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Lovina
Dolphins & calm black-sand beaches (North Bali)
About Lovina
Lovina is a string of seaside villages on Bali's north coast, west of Singaraja. The sea is calm, the beaches are black sand, and small boats head out at sunrise to see dolphins. It is quiet and inexpensive, and a good base for the waterfalls of the north, the Banjar hot springs and the Brahmavihara-Arama monastery.
Best for: Families, budget travelers & slow travelers
- Dolphin watching
- Banjar hot springs
- Waterfalls
- Calm sea
Lovina at a glance
- Beach: Good (3/5). Black-sand beaches with calm, clear water; good for swimming.
- Nightlife: Fair (2/5). A handful of bars with live music; quiet by midnight.
- Prices: $ · Budget. Cheap: some of the lowest prices on Bali's tourist trail.
- To the airport: 90 km · 2½–3 h. By road to Bali airport (DPS), in usual traffic.
- Climate: Hot & humid · coast
Ratings
- Calm-water swimming: Very good (4/5)
- Surfing: None (0/5)
- Diving & snorkeling: Fair (2/5)
- Sunsets: Good (3/5)
- Restaurants & cafés: Fair (2/5)
- Culture & temples: Fair (2/5)
- Nature & landscapes: Very good (4/5)
- Yoga & wellness: Fair (2/5)
- Family-friendly: Very good (4/5)
- Peace & quiet: Very good (4/5)
- Remote work: Poor (1/5)
- Walkability: Good (3/5)
Rated from 0 (none) to 5 (excellent), compared with Bali's other areas.
Resorts in Lovina
- Sunari Lovina Beach Resort: Buleleng, from about $50 a night
- The Lovina Bali Resort: Buleleng, from about $150 a night
- The Damai: Buleleng, from about $150 a night
Sights in Lovina
- Banjar Hot Springs (nature). The Banjar hot springs (Air Panas Banjar) are three stone bathing pools in a garden in the hills west of Lovina, filled with warm, slightly sulfurous water that pours from carved dragon-head spouts. The lowest pool has spouts high enough to stand under for a massage of the shoulders. Local families come on weekends and late afternoons, so mornings are usually quieter.
- Brahmavihara-Arama (temple). Brahmavihara-Arama is Bali's largest Buddhist monastery, founded in the early 1970s on a hillside above Banjar, a short drive west of Lovina. Its terraces hold meditation halls, lotus ponds, Buddha statues and a small copy of the Borobudur stupa, with views down to the sea. It is still a working monastery, so visitors cover shoulders and knees and keep their voices low.
- Krisna Waterpark (water park). Krisna Waterpark at Temukus, west of Lovina, calls itself the biggest water park in north Bali. It has a wave pool, a lazy river, a raft slide and a boomerang slide, with separate pools for children and toddlers, and next to it the Krisna Funtastic Land fair has a carousel, bumper cars, a small roller coaster and a Ferris wheel.
Beaches in Lovina
- Lovina Beach (beach). Lovina Beach is the long strip of narrow, dark volcanic sand west of Singaraja, centered on Kalibukbuk and its dolphin statue, with outrigger boats pulled up on the shore. Boats leave at dawn to look for the dolphins offshore, though the boats often outnumber the dolphins. The sea is usually calm, better for swimming and snorkeling than for surfing.