North Bali Itinerary: Lovina, Singaraja, and Menjangan

Table of Contents

1. Why North Bali Deserves a Spot on Your Itinerary
2. Getting to North Bali
3. Where to Base Yourself
4. Day 1: Drive Up via Bedugul, Lovina Arrival
5. Day 2: Dolphin Watching at Dawn and Singaraja
6. Day 3: Menjangan Island, West Bali National Park
7. Additional North Bali Highlights to Add On
8. Budget Breakdown
9. Best Time to Go

Most tourists who visit Bali never leave the south. Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud, Uluwatu — the circuit is well-worn and easy, and there's nothing wrong with it. But north Bali is a genuinely different island. The landscape shifts from terraced rice paddies and surf breaks to black sand fishing beaches, volcanic mountains dropping straight to the sea, and a quieter, older Bali that hasn't been redesigned around tourist expectations.

I've taken countless visitors up to the north over the years, and the reaction is almost always the same: surprise at how different it feels, regret that they only allocated three days. This guide covers the three-day circuit I recommend most — Lovina, Singaraja, and Menjangan Island — plus the additional stops worth adding if you have more time.

Why North Bali Deserves a Spot on Your Itinerary

A few specific reasons the north is worth the drive:

• Dramatically fewer tourists. At most of the spots covered in this guide, you will be among very few — sometimes the only — Western tourists. This changes the experience fundamentally. Locals interact with you differently when you're not part of a tour bus convoy. Prices at warungs reflect what Balinese people actually pay, not a tourist premium. The atmosphere is relaxed rather than performative.
• Menjangan Island is one of the best dive sites in Southeast Asia — not a regional superlative but a genuine one. The wall diving, visibility, and marine diversity rival Komodo or the Gilis but with a fraction of the crowds. It is accessible as a day trip from Lovina or from the small conservation village of Pemuteran nearby.
• Singaraja's history is genuinely interesting and rarely explored by tourists. Singaraja was the colonial capital of Dutch Bali — not Denpasar. The Chinese trading community, the old mosques, the colonial warehouses along the harbor, and the Gedong Kirtya palm-leaf manuscript library represent a layer of Balinese history that most tourists never encounter.
• Prices are 20–40% lower than equivalent accommodation and food in Seminyak or Ubud. A comfortable guesthouse room in Lovina costs what a hostel dorm costs in Canggu.
• The landscape is different. North Bali faces the Java Sea, not the Indian Ocean — the sea is calm and protected from the south swells that create Bali's famous surf. The mountains here drop more steeply to the coast. The vegetation is more arid in places (the north receives less rainfall than the south). Black sand beaches, fishing outriggers, morning mist on the mountains — it is visually distinctive from south Bali in a way photographs don't fully capture.

Getting to North Bali

There is no practical public transport option from the tourist south to Lovina. The options are:

Private car with driver (recommended)

This is how most tourists get to north Bali, and for good reason. A car with driver costs IDR 500,000–700,000 per day, which includes the driver's time and typically a reasonable daily kilometer allowance (confirm this before booking — usually 300km). For a day trip from Seminyak to Lovina and back, the distance is around 220–260km depending on route, which fits within the standard allowance.

Organize through your hotel or guesthouse (the easiest option), through apps like GetBali or InDriver, or through a driver recommended by other travelers. Agree on the day's itinerary and any stops you want to make before departing — this avoids awkward negotiations mid-route.

The Bedugul highland route (take this one)

There are two main routes from south Bali to Lovina: the coastal road (faster in theory) and the mountain route through Bedugul. Take the mountain route. It passes through Bedugul at 1,400m elevation (cooler, misty, a complete change from beach Bali), Lake Beratan with the famous Pura Ulun Danu Beratan floating temple, the Gitgit waterfall, and stunning mountain scenery. The extra time is worth it, and the stops along the way are genuine highlights rather than tourist traps.

Drive time from Seminyak via Bedugul: 2.5–3 hours without stops, 4–5 hours with stops (recommended).

