Journey to Lovina Bali: A Two-Day Escape to the North. Part 1.
- Olga Kurak
- Sep 6, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 5
Hi,
A few years ago, my friends who live in Amsterdam complained to me about the number of tourists in the city and how the locals were tired of the constant flow of people. Back then, I thought: "Hmm, that's strange. It's beneficial for everyone—tourists enjoy visiting an amazing city, and locals gain financial income." But now I understand them :)
We live in Uluwatu, which is currently one of the most tourist-attractive locations in Bali. White sandy beaches, a relaxed atmosphere, restaurants and cafes for every taste—it's like a dream life, except for the tourists :) Or rather, the number of them. It's not that I don't like people, but when there are too many around, it can really become exhausting. That's why when choosing our next trip, we usually prioritize less crowded places.
The south of Bali is the part of the island most popular with tourists, but let's be honest, it's where the least of the authentic Balinese atmosphere remains. Most streets have long since turned into endless rows of modern shops, restaurants, spa salons, villas, and everything that attracts tourists. However, fortunately, Bali still has many wonderful places where you can feel the real local flavor and enjoy a peaceful rest. Yes, I already talked about our trip to the northeast, to Lake Batur (post here), aand today I’m sharing the story of our trip to Lovina, Bali, a resort area on the northern coast.
Our two-day itinerary to Lovina, Bali:
Day 1 – Uluwatu - Bayan Ancient Tree - Ulun Danu Beratan Temple - Handara Iconic Gate - Handara Golf & Resort - Boutique Hotel Rambutan
Day 2 – Aling-Aling Waterfall - Banyu Wana Amertha Waterfall - Uluwatu
As you can see on the map, we crossed all of Bali from south to north.
Now, about the trip to Lovina, Bali, a resort area on the northern coast
We always rent a car for our trips around Bali. For us, it's more comfortable to travel by car on such distances than by bike. The most time-consuming part of car trips is getting through all the tourist zones and, of course, Denpasar. Sometimes I think about what I associate Denpasar with: for me, it's a "village" that suddenly started to become densely populated, but the infrastructure couldn't keep up with the pace. That's why, as the locals say, it's "macet gila" (read: machet gila, Indonesian for crazy traffic). There are legends about traffic jams in Bali, and believe me, they are true.
After spending nearly two hours in traffic, covering only 25 km, we finally made it out of the city. After touristy Uluwatu, you almost don't see any bule (as locals call tourists or expats, Indonesian for foreigners) in the center of Denpasar or further north. Once out of the city, the pleasant part of the journey begins. The roads are wide, there is some traffic, but it's far from macet gila (crazy traffic).
Soon, you start to see mountain views, rice fields, and many farmlands. This is where the south gets all its vegetables and greens from. I always say that this, to me, is the real Bali. The atmosphere here is unique. It's always cooler here, even during the windy season, when we don't see rain for weeks in Bukit, it's often cloudy or rainy here, and the air temperature is lower, which makes the greenery flourish.
Our first stop was the Bayan Ancient Tree (Indonesian: Kayu Putih).
It's a giant eucalyptus tree, standing 50 meters tall and 6 meters wide. Its size is truly impressive. The roots of the plant form a beautiful pattern around the trunk, where tourists love to take pictures. For the villagers, the tree is considered sacred, and there's a temple nearby where ceremonies are held. You can find various information online about its age, ranging from 500 to 700 years. The tree's history is shrouded in legends: it's believed that the tree protects the village with its roots stretching underground, and the bark, when cut, can cure various diseases. Entrance is a donation for the needs of the village and temple. We spent no more than 10-15 minutes there. All the information about the tree that I mentioned above, I found online. At the entrance, there's only one information banner, written in Russian, asking visitors not to undress for photos, even partially, since the area is sacred. There were about six other tourists with us. After walking around the tree and taking some photos, we moved on.
The further north we went, the higher we climbed above sea level. The weather often changes: one moment it's sunny, then cloudy, then rainy. Breathtaking scenic views all around.
