This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I make a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Spending 3 days in Lovina Beach and north Bali is a great way to escape the bustling atmosphere of the island. Lovina is the perfect beach getaway from busy Ubud or the party life of Canggu. If you are looking for an off-the-beaten-track trip in Bali, Lovina is the perfect place. Enjoy quiet and calm beaches, snorkeling with dolphins, and sandy, beach-front restaurants.
After spending several weeks in Canggu, we were looking to explore a different part of the island. My mom and her boyfriend were coming out to visit us and we wanted to take them somewhere a little more chill than Canggu, preferably with a beach that was better for swimming than Batu Bolong. We were also looking for a place that was more walkable than Canggu. I wanted to visit some of the waterfalls in northern Bali, which are a bit far for a day trip from Canggu, in my opinion, and they were on the way to Lovina. Lovina checked all the boxes! That is how we decided to spend 3 days in Lovina Beach and north Bali.
Where is Lovina Beach?
Lovina Beach is on the northern coast of Bali, part of the Indonesian archipelago. The northern part of the island typically gets less tourism than some of the other parts. Lovina Beach is about 2.5 hours from the airport and about 2 hours from Canggu or Ubud.
Why should I visit Lovina Beach?
Lovina is one of the best places to see dolphins in Bali. There are daily opportunities to go on a dolphin-watching cruise or snorkel with the dolphins. We went with the snorkel option and it was such a cool experience. I highly recommend it.
Another popular attraction near Lovina is the Brahma Vihara Arama Buddhist temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Bali. The temple is only about a 15-20 minute drive outside of Lovina, so this is an easy thing to do during 3 days in Lovina Beach.
Lovina Beach is also a great beach in Bali for swimming because the waves are mild and the water is shallow. Canggu has great beaches, but the waves are pretty intense for swimming. On my first day at Batu Bolong Beach, I got caught up in a wave and ended up with scraps all over my knees. Lovina Beach is perfect for families or people who want to enjoy the water without the threat of barreling onto the beach unexpectedly. Lovina Beach is also much less crowded than other beaches around Bali. We felt like we had the whole thing to ourselves.
It’s no mystery that certain areas in Bali have a problem with overtourism. Canggu, Ubud, and Uluwatu attract hordes of tourists. Lovina in comparison, is much quieter, and seems like it could use some extra tourism dollars since that is still a huge part of the economy in that area. Why not spread the love a little? When we visited in 2023, it didn’t seem like the tourism had bounced back from COVID (or perhaps it has always been that quiet) and the people were excited to see tourists.
Where to Stay in Lovina Beach?
We stayed at Villa Aurora Lovina, a lovely two-bedroom villa with a beautiful garden and private pool. It had everything we needed for a longer stay, including a well-equipped kitchen, Netflix, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and a parking space. The host was very kind and helped us organize a trip to snorkel with dolphins. It was within a short walking distance to restaurants, a Pepito Market (a well-stocked grocery store), and the beach. I highly recommend it.
What to Bring to Lovina?
If you plan to snorkel with dolphins in Lovina Beach, I recommend you bring a GoPro camera so you can get some underwater footage of the dolphins (paid link). I stupidly left our camera in Canggu on accident and I am still mad about it. You think I would have learned my lesson after the first time I did that.
If you get car sick at all, I recommend bringing some Dramamine. The roads in Bali are always a bit crazy but as you go north into the mountains it gets even worse for motion sickness with the climbing and switchbacks. You may also want to take Dramamine on the boat if you go dolphin watching, but I didn’t need it.
Make sure you bring your swimsuit, sunglasses, a packable sun hat, and a sarong to cover up for the beach and the temples (paid links). I also like to bring our inflatable pool hammocks whenever possible (paid link). They are so comfortable and easy to pack. Finally, whenever I swim in the ocean I try to use reef-safe sunscreen to help protect the marine life (paid link).
How to get to Lovina Beach?
The drive from Ubud or Canggu to Lovina Beach is about two hours. If you are driving directly from the airport, it is about 2.5 hours. Traffic in Bali can be unpredictable, so it could easily take more time.
