in Lovina
As you might expect, most of the restaurants in Lovina offer fresh fish on their menu that is caught that very same day.
The most convenient place in Lovina to find a restaurant that suits you is in Kalibukbuk. The restaurants are located close to one another so you can stroll around town until you have found a nice place. This is our shortlist of 4 restaurants in Lovina which we really like:
1. There is one restaurant in particular where we love to sit, have a drink followed by grilled or fried fish by sunset. It’s called The Seabreeze Restaurant and is located right at the beach in Kalibukbuk.
2. If you want to try out local dishes head to Warung Bintang or the many cheap little restaurants just off the main beach road in Kalibukbuk. Here you can order dishes such as grilled fish, Pepes Ikan, Gado Gado, fried rice, fresh juice and much more.
3. The following restaurants on Jalan Mawar are the most popular places in town: Warung Apple and Warung Ayu. They are always packed. People even make reservations. The quiet Warung Sing KenKen next door doesn’t attract a large crowd but is as good as the others.
4. The tiny lime green restaurant Akar Ethical & Natural Living offers enough choice for vegans, vegetarians, and non-vegetarians who don’t mind skipping a meal with meat ;-).
Falafel with hummus, Quiche, salads, yogurts, juices, and smoothies are just a few choices on their menu. Besides healthy stuff, they also serve delicious coffee together with cakes or cookies.
Akar Ethical & Natural Living isn’t a strictly organic restaurant but they do promote living ethically and naturally. Here you can refill your water bottle, get bamboo straws and recycled newspaper bags.
Places to stay in Lovina Beach
There are many places to stay in Lovina beach, mainly 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 listen to their customers and know exactly what their expectations are during a holiday, others just build a hotel and then hope to be lucky.
If you want to stay nearby Lovina and are looking to an alternative from an eco-hotel we have listed four of them which we find unique. Mainly because they show an effort in minimizing their negative impact on their environment, are small-scale or family-run.
These are our recommended places to stay in Lovina Beach
Frangipani Beach Boutique Hotel
1. This classy boutique hotel offers a wonderful place to stay right on Lovina beach. There are only 8 rooms: 4 VIP rooms, 1 Suite for 4 to 5 people and 3 rooms for 2 to 3 people.
The spacious rooms with semi-open bathrooms are all unique while some have a view on the rice fields or mountains. There is a big swimming pool and enough sun loungers. Don’t miss their delicious breakfast.
Rambutan Boutique Hotel Bali
2. This hotel is family-run and also ideal for travelers with kids. It has some great pools and immaculate gardens.
The location is perfect in the center of Kalibukbuk and only 2 minutes from the beach. There are several types of rooms you can choose from.
Padang Cottages
3. Padang Cottages is located in Kalibukbuk village on Jalan Bina Ria with a lovely garden and a pool. The people are very friendly and the rooms really cheap for what you get.
There are rooms with three good beds, AC, hot water, clean bathrooms, and a verandah to relax on. You can call them on (+62) 362 41302.