Indonesia has emerged as a popular tourist destination over the years. Had it not been for Bali, Indonesia would never have been able to establish its dominance as Asia’s foremost tourist spot. There was a time when Asians would flock to Western tourist spots. Today, the scene is different. Westerners come to Indonesia and spend weeks (and sometimes months) over the island. A few years back, Bali was an island of temples, monuments, paddy, and coconut groves. Thanks to rapid development on the tourism front, restaurants, villas and shopping complex have started surfacing in almost every part of Bali. The beaches of Bali have been developed keeping in mind the safety and comfort of visiting travelers. Bali is beautiful from all corners. It would be wrong to say that one part of Bali is better than the other. It all depends on your taste. The 9 km long beach near Singaraja, for example, draws tourists from all over. Originally called the Kawasan Wisata Kalibukbuk, the Lovina beach is popularly known as the Kawasan Wisata Lovina among the Bali people. It is to be mentioned here that Singaraja was once the official capital of Bali.
Lovina lies in the northern part of Bali. This part of Bali is quite opposite in its overall look as compared to the southern coast. Lovina is not for the party animals. Here, you will not be able to jostle for space inside a discotheque. Nor will you be partying all night on the beach. Lovina is a peaceful beach. That is why families and honeymoon couples frequent this place. Lovina is not a single beach; it comprises a number of villages along the northern coast of Bali. Lovina offers beautiful views of the Indian Ocean. Here you will not find the honks of traffic. The air is clean and soothing. The beautiful view of mountains on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other is hard to resist. Small scale tourism is gaining momentum in Kawasan Wisata Lovina. As a result, beach side hotels, villas and restaurants are slowly appearing out of nowhere. You can do a number of things staying at Kawasan Wisata Lovina. Thanks to the rich Indian Ocean, fishing is a never ending activity in Lovina. Lying on the beach, you can see fishermen catching fish day in and out using their traditional boats. Interestingly, these boats are rowed manually.
Kawasan Wisata Lovina has beautiful coral reefs. As a result, activities like scuba diving and snorkeling have become popular in this part of Bali. You can even take a boat, and try your luck catching fish, and later cooking it for a sumptuous dinner with wine. The villages near the Lovina beach are mostly untouched by modernization. Rice paddies are everywhere in and around Lovina. Villagers use bicycles to commute. You will also come across people making handicrafts out of bamboo shoots. Kawasan Wisata Lovina has some world class hotels too. Though these hotels are expensive, the services they offer are excellent.