Scooter (for experienced riders only)

Riding a scooter to north Bali is possible and some confident riders enjoy the journey. But I would not recommend it casually. The Bedugul mountain road has steep climbs, sharp curves, and trucks that take the corners wide. The total distance one way is 90–110km, which is a solid 3–3.5 hours on a scooter. And you will be riding back. If you're a genuinely experienced rider and physically comfortable with long distances, it's doable — but read our guide on renting scooters in Bali first and make sure your travel insurance covers it.

What not to do

There is technically a public bus option: Denpasar (Ubung terminal) then a connecting bus to Singaraja, then local transport to Lovina. This takes 4–5+ hours, requires multiple connections, and is genuinely unpleasant with luggage. Unless you're traveling on an extreme budget with a backpack and unlimited time, don't do it this way.

Where to Base Yourself in North Bali

Lovina

The main tourist hub for north Bali. Lovina is actually a collective name for seven small villages strung along about 8km of black sand coastline — Kalibukbuk is the central hub with the highest density of accommodation, restaurants, and travel agents. The sea here is calm (perfect for the dolphin boats), there are no significant waves, and the pace is genuinely slow.

Lovina is not glamorous. It peaked as a backpacker destination in the 1990s and the infrastructure reflects that era. But it is comfortable, affordable, and genuinely friendly. The accommodation range runs from IDR 150,000/night ($9) basic guesthouses to IDR 800,000–2,000,000 ($50–123) for private villas with pools.

Singaraja

The capital of Buleleng regency, 30 minutes east of Lovina. A real Balinese city — government buildings, markets, Chinese temples, mosques — not a tourist village. Better for experiencing everyday north Bali life than Lovina, but with fewer tourist amenities. Worth visiting as a day trip from Lovina rather than basing yourself here unless you specifically want a non-touristy urban experience.

Pemuteran

A small conservation-focused village 45 minutes west of Lovina, near the entrance to West Bali National Park. This is the best base for Menjangan Island diving — significantly closer to Pemuteran than to Lovina. Pemuteran has a world-famous coral reef restoration project (Reef Gardeners), excellent small dive operations, and a handful of eco-resorts. It feels more remote and purposeful than Lovina — good for divers and eco-travelers, but not much else beyond the marine activities.

Day 1: Drive Up via Bedugul, Lovina Arrival

Depart by 7am from Seminyak — you want to beat the worst of Denpasar's traffic (which builds quickly after 7:30am) and arrive at your first stop by 9am or earlier.

Stop 1: Kebun Raya Eka Karya (Bali Botanical Garden) — Bedugul

The largest botanical garden in Indonesia at 157 hectares, sitting at 1,400m elevation in the mountains above Lake Beratan. The temperature here is 18–22°C — bring a light layer if you're temperature-sensitive. The garden is extensive enough to wander for 2 hours without seeing everything. Entry: IDR 30,000. Worth it for the cool mountain air alone after the heat of south Bali, and genuinely impressive in scale. Allow 1–2 hours.

Stop 2: Pura Ulun Danu Beratan — Lake Beratan

One of Bali's most photographed temples: a multi-tiered Hindu shrine that appears to float on the surface of Lake Beratan, with the volcanic crater rim behind it. The photographs you've seen of this temple are real — it is genuinely striking in person, especially in the morning mist. Entry: IDR 50,000. Aim to arrive before 9am. By 10am, tour groups arrive in volume and the atmosphere shifts considerably. Allow 1 hour.

The lake itself is sacred — dedicated to Dewi Danu, goddess of water and fertility. The surrounding agricultural communities depend on the lake's water for irrigation, which is why the temple here is so important in Balinese Hinduism.

Stop 3: Gitgit Waterfall

An easy 500m walk from the parking area leads to a 40-meter waterfall set in lush jungle. Entry: IDR 15,000. There will be vendors along the path — they're persistent but polite; a firm "no thank you" suffices. The waterfall itself is worth the short walk. Allow 45 minutes. There are several other waterfalls in the Gitgit area (some operators run tours to the multi-tier falls further up the hill) — if waterfall-chasing is your thing, you can spend an additional hour or two here.

