Lovina Beach

Lovina Beach

Not as widely visited as south Bali, north Bali has a distinct and unique character of its own. Lovina, a sparsely populated stretch of pristine black sand beach, has become the destination of choice for tourists wishing to escape the Bali's busy south. Lovina Beach is home to quaint hotels, secluded resorts and vacation villas all built on or near the beach. Visitors to north Bali will discover that the region offers a much more rewarding vacation experience than the cookie cutter package tours found in south Bali.

Here are five facts that you probably don't know about Lovina:

1. The name "Lovina" is a relatively recent development started by a forward thinking government official in the 1950's. Lovina is essentially the name given to a 10 kilometre stretch of beach located west of Bali's historic capital Singaraja. This area was once made up of seven tiny fishing villages: Temukus, Kalibukbuk, Anturan, Pemaron, Tukad Mungga, Banyualit and Kaliasem, which have combined to form the resort town of Lovina. Kalibukbuk is the most built up area, and can be considered the main hub of Lovina.

2. Unlike the south of Bali, the beach at Lovina is comprised of black sand. Whereas white-sand beaches are created out of the remnants of corals and dead sea-crustaceans, black sand beaches originate from volcanic lava flows.

3. An ornate dolphin sculpture in Lovina's town centre and the abundance of carved dolphin figurines for sale is a clear indication of the area's affinity for dolphins. The calm waters off the Lovina's coast are home to many dolphin pods. The friendly mammals love frolicking around passing boats, making dolphin sighting one of the most popular tourist attractions in Lovina.

4. Lovina lies a few kilometres west of the city of Singaraja, the Dutch colonial seat of power in Bali. Always worth a visit for anyone staying in Lovina, Singaraja retains the look and feel of an old Dutch colonial city. Singaraja also holds the distinction of being Bali's most multi ethnic city, with clear European, Arab and Chinese influences - testament to the city's importance as a major trading hub in days of yore.

5. Lovina is cheaper than the rest of Bali! This should come as welcome news to budget travellers as it allows them to get the quintessential Bali experience without having to stay in the ever increasingly expensive south. Hotels, meals and the cost of living in general are lower in Lovina.