You can either drive yourself or hire a driver. Since hiring a driver for the day is affordable in Bali, I recommend doing this so you don’t have to deal with the traffic and unfamiliar roads. The northern part of Bali gets quite mountainous and the roads have many switchbacks. Having a vehicle in Lovina is not necessary since it is a pretty small town. However, you will need to hire a driver for the return trip too if you take this option. This tour provides a driver for a full day and they will take you wherever you want. Either way, you can easily pick out a few additional spots to stop along the way to Lovina. There is much to see between northern and southern Bali, such as waterfalls, coffee plantations, temples, and forested hikes.
3 days in Lovina Beach and North Bali
Things to do on the way to Lovina Beach
We really enjoyed our drive to Lovina because we stopped at a few bucket-list places in Bali. We also hired a driver that we had used before and enjoyed. If you hire a driver, you can also ask them for advice on where to stop along the way.
Kayu Putih Ancient Tree
Our first stop on our way to Lovina Beach was Kayu Putih, thought to be one of the oldest trees in Bali, about an hour from Canggu. It is surrounded by farmland, which provides an interesting drive to see all the things that grow in Bali (which is basically anything). This tree is estimated to be about 700 years old and more than 50 meters high. Its name, Kayu Putih, means “white wood” in Bahasa Indonesian, due to the tree’s white bark. This is an excellent place to stop for a photo. They recommend a 10K IDR donation to enter the area around the tree. As a bonus, there is also a toilet here. The location on Google Maps is Bayan Ancient Tree, Bayan being the neighborhood.
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
When visiting Bali, rice terraces are something that you want to see since it is such a huge part of the local life and culture. This is a great time to stop and get some pictures of the rice terraces.
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a good place to stop, about 30 minutes from the Kayu Putih tree if you want to walk through the rice fields. You can easily spend an hour and a half here. There is a small entrance fee of 50,000 IDR (about $3 USD) for an adult foreigner.
Jati Wangi Luwak Coffee
I also recommend a stop at Jati Wangi, a coffee and tea tasting room where they describe the different things they grow on their plantation. One of the employees will show you around the property, which has samples of all the plants they grow, not only coffee. After you tour the site, you can do a free coffee and tea tasting. It is also a good place to get some souvenirs or gifts.
You can also try Luwak coffee for 50,000 IDR, which is coffee where an animal called a Luwak eats and ferments the shell of the coffee bean and poops out the coffee bean. Then they roast the beans to make coffee. It is a specialty in Bali and something that any brave foodie should try! We did a tasting and enjoyed it, but for some reason when I sent a bag of coffee back to my brother and his family, they didn’t want to drink it. Imagine that!
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, set against a lake in the mountains, is one of the most beautiful temples to visit in Bali. It is a place you should consider stopping on your way to Lovina Beach.
The Hindu temple was built in 1633. Offerings and ceremonies are dedicated to the Balinese Hindu water goddess, Dewi Danu, because of the temple’s location on Lake Bratan, an important lake for irrigation. The main shrine of the temple is dedicated to Shiva and his consort.
Entry to Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is 75,000 IDR for international visitors. Parking is an additional 5,000 IDR. There is a toilet available, but it costs 2,000 IDR to use. There is no need to have your legs covered, for men or women, when visiting the temple. The temple complex is quite large and receives many visitors. It is a little touristy and wasn’t our favorite temple to visit in Bali, but it was very beautiful.
Strawberry Stands
Just outside of Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, you will see people selling strawberries on the side of the road. This area is known for growing delicious strawberries. Pick some up from a vendor while you are in the area.
Lunch at Warung Makan Tenten Bamboe
I recommend stopping for lunch somewhere in town since there are more options. We stopped at Warung Makan Tenten Bamboe, recommended by our driver. It had simple Indonesian food, but it was good. I got nasi goreng, Indonesian fried rice, and strawberry juice. They also had a bathroom here.
Munduk Tutub Waterfall
The next stop on our trip to Lovina Beach was at Munduk Tutub Waterfall. This was one of my favorite waterfalls that we visited in Bali and there were hardly any other people there, unlike the waterfalls near Ubud. There is a parking lot near Munduk Village Roomstay, a small hostel with a cafe, that will charge you 10,000 IDR per person to visit the waterfall. From the cafe, you can see a great view of the waterfall and the surrounding mountains.
