Up on the north coast of Bali, Indonesia, you will find a completely different holiday from what you’ll get in the busy southern end of the island. Lovina Beach is located about 10 km from where the main north-south road on the island runs down into the placid Bali Sea, and it is the perfect location for a romantic getaway, or even a honeymoon. As a resident ex-pat on Bali I always recommend people check out Lovina and use it as a base for further explorations on the North Coast, if they want something more than just the big party scene and ‘shopping culture’ that you find in places like Kuta and Sanur.
If you’d like a break from all that it’s easy to find a taxi driver with whom you can make a deal for a day trip up to Lovina. Expect to pay roughly 400,000 rupiah or so, but you’ll have to bargain hard. Just the ride up over the central part of Bali, with its volcanoes and high mountain lakes is a treat in itself. Stop in Bedugul if you like and buy some fruit at the market; most of Bali’s locally grown produce comes from these higher elevations-strawberries are especially popular.
Upon reaching the North Coast you will be pleasantly surprised at the change of pace-as well as the much lower prices!-that you’ll find up here. The Singaraja/Lovina area has been compared to the Bali of 20 years ago, with rice paddies and vivid green fields far outnumbering houses. Find yourself a Lovina hotel- you can expect to pay roughly half of what you’ll pay for a comparable place down near the airport. It’s easy to find reasonably-priced accommodations between the main coast road and the water’s edge. String up a hammock if you have one…!
One activity you don’t want to miss is renting a boat to take you out early in the morning to look at the dolphins that call this area home. The Bali Sea tends to be quite calm, unlike the shore of the Indian Ocean down south, and if you want to go for a swim later you’ll appreciate it.
By all means if you want to add a romantic sidetrip your Bali holiday, or even spend your honeymoon in a special, unspoiled place, give Lovina a try. You might just find that you make it an anniversary destination as well!
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