Journey to Lovina Bali: A Two-Day Escape to the North. Part 2.
- Olga Kurak
- Sep 20, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 5
Hi everyone,
Today, I’m continuing to talk about our trip to the northern part of Bali, to the Lovina resort. You can read the first part of the story here.
After my first post about Lovina, someone asked if Boutique Hotel Rambutan provided breakfast and, if so, whether it was any good. Well, breakfast was included in the room rate. It was a typical spread: eggs prepared in various styles, bread, jam, butter, fruit, pancakes, Balinese coffee, and orange juice. We ordered an omelet, which came with bread and butter. Everything was fairly average, so after checking out, we went to a nearby café for a second breakfast, which tasted a bit better. You’ll find the same dish names in these places as you would in cafés in the south, like Eggs Benedict, avocado toast, various bowls and rolls, pizza, carbonara pasta, and many others. But how it’s prepared and served is often hit or miss. So I don't have any real expectations for the taste or presentation of dishes when we travel to other islands or less touristy areas in Bali. Food is not the reason we come here. If you want the perfect flat white, poached eggs, and gravlax salmon, head south where there are countless cafés and restaurants offering truly delicious food for every taste and budget.
Dolphins tour in Lovina
One of the most famous attractions in Lovina is the boat tours to see dolphins in the ocean. I usually wake up at 5 AM, and Santi wakes up between 7 and 8, so I scheduled our trip for 8:30 after breakfast. However, the tour agency manager suggested we go at 6 AM to catch the sunrise. By the way, I found the agency on Google Maps. I convinced Santi to wake up really early because I had this romantic idea of us sailing alone in the ocean towards the sunrise, which would gradually paint the sky in morning colors, and somewhere on the horizon, we’d spot dolphins jumping out of the water. We’d just soak in the natural beauty and enjoy the moment.
But in reality, things turned out a little differently.
When we arrived at the beach 15 minutes before six, we were met by crowds of tourists who had arrived by buses and cars. The guides were dividing groups of people onto boats. It was still dark. We found our guide, who was supposed to take us to see the dolphins. We had booked a private tour. Once out in the ocean, the boats dispersed in different directions, and for a while, the trip started to resemble the scene I had imagined the night before.
The sun began to rise slowly. We sailed quite far from the shore and stopped, as did the other boats. The boat captains started calling each other to exchange information about who would spot the dolphins first. And then the madness started. All the boats began racing from one spot to another, wherever dolphins were sighted, with tourists cheering, the roar of engines, and the strong smell of fuel filling the air. More and more boats arrived. I couldn’t understand why we couldn’t just watch the dolphins from a distance, but instead, everyone had to rev up their engines and race as close to them as possible, accompanied by the noise of engines and excited shouts.
The dolphins would appear and disappear just as quickly. If I were them, I’d run away too and never come back. After about 30 minutes of this, we decided to head back, as the experience had lost its charm. I’m not sure whether to recommend this excursion: yes and no. The boat ride itself and witnessing the sunrise on the ocean were incredible, but the dolphin chase, not so much. After the excursion, we returned to the hotel for breakfast and checked out to continue our journey.
Our itinerary for day two:
Boutique Hotel Rambutan - Aling-Aling Waterfall - Banyu Wana Amertha Waterfall – Uluwatu.
Aling-Aling Waterfall: A Surprising Adventure in Bali’s North
Our next stop was Aling-Aling Waterfall, and this was one of those times when you expect the least but get the most. This excursion left us with incredibly positive impressions.The access to the location is convenient, with a large parking lot and restrooms. Tourists can choose between two types of tickets: a simple walk or a guided tour, which also includes the option to swim and stay in the area for up to two hours. We chose the guided option, even though we thought we wouldn’t stay longer than two hours. We planned to take a quick look, take a dip, and leave. In reality, we spent the full two hours there, maybe even more when you consider the walk back to the car after the tour. After paying, a local guide arrived, gave us each a bottle of water, and we headed to the waterfalls. From the entrance to the first waterfall (there are three in total), it’s about a 10-15 minute walk, and the trail includes a steep staircase. The area is well-maintained, with signs and no litter in sight. The locals have really put in the effort. One of the attractions here is jumping into the water from heights. The first jump spot was about 5 meters high. Our guide jumped right away. Santi followed him. I just went to the edge to see where to jump and immediately felt queasy. I didn’t jump.I went down to the water to swim near the shore instead.