Our next stop was Ulun Danu Beratan Temple.
This temple, built in 1663, is considered the main Hindu center in Bali. The temple complex is located on the shores of Lake Beratan in the mountains near Bedugul. The lake is also the main source of water for agricultural activities on the island. Since its creation, ceremonies have been held at the temple in honor of Dewi Danu, the Balinese goddess of water, lakes, and rivers. Here, we encountered a large number of tourists. Places like this always leave me with mixed feelings: yes, the temple has an atmosphere, the park area is well-maintained, and the mountain and lake views are impressive, but due to its popularity, it has turned into a typical tourist attraction, aiming to draw in as many visitors as possible. Therefore, on the grounds, there are several 'restaurants' with food that resembles fast food; colorful children's playgrounds and separate zones with sculptures either from cartoons or fairy tales, which are thematically unrelated to the history of the temple; and there is an opportunity to take photos with live birds. And of course, the temples themselves are closed, and you can only view them from the shore. After seeing everything there was to see, we continued our journey.
Next up were Handara Iconic Gate and lunch at Handara Golf & Resort.
Handara Iconic Gate—I'll be honest, in my opinion, the attractiveness of this tourist spot is greatly exaggerated, and if we hadn't been stopping for lunch at Handara Golf & Resort, these gates could have been easily skipped. The Handara Gates, located at the entrance to Handara Golf & Resort Bali, were built in the 1970s. Over time, tourists have taken a liking to this place for photoshoots. When we arrived, we stopped to take some photos of the gates. What else can you do if you're already here—of course, you take photos. A security guard immediately approached us, asking if we wanted to take photos, we would need to pay. We refused, and asked if there was an additional charge for entering the Handara Golf & Resort grounds, as we needed to enter through the gates to reach the restaurant. The guard replied that entry without a photoshoot is free. Once inside the golf club grounds, we noted that a walk around the park-like grounds of the complex, which hardly resembles Bali—with trees that look like pines lining the road, fog, dampness, and rich dark green hues everywhere—was more worthwhile than paying for a photoshoot in front of the entrance gates. The Handara Golf & Resort complex itself, including the hotel and restaurant, has a rather tired look and is in need of renovation. The menu in the restaurant is a mix of Western European, Indonesian, Asian, and even Slavic cuisines. We were satisfied with the meal and service. But honestly, even if we hadn't liked the food, I would have been happy anyway, because I spent an hour watching the mountains, the forest, and people playing golf. Pure serenity and peace.
Only 27 km left, and we're at our destination. Our last stop of the day was the Boutique Hotel Rambutan.
I won't bore you again with tales of the incredible beauty of the nature on the northern part of Bali on the way to the hotel, but those landscapes are truly enchanting.
When I choose a hotel or villa for us, I rarely ask for recommendations from friends or acquaintances. Perhaps this habit has stayed with me since my time working in a travel agency, where we would independently select hotels for tourists, meticulously checking all the reviews, reading all the information about the establishments, studying maps, and whenever possible, going on familiarization tours where we inspected numerous hotels. For our trips, I constantly choose something different in terms of concept and price range. It can be a 5-star luxury hotel, or a place without any stars at all, or an eco-hotel, perhaps an adults-only concept, or a tropical-style villa, or even glamping — why not :)
Boutique Hotel Rambutan caught my attention primarily with its colonial style. After reading reviews and looking at photos, I really liked the hotel for its architecture, grounds, simple rooms, and convenient location in the center of Lovina, Bali. And when we arrived, the hotel did not disappoint. At first, Santi was not impressed by the simplicity of the rooms, with furniture that has been in use for several decades, but in the morning, he noted the cleanliness of the room and the comfort of the bed and pillows, and I fully agree with him.
Our first day of the trip came to an end. The story of the second day, featuring dolphins, waterfalls, and more mountains (how could we do without them), will follow soon.
See you soon,
Olya.
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