Lunch in Gitgit or Singaraja

Roadside corn — jagung bakar (grilled corn with butter and spiced salt) — is sold at vendors all along the Bedugul-Singaraja road. Worth stopping for, IDR 5,000–10,000 per cob. For a proper lunch, continue toward Singaraja and stop at a warung near the outskirts of town.

Afternoon: Check into Lovina

Arrive in Lovina mid-afternoon, check in, and rest. Walk the beach at sunset — Lovina faces west, which means the sunset over the Java Sea is genuinely good. The beach promenade along Kalibukbuk has a relaxed evening atmosphere: local kids swimming, fishing boats returning, warungs setting up for dinner.

Dinner

Seafood at one of the beach restaurants along the Lovina waterfront. Fresh fish grilled with sambal and served with rice: IDR 30,000–60,000 per person. Order by weight at the fish display — point to what you want, agree on the price before they cook it. The quality is genuinely good; the freshness is real.

Day 2: Dolphin Watching at Dawn and Singaraja

5:00am — Wake up

Not negotiable if you want the dolphins. The spinner dolphins that feed in the waters off Lovina at night return to deeper water as the sun rises and the temperature increases. By 8:30–9am, they're gone. The window is 6–8am, with the best activity typically around 6–7am.

5:30am — Meet your boat at the beach

Organize your dolphin boat the evening before — any hotel, guesthouse, or travel agent in Lovina can arrange it. Boats depart in groups around 5:45am from the Kalibukbuk beach area. Book the night before rather than showing up at the beach at dawn hoping to find a spare seat.

Pricing:

• Shared boat: IDR 100,000–200,000 per person
• Private boat: IDR 300,000–500,000 for the boat (better if you want to move more freely)

The dolphins: primarily spinner dolphins in pods of 20–100+. They are wild and not fed. Their presence at Lovina is genuine — they are attracted by the fish in these waters, not by boats or handlers. Some mornings you see hundreds of dolphins, other mornings a smaller group. The operators go out regardless, and most days the dolphins are there. I have seen guests return slightly underwhelmed (smaller pod than expected) and others absolutely stunned (1000+ dolphins in a feeding frenzy). That variability is the nature of wildlife encounters.

Choosing a good operator: the right operator won't aggressively chase or cut off the dolphin pods. Some boats do this, which is bad for the dolphins and actually produces worse encounters because the pods scatter. Ask your guesthouse to recommend operators who respect the dolphins — the experienced ones know which boats have good reputations. Duration: approximately 1.5–2 hours at sea, back before 8am.

Breakfast and morning

Back to your guesthouse for breakfast. The Lovina morning market (near the central junction in Kalibukbuk) is active from around 5am to 8am — worth a walk through if you're up and about before breakfast. Local produce, spices, prepared foods, and the general atmosphere of a Balinese market that exists for local people rather than tourists.

Morning: Drive to Singaraja (30 minutes east)

Gedong Kirtya Library

The oldest and most significant lontar (palm-leaf manuscript) library in Indonesia. Lontar manuscripts are texts inscribed onto dried palm leaves using a stylus — the traditional recording medium of Balinese literature, religious texts, medicine, and history. The Gedong Kirtya collection runs to thousands of texts, some going back several hundred years. Admission is free or by small donation. The staff are knowledgeable — if you ask, some of the older curators can read and translate sections of the Kawi (Old Javanese) script. This is a genuinely rare experience and one that most tourists drive past without knowing it exists.

Chinese temples of Gang Merte

Singaraja had a significant Chinese merchant community through the Dutch colonial period and the Qing-dynasty immigration wave of the 19th century. The old clan temples in the Gang Merte area — clan names visible above the gates — are active religious sites with the incense, red lanterns, and Chinese-Balinese architectural hybrid you'd find in Penang or Semarang more than in typical Bali. A quiet and genuine cultural experience.

