Lovina Beach in North Bali

If you are looking for a completely different holiday, different from South Bali’s Kuta-Seminyak vibrant atmosphere, then you should head north to Bali’s Lovina Beach. The beach is a great alternative to the highly popular (and often crowded beaches of Bali's south, the likes of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak beach. Calmer waves, serene black-sand shores, thrills in the offing, and a nightlife scene, are just a few things that sum up this quaint north Bali coast.

Situated some 9 Km from Singaraja, capital city of the Buleleng Regency, Lovina Beach facing the Bali Sea is the perfect definition of tranquility, where one can enjoy the true meaning of a laid back and relaxed life. Lovina Beach is a convenient stopover along Bali tour package itineraries to Bali’s northern region.

Lovina stretches across a swathe of over 8 kms coastline comprising a string of coastal villages, which are: Kaliasem, Kalibukbuk, Anturan, and Tukad Mungga – collectively known as Lovina. The heart of Lovina is the village of Kalibukbuk situated in the Buleleng District, Buleleng Regency.

Unlike other white-sand beaches on Bali, Lovina beach is of grey and black volcanic sand. Just as the nearby Pemuteran Beach, Lovina also features incredible underwater life to plunge in for those who enjoy diving and snorkeling. But, the main attraction here are as ‘gently exciting’ as its sunsets, and are when participants of Bali dolphin watching tour board colourful traditional motorised jukung outriggers to catch a glimpse of the several different species in these waters.

Keep your camera gear ready as these flippers breach the smooth water surface in a blink of an eye. The most frequently sighted species are the dark-skinned spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) that are present all year round, except during the Chinese Lunar New Year period, when wind and rains are heavy and irregular (roughly from February to April).

Among the nearby highlight attractions to discover around Lovina Beach are the Banjar Hot Springs and the Brahma Vihara Arama Buddhist temple. The hot springs are a popular weekend escape among locals and foreign visitors, where you can wade in its pools or soothe under its dragon water spouts. The Brahma Vihara Arama is the largest Buddhist temple on the island, with a small-scale but impressive Borobudur Temple on its hilltop.

Lovina Beach History

The name Lovina itself is said to be derived from the word “Love” and “Ina” which is Balinese for "mother". Therefore, Lovina means Love for the Motherland or the country. The name Lovina was once banned from being used here since it was considered alien, so that tourist businesses in the area used alternatived names such as Manggala, Krisna, Angsoka,or Nirwana.

In the early 1950s the last raja (king) of Buleleng North Bali, Anak Agung Pandji Tisna, visited the beach area west of Singaraja. Pandji Tisna was very impressed when he saw the beauty of this beach area and he decided to build a place to relax on this beach, for he intended to revisit the area regularly. Having a place to stay here also had the advantage that he could be there for longer periods of time, without each time having to return to his palace in Singaraja in the evenings.

The place he built consisted of a house with a restaurant including three rooms where guests could stay the night. The opening of his beach house, which Pandji Tisna called ‘Lovina’, was in 1953. With the opening of his beach house, the first guest house of Lovina was a historic fact. In those early days the guesthouse was mainly a hang out for his friends, especially during the weekends; however it was also regularly frequented by government officials and people from the upper middle class of Singaraja.

How to get Lovina Beach ?

Easily get to Lovina Beach by bus from all parts of Bali, but it is a long ride from the East or South. Getting there by car with driver is a much easier way to get to the North. You can travel from Kuta in 3 hours and from the airport or Sanur in about 3.5 hours, depending on the season and the traffic on the road. You will travel through places such as Bedugul and could take the scenic route through Munduk if you are not in a hurry. So you could stop at a temple like Ulun Danu Bratan Temple, twin lakes and rice paddies in Munduk on your trip and make a day of it.