My fear of water stems from an incident that happened to me in 2008 on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My friend and I were swimming near the shore when suddenly, a wave carried me far out into the ocean. I tried to swim back, but it was impossible. After exhausting myself and swallowing a lot of water, I lost consciousness, and my limp body drifted closer to shore. People formed a human chain in the water and caught me, saving my life. After that incident, it took me two years to force myself to even go into the water and not pass out from the slightest amount of water getting into my nose. Even now, I avoid waves and deep water, and I only swim when there are people around. Surfing is always a huge internal struggle for me because it combines everything I fear: waves and being underwater. I could just admit that I have a panic-level fear of water and don’t enjoy swimming, but no – I keep trying to overcome it.
After the first waterfall, we moved on to the next one, where the jump height was about 10 meters. The guide jumped immediately. Santi said, “Not this time.” After thinking for a bit, I told my husband, “I have to jump at the first waterfall.” Santi supported me. We spent a little more time at the second waterfall, swimming in the cool mountain water.
I told the guide we’d stop again at the first waterfall because I had to jump. When we got to the spot, I asked Santi to turn on the camera about five times because I was going to jump, but each time I stopped as soon as I saw the height and the rocks below. Seeing how terrified I was, Santi tried to convince me that I didn’t need to do it. But I kept saying, “I have to jump.” He reassured me that no one was forcing me and that I wasn’t obligated to do it. After approaching the edge for the sixth time, we met a young girl who had already jumped many times and told me it wasn’t scary at all. She said that if I was afraid, I should just close my eyes. So I did. I closed my eyes and jumped. Those few seconds of falling felt like an eternity, and once I was underwater, I nervously rushed to the surface. My heart was pounding, and my legs were shaking for a good ten minutes afterward, but I was so happy. I can’t even describe the sense of satisfaction I felt after that jump. Every time I overcome my fear of water, I feel an incredible high and a sense of achievement. It’s like I’ve done something so important for my personal growth: if I’ve already jumped, there aren’t many fears left in life that would stop me from doing anything. I came back to Santi and kept saying, “Did you see me? I jumped… Did you get it on video… How was my dive… Was it okay?” Santi cheered me on, saying I had done great.
Almost an hour and a half had passed by then, and we still had to see the third and largest waterfall, Aling-Aling. We walked there, enjoying the picturesque views along the way.
After admiring the waterfalls, we returned to the car, tired and happy. Overall, the excursion took us about two and a half hours. When we returned, the parking lot was completely packed with vehicles, and many tourists had arrived by noon. So I’d recommend coming early to avoid the crowds and enjoy the water without having to wait in line. The guide’s role was simply to lead us. Our guide didn’t speak English, so he couldn’t tell us much. We tried speaking Indonesian with him, as we’re always curious to hear about the local way of life. In the first part of my story, I mentioned that the southern resorts in Bali get their vegetables and greens from this area. This guy mentioned that a few times a week he wakes up at 3 a.m. to deliver farm produce to the south, returns by noon, and spends the rest of the day and his free days from driving working as a guide at the waterfalls.
Next on our plan was Banyu Wana Amertha Waterfall.
But since we had spent so much more time than expected at the first waterfall and were so positively charged after our time at Aling-Aling, Santi convinced me to head home to avoid the evening traffic jams. But if you have more time, definitely visit Banyu Wana Amertha Waterfall, which is only 22 km from Aling-Aling.
The drive home took five hours, with two of those spent stuck in traffic in Denpasar – "machet gila" (crazy traffic), as they say here.
After our trips, we’re always so inspired that we start planning the next one on the way home. Bali has so many more beautiful places to explore.
A Gift for My Subscribers: Bali Travel Guide
For those who have followed my blog for a while, you might remember a post where I shared about losing interest in blogging and how I convinced myself to come back to it. At the end of that post, I promised to come up with something special just for my subscribers. And I think I’ve got it: based on our travels, I’ll create a short guide that includes our travel itinerary, links to the places we visited, the hotel, recommendations on where to eat along the way, and ticket prices. It will include all the useful information if you decide to explore Bali as we do. I’ll be sending this guide by email exclusively to my subscribers.
As always, I truly appreciate every like and comment you leave. Your feedback keeps me motivated to continue sharing our adventures and experiences!
See you next time,
Olya.
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