Steep steps lead to the bottom of the waterfall, where there is a small pool. If you are brave, you can swim in the cold water. We did and it was so much fun. When we visited, we had it all to ourselves and only briefly saw two other groups. Optionally, our guide mentioned that we could hike for about an hour to another waterfall. We decided against this because we were getting tired.
Read More: Hiking and Swimming in Waterfalls in Belize
Arrive in Lovina Beach
Finally, we arrived in Lovina after a day of exploring Bali! At first glance, I could tell that it was much less touristy and smaller than Canggu. We explored our Airbnb and unpacked. If you have time, you can take a dip in the pool before dinner.
Dinner at MeVui
For dinner, check out MeVui Lovina, which serves up authentic Vietnamese food. We tried the bún chả, a noodle bowl with pork patties, and the bún thịt nướng, a cold noodle bowl with pork. We also tried the spring rolls with shrimp and pork. Everything was delicious. MeVui is a short walk from the villa as well. This is a good time to pick up some snacks or breakfast items at the Pepito Market for your day of snorkeling.
Day One in Lovina Beach
Breakfast at Akar Cafe
Start the day at Akar Cafe on your way to the beach. Here you can get a hearty omelet with spinach, mozzarella, and tomato served with toast.
Beach Day
Next, head to the beach. If you prefer to hang out on the sand, there should be plenty of beach available to you. Otherwise, Sea Breeze Lovina has a few lounge chairs that you can sit in as long as you order something. We tried a Cuba libre and a margarita, both of which were okay. Cocktails are 75,000 IDR, which is not bad for Bali standards. A large Bintang, the local beer, was only 40,000 IDR however, so we quickly switched to that. Sea Breeze also has food if you get hungry. We tried the club sandwich, which strangely had ham, eggs, and tomato and came with a side of fries but was good.
We enjoyed having the beach and the water mostly to ourselves. There were hardly any waves and the water was shallow for the most part so you could easily go farther out. We found all these pots and portions of objects crafted of clay in the water like someone had lost a bunch of their products to the sea. My mom may have taken one or two home to use as pots for plants.
We enjoyed the lounge chairs at Sea Breeze, which provided a little bit of shade. Stray dogs were running around, a common occurrence all over Bali, and it was fun to watch them enjoying the beach.
The only annoying part of Lovina Beach was the ratio of hawkers to the amount of tourists. Since there were few tourists, all the hawkers wanted to try to sell us something. This happens all over Bali, but usually, there are hordes of other tourists so it isn’t so overwhelming.
Dinner at Global Village Kafe
For dinner, head to Global Village Kafe, which is part of the Global Village Foundation. The goal at Global Village, a “not-for-profit” social project, is to promote training and employment for people with disabilities living in north Bali. At Global Village Kafe, the waiters, waitresses, and kitchen staff have hearing disabilities. To order, you can point or use sign language to communicate. They serve delicious Indian food and other international dishes. I tried the chicken tikka masala, which came with rice and naan. It hit the spot.
Day Two in Lovina Beach
Departing to Snorkel with Dolphins
The day you have been waiting for has arrived! Today, plan to swim with dolphins or, if that doesn’t interest you, do a sunrise dolphin watch cruise. Our Airbnb host connected us with a tour operator, but you can also book your tour in advance.
This tour requires getting up early, so I suggest having breakfast on hand. We departed around 7:30 AM from Lovina Beach in a traditional boat, called a jukung, where everyone sits in a row. The guide drove the boat out to sea for about 45 minutes. It was beautiful, watching the early morning sun crest over the still water and appreciating Bali’s hilly coastline.
Finally, we found the dolphins. A few other boats had found them as well. To snorkel with the dolphins, we wore a snorkel and a mask. No fins are required. Optionally, you can wear a life jacket. Two people can snorkel at once.
Snorkeling with Dolphins
The traditional boats have arms on both sides that reach out to a support, parallel to the boat, so there is a gap between the boat and the supporting pole. To snorkel with dolphins, a handlebar is attached to each arm of the boat. Then the snorkeler holds on to the handlebar, in the space between the pole and the boat, while the boat moves. They do it this way because the dolphins are fast and it would be impossible for a human to keep up with them swimming on their own.