Dutch colonial architecture along the harbor

Walk the harbor road (Jalan Veteran and surrounding streets) and you'll find colonial-era warehouses, administrative buildings, and a general sense of the port town that once served as the Dutch administrative center for Bali. Much of it is in varying states of upkeep but the bones of the colonial infrastructure are visible. The old harbor itself retains a working character.

Pura Meduwe Karang (15km east of Singaraja)

If you only visit one temple in north Bali, make it this one. Located in the village of Kubutambahan, about 15km east of Singaraja along the coastal road. The temple is dedicated to Meduwe Karang ("he who owns the land"), a deity protecting dryland agriculture — appropriate for this drier north coast. What makes the temple remarkable is its outer wall: an extraordinary series of bas-relief carvings depicting figures from Balinese epics, animals, and — famously — a carving of a man on a bicycle with lotus-flower wheels. The cyclist is believed to be W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, a Dutch artist who toured Bali by bicycle around 1904 and was apparently considered remarkable enough to be immortalized in stone. Entry: IDR 20,000. Allow 45 minutes.

Lunch in Singaraja

Eat at a warung near the Singaraja market. Nasi campur — rice with small portions of various dishes — is the standard lunch and costs IDR 15,000–25,000. The north Balinese cooking style uses more vegetables and less coconut milk than south Balinese food. Distinctly different.

Afternoon: Return to Lovina

Back in Lovina by 3pm. Options:

• Snorkeling off Lovina — local operators run snorkeling trips to the reef offshore for IDR 100,000–200,000 including gear. The reef is modest compared to Menjangan but perfectly good for a relaxed afternoon.
• Banjar Hot Springs — 15 minutes from central Lovina (covered below in the add-on section). Good for an afternoon if you want something low-key.
• Rest and pool time — a legitimate option before Menjangan tomorrow.

Evening

Sunset walk along the Lovina beach promenade. The light on the mountain backdrop from the west is good. The fishing fleet goes out around sunset — traditional wooden outriggers (jukung) with colored flags heading out to fish overnight. Dinner at one of the beachfront restaurants again, or try one of the small local warungs set back from the beach for a more local experience.

Day 3: Menjangan Island, West Bali National Park

7:00am — Depart Lovina

Drive 45 minutes west to Pemuteran. Start early to maximize your time on the island — the boat trip to Menjangan takes about 30 minutes from Pemuteran harbor, and you want to be in the water before late morning when conditions can sometimes become less ideal.

Organizing your Menjangan day trip at Pemuteran

You can organize in advance (recommended in peak season July–August) or on arrival. Operators in Pemuteran:

• Reef Seen Aquatics — one of the most reputable and conservation-focused dive operations in north Bali. They run the Reef Gardeners biorock project and have been operating at Menjangan for decades.
• Menjangan Resort dive center — on-site at Menjangan Resort, access to the island is also possible through here.
• Local boat operators from Pemuteran harbor — cheaper, less organized. Fine for experienced divers who just need the boat and can handle their own dive planning.

Costs for Menjangan

There are several separate fees involved, which catches some visitors off guard:

• National park entry permit: approximately IDR 300,000 for foreign nationals (confirm current rate — it changes)
• Boat levy for national park waters: approximately IDR 100,000
• Boat transfer to island (return): IDR 300,000–500,000 per person depending on operator and whether private or shared
• Dive equipment rental (full set): IDR 200,000–400,000
• Dive guide (required inside the national park): IDR 200,000–400,000 per group
• Snorkel gear rental: IDR 50,000–150,000

Total for a full day of two dives with a reputable operator: IDR 1,000,000–1,500,000 (~$62–92) per person. For snorkelers with a shared boat: IDR 600,000–900,000 (~$37–55) per person including all fees.

