Is Lovina worth visiting? An honest look at North Bali vs the south

Most visitors to Bali never cross the mountains. They land, head to Canggu, Seminyak or Uluwatu, and fly home. So it is a fair question: is Lovina worth visiting, or is the long drive north just a detour? We have villas in both, so here is an honest answer, including the parts the brochures skip.

What the north does better

Space and quiet. North Bali has a fraction of the visitors of the south. Roads are calmer, beaches are almost empty on weekdays, and you hear roosters and gamelan practice rather than scooters. For couples, honeymooners and anyone burnt out from the south, this alone answers the question.

Nature on your doorstep. Within an hour you have Bali's most spectacular waterfall at Sekumpul, the crater lakes and temples of the highlands, hot springs and the reefs of Menjangan. In the south, the same trips are long day trips with heavy traffic. See the best waterfalls near Lovina and our Munduk day trip.

A calmer sea. The north coast faces the Bali Sea, not the Indian Ocean. There is little surf, the water is usually flat, and you can swim and snorkel straight from the beach. The reef at Menjangan is the best in Bali.

Local life and value. Lovina is still a working fishing town. Meals in warungs, drivers and activities generally cost less than in Canggu or Uluwatu.

Light and rhythm. Because the coast faces north, you get both ends of the day over the water: sunrise behind the dolphin boats and sunset over the sea to the west. Days start early, dinner is at seven, and by ten the town is asleep. After a few days most people find they love it.

What the south does better

Being honest also means saying what Lovina is not.

• Beaches: the sand in Lovina is black and volcanic. Lovely to walk, but if you dream of white sand coves, Uluwatu's beaches are in another league.
• Surf: almost none in the north. Surfers belong in Uluwatu or Pererenan.
• Food and nightlife: Lovina has good warungs and a few excellent restaurants, but no beach clubs, cocktail bars or late nights. Canggu has hundreds of cafés.
• Wellness and coworking: yoga studios, gyms and coworking spaces are concentrated in the south.
• Travel time: Lovina is around three hours from the airport over the mountains, against 45 to 50 minutes for Pererenan or Uluwatu.

Is Lovina worth visiting? Who it suits

Lovina is worth visiting if you want rest, nature and real Balinese life more than nightlife and shopping. It suits couples on honeymoon, slow travellers, families with young children who like calm water, divers and snorkellers, and anyone who has done the south before and wants another side of the island.

It suits you less if this is a short first trip of four or five days, if you want to surf, or if eating out at a different trendy café every night is part of the holiday.

The weather is another quiet advantage. The north sits in the rain shadow of the mountains and is generally a little drier than the hills around Ubud, while the highlands above Lovina stay cool and green. Even in the wet season, mornings on the coast are often bright.

The best answer: do both

For most people the ideal is not north or south, but north and south. Spend three or four nights in the south for beaches, surf and restaurants, then cross the mountains for four nights of slowness. Or reverse it and end on a white sand beach. Our 10 day Bali itinerary from Uluwatu to Lovina lays out exactly that route.

That is why we built Baliwood in three places. Baliwood Nyang Nyang sits near the cliffs and surf of Uluwatu, Baliwood Pererenan is minutes from the beach and cafés of Canggu, and Baliwood Lovina looks over the green hills to the Bali Sea, with an infinity pool that turns gold at sunset. Still unsure where to base yourself? Our guide to where to stay in Bali compares all three areas.

So, is Lovina worth visiting? If you give it at least three nights and come for what it is, a slow, green and quiet corner of Bali, our answer is yes. For a full week of ideas, start with things to do in Lovina.