NaturePrivate car
Lovina Dolphins, Brahmavihara & Banjar Hot Springs
- Lovina dolphins at dawn
- Brahmavihara monastery
- Banjar hot springs
$100 / personDetails
Lovina, Bali
The north coast's slow town: black sand, calm sea, dolphins at dawn from a fisherman's outrigger, hot springs and a Buddhist monastery in the hills behind.
What is Lovina like, and how do you see the dolphins?
Lovina is a string of fishing villages on a calm black-sand bay near Singaraja, three hours from the south over the mountains. Every morning at first light a fleet of outriggers takes visitors out to the pods of spinner dolphins that feed close to shore; most mornings you see dozens. The rest of the day is quiet — the Banjar hot springs and the Brahmavihara monastery in the hills, a beach with no surf. It's a very early day trip from the south, or a much better overnight.
- RegionNorth Bali · Buleleng coast
- Best forDolphins, hot springs, a slow night away
- From SeminyakAbout 3 hours
- How longA morning; or a night
- Best time06:00 on the water; dry season
- CrowdsBoats at dawn; otherwise quiet
On the ground
Sleepy. Kalibukbuk is the centre — a beach road of guesthouses, warungs and the dolphin statue — and the villages on either side are quieter still. The sea is flat and warm; the sand is dark volcanic grit; the sunsets are over the water, which the south can't offer.
The dolphin trip is a scene: dozens of boats heading out in the half-dark, then a race to wherever the pod surfaces. It's touristy and it's also real — spinner dolphins, sometimes hundreds, close enough to hear.
Behind the coast: Banjar's sulphur pools under trees, Brahmavihara Arama's terraces and small Borobudur, and the road up to Munduk. It's a good base for two nights in the north.
What to see around Lovina
The dolphin trip
06:00 from the beach in an outrigger with a local captain; 1.5 hours. Sightings most mornings.
Banjar hot springs
Three tiers of warm sulphur pools with dragon spouts, 20 minutes into the hills.
Brahmavihara Arama
Bali's largest Buddhist monastery, with gardens, meditation halls and a replica of Borobudur.
Munduk and the lakes
An hour up the mountain — the pretty road home to the south.
Entrance fees are in the price of our set routes; on a car + driver day they are paid at the gate, and your driver tells you the amounts the evening before.
What to do
Set routes that stop at Lovina
1 of our routes passes through.
Or make it a driver day
Lovina plus wherever else you like, at your pace — up to ten hours, priced per car, your route.
Before you go
How long should you stay? One very early morning for the dolphins, or a night — the better plan. Our Lovina route does the day trip with a 03:00 pickup; ask for the overnight version.
Best time to visit. The dry season for calm seas and clear mornings. The dolphins are here year-round.
| Tickets | Dolphin boat per person; small donations at the springs and the monastery |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Boats at 06:00; springs 08:00–18:00 |
| Dress | Swimwear for the springs; a layer for the boat at dawn |
| Walking | Minimal |
| Food | Warungs and seafood on the beach road |
| Toilets | At the springs and the monastery |
| Seasickness | The outriggers are small; tablets if you need them |
Photos
Lovina in photos
Questions
Asked in the car
Are dolphins guaranteed?
No — they're wild. Most mornings yes, some mornings a few, occasionally none. The captains know where the pods feed and go there first.
Is it worth a day trip from the south?
Only if you're happy with a 03:00 start and six hours in the car. A night in Lovina turns it into a rest; we quote both.
What else is there for children?
The springs (warm, shallow pools), the flat sea, and the monastery's gardens. Lovina is one of the gentler stops in Bali.
Nearby, with our photos
Dolphins at dawn
Take the Lovina route, or ask for a two-day driver booking with a night on the north coast.