Mandine Donnelly:
Bali is beautiful and green with lots of picturesque rural scenes and Lovina was a pretty part of it all. Our hotel was surrounded by rice fields with a view of the sea from the roof top terrace where we had our breakfast every morning. We signed up for a
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Lovina, Bali © Judith Duk |
Overview On Bali's north coast, the Lovina holiday resort stretches along
several kilometres of black volcanic coastline, encompassing six
villages, with Kalibukbuk the established tourist centre. Although
the second largest resort outside of the Kuta region, it is not as
developed as the south of the island, but it has a rural charm, and
guesthouses are prettily situated on the beach or among the rice
fields. Ducks, pigs and chickens scratch in the fields and cattle
wander along the roads.
Colourful Balinese boats take Lovina tourists out to see the
sociable dolphins, most active at sunrise, and the reef-protected
waters provide a calm environment for snorkelling. Situated between
the main diving sites on the north coast of Bali, Lovina is a good
base for diving excursions. Bali's only Buddhist monastery, Brahma
Vihara Arama, is a few kilometres away and can be combined with a
visit to the delightful setting of the Air Panas hot springs at
Banjar, another great holiday attraction.
Shopping The holiday resort of Lovina is actually a string of small
villages strung along the coast, centred on the main town,
Kalibukbuk. Here there is a western-style shopping centre and a
variety of souvenir shops, where plenty of Balinese beachwear and
tourist necessities are available. For serious shopping make
excursions to the south, and to the villages where local craftsmen
produce stone and woodcarvings, and jewellery designs.
Restaurants Don't expect to find any gourmet establishments while on holiday
in Lovina, but Kalibukbuk has plenty of good value budget
restaurants catering for the tourist trade, most of them serving up
a combination of western and Indonesian cuisine. Rijsstafel buffets
are popular and special deals abound, as do 'happy hours'. One of
the most popular restaurants with visitors is the Biyu Nasak, with
a varied assortment on its menu from vegetarian and seafood dishes
to hamburgers and toasted sandwiches.
Nightlife In Lovina, the nightlife is confined to entertainment provided
at the hotels, especially shadow puppet shows. There are some cosy
bars in town where you can enjoy a cocktail or a local Bintang beer
and live music while on holiday. Some even offer discos on Friday
nights.
Activities Lovina's main holiday attractions are the magical underwater
world that exists just off of its black volcanic sand beaches, and
the myriad dolphins that frolic offshore. Locals have taken
advantage of these and offer scuba diving and snorkelling
expeditions, as well as dolphin-viewing boat trips. Hotels usually
make arrangements for these, as well as fishing or other watersport
activities. The adjacent interior is ideal for hiking, especially
in the West Bali National Park.
Negatives There are lots of hawkers on the beach in Lovina and this can
become a nuisance to travellers.