Lovina Beach Singaraja
Lovina is a relatively new name coined in the 1950s by the late king of Buleleng (Buleleng Regency) Anak Agung Panji Tisna, with a good eye for future tourism-based development. It started with small lodge built on his own land and named Lovina. After going through struggle of ups and downs, finally the community accepted the presence of Lovina. Nowadays the name Lovina is used for the stretch of seven traditional villages, which all slightly merge into one over ten kilometersof 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 “Lovina town centre”.
If traveling along the main coast road from Singaraja, you turn towards the Lovina coast at the only set of traffic lights on the entire north road. Impressive Balinese gates frame the entrances to the two roads where most of the restaurants and hotels are. Western style minimarts and ATMs are located on the busy main road. Lovina offers very reasonably priced accommodation from no star home stays to about three star resorts with pools. Posh private villas are tucked away all along the coast too. Food is cheaper than Ubud or the south coast by about a third.
The whole stretch of coastline in the north is fringed by quite 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. From a distance, the water does not look too clean due to the colour of the sand but it is in fact almost always crystal clear. The locals do make an attempt to clear away plastic flotsam too.
Diving, snorkelling fishing dolphin watching, diving on coral reefs 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. Lovina is ideal for family groups with young children or older adventurers who want to kick back and quickly become part of the community. It can get a little crowded in July and August, but outside that peak season, this is a quiet part of the island.
Lovina also has a large number of tourist stalls which are limited to the area of beach between the dolphin statue and the main restaurant road. The stall holders are not as aggresive as those in other parts of Bali. Open air bars often provide loud, live music in which patrons can participate and it’s not unusual to see foreigners jamming with locals. Many foreigners have made this locality home and the place gets busy at sundown when both locals and foreigners come down to the beach for ‘happy hour’ and a good meal. There is a nightly game of beach volleyball happening in the car park in front of the main bars too.
Get around
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. (Caveat emptor: carefully read any agreement you sign and never surrender your passport in exchange for a rental. Sovina Shop on Jalan Mawar/Rambutan is not recommended due to substandard motos and an owner desperate to find imaginary fault with returning rentals. Take your own pictures to document the moto condition ahead of time.) 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 though hard to get lost.
If you’re walking around some people on motorbikes will offer to bring you to places against a payment. This is generally more expensive than using the Gojek / Grab apps, which are very suitable motorbike ride sharing applications to get to places.
Lovina is a quiet coastal town on the North Bali coastline west of the city of Singaraja.
Understand
Lovina is a relatively new name coined in the 1950s by the late king of Buleleng (Buleleng Regency) Anak Agung Panji Tisna, with a good eye for future tourism-based development. It started with small lodge built on his own land and named Lovina. After going through struggle of ups and downs, finally the community accepted the presence of Lovina. Nowadays the name Lovina is used for the stretch of seven traditional villages, which all slightly merge into one over ten kilometersof 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 “Lovina town centre”.
If traveling along the main coast road from Singaraja, you turn towards the Lovina coast at the only set of traffic lights on the entire north road. Impressive Balinese gates frame the entrances to the two roads where most of the restaurants and hotels are. Western style minimarts and ATMs are located on the busy main road. Lovina offers very reasonably priced accommodation from no star home stays to about three star resorts with pools. Posh private villas are tucked away all along the coast too. Food is cheaper than Ubud or the south coast by about a third.
The whole stretch of coastline in the north is fringed by quite 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. From a distance, the water does not look too clean due to the colour of the sand but it is in fact almost always crystal clear. The locals do make an attempt to clear away plastic flotsam too.
Diving, snorkelling fishing dolphin watching, diving on coral reefs 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. Lovina is ideal for family groups with young children or older adventurers who want to kick back and quickly become part of the community. It can get a little crowded in July and August, but outside that peak season, this is a quiet part of the island.
Lovina also has a large number of tourist stalls which are limited to the area of beach between the dolphin statue and the main restaurant road. The stall holders are not as aggresive as those in other parts of Bali. Open air bars often provide loud, live music in which patrons can participate and it’s not unusual to see foreigners jamming with locals. Many foreigners have made this locality home and the place gets busy at sundown when both locals and foreigners come down to the beach for ‘happy hour’ and a good meal. There is a nightly game of beach volleyball happening in the car park in front of the main bars too.
Get around
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. (Caveat emptor: carefully read any agreement you sign and never surrender your passport in exchange for a rental. Sovina Shop on Jalan Mawar/Rambutan is not recommended due to substandard motos and an owner desperate to find imaginary fault with returning rentals. Take your own pictures to document the moto condition ahead of time.) 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 though hard to get lost.
If you’re walking around some people on motorbikes will offer to bring you to places against a payment. This is generally more expensive than using the Gojek / Grab apps, which are very suitable motorbike ride sharing applications to get to places.
See
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. Turn to the coast just past the only set of traffic lights on the north road. At the beach end of this road is a rather wonderful dolphin statue (complete with slightly horrific 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.
Brahma Vihara Arama
Brahma Vihara Arama, 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 recieve far more visitors than it does. A visit here combines well with Banjar Hot Springs. Donation.
Air Terjun Singsing (Singsing Waterfall), Jalan Air Terjun Singsing (About five kilometres west of the main beach, south off the main Seririt-Singaraja road near the Deutches Eck restaurant). There are two waterfalls. From the carpark, follow the track indicated by the sign until you reach the lower waterfall (about a kilometre). To reach the upper waterfall, cross the stream and follow another (steep) track up the hill. If the water is not too deep, you can cross the stream again and continue up a set of stairs to the Sing Sing Resort from which there are excellent views over Lovina and the Bali Sea.
Your hotel can (and will offer repeatedly to) arrange day tours to the nearby sights including the beautiful highland scenery of Bedugul or 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, which is around 40 km to the East.
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 still be an enjoyable ride, and if you do find a lot of dolphins it is of course very worthwhile. The price is fixed by the local boatmen’s association, and is currently Rp 100,000 per person, allthough you occassionally find a boatman who might give you a better price. The boats are numbered by this organization for easy recognition. Two boats are especially good choices: ‘Beautiful Fish’ is a speedboat, which dolphins tend to like and to play in the waves it creates (250.000 Rp). Popeye (boat number 1, since the drivers’ father set up the organization) provides very good trips. At dawn, there are at least twenty boats looking for dolphins and when found, chasing them like a hide-and-seek for adults. Some boat drivers look around for an own group of dolphins, averting from the ‘crowds’. The Popeye boat takes his time and waits patiently until it can follow the dolphins gently for as long as possible