Once Luke and I were ready and holding on to the handles, the guide started the boat. We moved towards the dolphins as I clutched the handle, only somewhat afraid of losing my grip. I kept my head facing towards the bottom of the ocean and breathed through my snorkel. As we started moving faster, the sensation of holding tightly to the handle while being dragged along intensified. It was a little strange and could be hard on your shoulders.
I was looking down, so I didn’t see them immediately, but I suddenly saw them. Dolphins were at the surface of the water, not that far from me, and I watched as they dove down into the depths of the blue ocean. I could not see anything below me except blue, the sandy bottom much too far away for my eyesight to make out.
Read More: Swimming with Whale Sharks in the Maldives
We kept moving and I could see dolphins appearing below me, swimming in v-formation so effortlessly. They almost blended in with the blue of the sea. Then there were more dolphins in front of me, diving up and down. At one point I saw about 50 dolphins at once. It was incredible.
We continued along. Sometimes I would lose sight of the dolphins for a while and watch the ocean’s depths, contemplating the mysteries that it held. I saw these little lights below me occasionally, shining like stars, which we are pretty sure were a type of luminescent algae. I also felt the subtle sting of small jellyfish as I glided through the water, unable to alter my direction to avoid them.
If I caught a glimpse of the dolphins again, I would point in that direction so the guide could drive that way. I watched them for a little while longer. It was a dream. Eventually, I motioned to the guide that I was ready to switch with someone else. While I wasn’t the one snorkeling, it was still fun to see the dolphins swimming and jumping around the boats.
Returning to Lovina Beach
We did this a few times, switching off snorkeling until we had our fill. Then the guide moved the boat to a less busy area where he made us some Balinese kopi (or coffee), which was not great because it was instant coffee, and we shared some fried bananas as a snack.
The tour lasted for about three hours. He dropped us off at the beach when the tour was complete. Optionally, you could continue the day of snorkeling and visit a location where you can see fish and potentially other marine life. This required an additional two hours.
Lunch at Coffeenosky
After our snorkeling adventure, we were hungry. Check out Coffeenosky Coffee & Eatery, a trendy place for coffee and breakfast or lunch. I ordered a taro latte and a chicken pesto sandwich with chips, both of which were good.
Afternoon Pool Time
We were ready to relax so we spent the remainder of the day sipping Bintangs by the pool.
Dinner at Warung Nemo
For dinner, we tried Warung Nemo, which has an idyllic location right on the beach. We watched a gorgeous sunset as we enjoyed cocktails with our toes in the sand. Luke and I shared the seafood platter with fried calamari, fried fish, and grilled shrimp with fries and salad. It was the perfect way to end a lowkey beach weekend.
Depart Lovina Beach
Breakfast at Cafe Greco
Before heading out for the day, get breakfast at Cafe Greco. It is a cute place in town that serves omelets and coffee.
Brahma Vihara Arama Buddhist Temple
We had arranged for the same driver to pick us up in Lovina and take us back to Canggu. I recommend you do this too unless you drive yourself. This is the perfect time to stop at Brahma Vihara Arama Buddhist temple, which is about 15 minutes outside of Lovina. To visit Bali’s largest Buddhist temple, you must cover your legs. If you don’t have a sarong, they have some that you can borrow at the front.
The temple grounds are sprawling and there is a lot to see. We spent about 30 minutes there.
Twin Lakes Viewpoint
If you are up for it, you can include more stops on your way back to Canggu. We were pretty tired so we decided to head straight there, but we did stop at this beautiful viewpoint of Lakes Buyan and Tamblingan. On Google Maps this is Twin Lake View.
We enjoyed our trip to Lovina Beach immensely. I think the northern part of Bali is highly underrated as a destination, but I don’t expect it to stay that way for long. There is so much to see and do in and around Lovina Beach. It is a great addition to any trip to Bali or a perfect weekend getaway.
Would you add 3 days in Lovina Beach and north Bali to your Bali itinerary? Have you ever visited Lovina Beach? What did you think? I would love to hear from you in the comments!
Did you enjoy this post? Pin it for later!
