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Lovina Beach, Bali Overview

Bali might be known as Indonesia’s party island, but not all of its beaches have that notorious wild vibe. At Lovina Beach in north-western Bali, you’ll find a much more laidback atmosphere where people can lay back and enjoy the feeling of sand in their toes and sun on their skin instead. It’s quieter than most tourist hotspots, but that is exactly Lovina Beach’s charm. The exquisite beach consists of seven small villages like Pemaron, Anturan, Kalibukbuk (the liveliest village of the lot), Temukus, and Kaliasem along its 10 kilometre stretch. Instead of Bali’s usual white sand beaches, you’re treated here to narrow, black sand beaches which have calm waters ideal for swimming and relaxing in the waves.

Lovina Beach is most popular for dolphin watching, snorkelling, and enjoying the calm of traditional Indonesian life. Dolphin sightings are an everyday affair, and you’ll certainly find yourself encouraged by everyone from shopkeepers to hotel staff, to give it a shot. Lovina Beach has its options of bars and cafes for the partying lot, but for the most part, it’s a great little nook to spend time with friends, family, and loved ones in a quiet getaway.

Lovina Beach Dolphin Tour

Thankfully, there is no entry fee to Lovina Beach, so there are plenty of options on offer for all travellers. As a thriving community of fishing villages, Lovina Beach is most popular for its dolphin watching - there’s even a rusting dolphin statue at the end of the beach. To go dolphin watching, you’ll need to hit the water by 5:30 AM and these are usually 2-3 hour affairs.

For your convenience, it’s best to book a dolphin watching tour at least one day prior. This will cost you around IDR 75,000 (INR 5000). Dark-skinned spinner dolphins and bottle-nosed dolphins are most commonly sighted here. Do keep in mind that, as this is a popular activity, the waters are filled with boats of dolphin-watching tourists every morning.

Things to Do at Lovina Beach

If you’re feeling more adventurous, Lovina Beach has multiple water sports like surfing, parasailing, jet-skiing and banana boating. There are plenty of operators along the beach offering these services and children will definitely love it. The water sports typically begin at IDR 29,000 (INR 150).

Other water-based activities here include scuba diving and snorkelling, even sea bottom walking tours. They’re typically conducted in high season from October to December when you’re most likely to see Bali’s sea creatures like turtles, stingrays, and local fish. These activities can be availed for anywhere between IDR 1,49,000 to IDR 10,27,000 depending on the dive sites.

An alternative to water-based activities are cooking classes. Lovina Beach has its own culinary school called Adjani Bali Cooking School where you can learn to make a 4-5 course Balinese meal all by yourself. From helping you source your produce at the local market to cooking and letting you devour your creation, it’s a fun 3-4 hour activity that’ll keep the whole family involved. This is typically priced at around IDR 6,88,000.

Lovina Beach Restaurants

How to Reach Lovina Beach

Lovina Beach is located 9 kilometres (20 minutes) from Singaraja. It is easily accessible by road with fairly limited traffic in this part of Bali. If you are travelling from Singaraja, you can take a bus from Sangket Terminal to Kalibukbuk for around IDR 15,000. If you are travelling from south Bali, you can take a bus from Denpasar to Singaraja and continue on to Kalibukbuk, although this trip will take a greater part of the day. There are buses that travel daily from here to Kuta and Ubud for around IDR 125,000 which will take around 3 hours.

From the airport, a taxi will cost around IDR 450,000 to Lovina Beach. While travelling within Lovina Beach, it’s best to hire a motorcycle for the day. This will cost around IDR 50,000 to IDR 90,000, but the roads are quite fun with much lesser crowds than south Bali.

Best Time to Visit

The ideal time to visit Lovina Beach is from April to September when you’ll find fewer crowds, meaning a more budget holiday. The beach weather is still pleasant as this is the time right after the high season before the monsoon rains kick in.

Tips

1. Villages like Kalibukbuk have a variety of shops selling items like T-shirts, art supplies, and the beach’s speciality dolphin statues. However, these are higher priced than the same items in south Bali, so we wouldn’t recommend a shopping trip in Lovina Beach.
2. If you do choose to buy the dolphin statues, be wary of vendors who insist that it is made of ivory and thus warrants a higher price – most often, the statues are carved from local wood.