Let’s face it. Beach. This one, five letters word is the crux of many people’s experiences during their Bali vacation. Just as well and deservingly so, since Bali is widely recognized as the home to many of the most beautiful and well-known beaches in the world. Kuta, Legian, Sanur, or Jimbaran are household names that are familiar with Bali aficionados or even those with just a passing interest in fun Bali vacation. Everyone knows about them already!

Well, here’s something new for you Bali beach lovers: Lovina Beach. Not less wonderful, not less beautiful, and ten times more enchanting! (as some would say)

Lovina beach stretches all the way on the northwestern side of the island, and surrounded by many small establishments/villages such as Pemaron, Kalibukbuk, Temukus, and more. The fact that is not as high profile as its brethrens on the southern part of Bali is a blessing itself: the overall atmosphere is so much quieter, so much more tranquil, and so much better if you want to relax all your wary mind and body (and if you are staying at Gino Feruci Villa Lovina Bali—it will open on April 2012—you can enjoy a section of the beach in a private environment.)

So, aside from generally quieter atmosphere, serene ambience, great view, and the lull of enchantingly melodic sound of waves crashing on to the beach (hey, that is already an impressive list, don’t you agree?), what more can you enjoy on Lovina beach?

The most famous excursion that you can do here is Dolphin sightseeing tours. You know, the cute and friendly sea mammals that have become the stars of many Hollywood movies and the center of many animal entertainment shows. You can see them happily scurrying around near your boats and some will even let you touch them! Now, if that is not good entertainment, we do not know what is. Typically the best period to see Dolphins is between May and September, although of course you may get lucky in other periods too. And for good measure, you can also enjoy other fun activities such as parasailings, jetski, and various other water-sports as well.

When talking about Bali, what is the first image that appears in your mind? Long stretches of white sandy beach with lulling sound of waves that come and go as they please? The beautiful vistas where ancient looking temples are decorated with crimson-red evening sky at the background?

Or maybe exotic looking women conducting unique dances or art performances?

What about lakes? We bet that does not cross your mind, right? Well, Bali is the home for many beautiful lakes that you should spare some time to visit. The picturesque Buyan Lake is one of them.

This lake is not as famous as others of its kin (such as Beratan Lake, the home of the well-known Pura Ulun Danu), but it is most certainly not less beautiful and enchanting. Buyan Lake is located in a high area enclosed by Beratan Lake in the east and Tamblingan Lake in the west. Geographically, this lake is situated approximately 1000 meters above sea level, making the air and atmosphere on and around it very refreshing and invigorating, especially if you are particularly tired by the hustle and bustle of the usual city landscapes.

Moreover, its beauty and natural charms are still relatively untouched by human influence, making it one of the finest examples of the Bali’s “natural” wonder. Sure, there are fishermen that occasionally wander on the lake, but even then they are using small, non motorized boats (or “perahu”)—in fact, instead of giving a negative impact, we think their presence actually adds to the overall atmosphere of the lake.

Located around 21 kilometers south of Singaraja, you do not have to worry about accessing the lake. Large parking area is available, and it is located not far from the main road that connects Denpasar and Singaraja, so it should be easily accessible even when using four-wheeled vehicles.

Just do not forget to bring your camera!

As promised yesterday, this post will deal with the first subject of our “Introducing you to Lovina Bali” scheme: the Singsing Waterfall. It is located at Banjar Labuhan Haji in Buleleng, Bali.

Now, we suppose that no one would object when we say that Singsing is an interesting name. Unfortunately, although it would be undoubtedly really amazing otherwise, the name does not mean that the waterfall can sing or that it can produce harmonious melodies like a song. However, Singsing Waterfall is still a pretty amazing place nonetheless, and it would do you good to visit it during your trip to Lovina.

In terms of size and the general sense of scale, the Singsing Waterfall does not really stand out. It is actually pretty low-key and humble, but that is just part of the overall charm—you just cannot help but to appreciate it and feel its irresistible allure that tempts you to delve into your swimming gear and jump in. In fact, seeing that everyone need to trek a bit to reach the waterfall in the first place, so not a lot of people can resist the temptation to refresh themselves with a good dip inside the waterfall’s pool—so be sure to bring spare change of clothes! (and mind the fact that the water can be f-f-f-f-f-reeezing!)

There are actually two set of waterfalls in Singsing: one is about few hundred meters from the nearest village establishment and for the other one you need to go a bit deeper inside. In both of them you can swim around although the pool on the second waterfall is deeper so you have more leeway to dip and playing around.

“But wait,” some might say, “We have to trek to go there?” Well yes, but really, these are the kind of views that you can enjoy when you are trying to get to the waterfall:

Even if you are not particularly fond of trekking, we recommend that you try it anyways. It is good to move your body every once in a while and dipping inside a refreshing pool of waterfall after working a bit of a sweat is just not something you can do in typical circumstances.

During summer time (in Bali, generally this refer to the period of May-September), the volume of the waterfall may be reduced a little bit, although the trade-off is that it would be easier to walk around. Do not worry though; you can still take a dip inside its pool if you are so inclined.

How to get there? Generally the most logical route is to go to the Tigawarsa Village using two-wheeled vehicles and then proceed to walk from there following the already laid out direction signs.

Singsing Waterfall is but just a small taste of what Lovina can offer to you. Look forward to discover more in this blog!