Menjangan for divers

Menjangan Island is serious about its reputation as one of Southeast Asia's best dive sites, and the conditions justify it. Visibility runs 15–40m on good days — the kind of visibility where you can see the top of a wall and the bottom simultaneously. The walls themselves drop 60–70m: dramatic, dramatic diving.

Best dive sites at Menjangan:

• Pos 2 — the classic wall dive. Dense gorgonian sea fans, abundant reef fish, strong current sections that make for exciting drift diving on the right tide. Watch for the resident bumphead parrotfish school.
• Bat Cave — an underwater cave system accessible to trained cave divers, and excellent wall diving outside for open-water divers. Named for the bats that roost in the sea cave above the waterline.
• Coral Garden — shallower site (8–18m), excellent for beginners. Outstanding hard and soft coral diversity. Good for a second dive when you want to slow down and look at macro life.
• Anchor Wreck — a small wreck site with encrusted anchors and mooring chains now serving as artificial reef. Schools of snapper and batfish are permanent residents.
• Eel Garden — named for the garden eels in the sandy slope, but the surrounding reef is excellent. White-tip reef sharks are regular visitors here.

Marine life you can expect to see: green and hawksbill turtles (very reliable), white-tip reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks (occasional), Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, schooling jacks and barracuda, abundant pygmy seahorses on gorgonians if you look carefully, nudibranchs of many species. Hammerhead sharks are occasionally reported but not a reliable sighting.

The site is suitable for all certification levels. Beginners can dive Coral Garden and several other shallower sites; advanced and deep-certified divers can explore the deeper wall sections. Your dive guide will match the site selection to your certification and experience.

Menjangan for snorkelers

Menjangan has excellent snorkeling directly off the boat in the shallows along the wall sections. The coral begins at the surface and the water clarity is good enough to see the coral structures at 10–15m from the surface. You won't see the wall diving but the reef itself — turtles included — is very accessible for snorkelers. The calm, protected waters mean it's suitable for all swimming levels.

Pemuteran Biorock Project

Before or after Menjangan, spend 30 minutes at the biorock coral reef restoration site in Pemuteran bay. The biorock technology uses a low-voltage electrical current passed through metal frames on the seabed to accelerate coral growth — the current causes limestone (calcium carbonate) to precipitate from the seawater onto the frame, creating a substrate that corals grow on 3–5 times faster than normal. The result is an underwater landscape that is part art installation, part functioning reef ecosystem. The structures are mostly at 2–5m depth — excellent for snorkeling. It's a remarkable thing to see: coral-encrusted frames shaped like boats, arches, and abstract forms, all teeming with fish. The Reef Gardeners community who maintain this project have been doing so since 2000 — one of the longest-running biorock projects in the world.

Drive back to south Bali or stay north

If returning south the same day, leave Pemuteran by 3pm to arrive in Seminyak by 7–8pm (assuming normal traffic on the mountain road). If you can stay another night in Lovina or Pemuteran, the extra time allows for a more relaxed Menjangan day and an evening visit to one of the additional highlights below.

Additional North Bali Highlights to Add On

If you have more than three days, these are the spots worth adding:

Munduk

A highland village at 900m altitude, about 45 minutes south of Bedugul and 45 minutes from Lovina via the mountain road. The area is cooler than the coast (18–22°C), set in a landscape of spice plantations, coffee, cacao, and vanilla. The walks here are genuinely beautiful: narrow trails through plantations, past rice paddies, to several waterfalls within easy distance of the village. Munduk waterfall and Melanting waterfall are both accessible from the village in under an hour each. Several excellent homestays run by local families offer accommodation for IDR 200,000–400,000/night. If you want an alternative to Lovina as a base for part of your north Bali stay, Munduk is a much quieter and more scenically lush option.

Banjar Hot Springs (Air Panas Banjar)

Natural hot springs in a tropical garden setting, about 15 minutes from central Lovina. Mineral-rich water at 38–40°C fills two pools of different temperatures, with stone carved dragon sculptures as inlets. Entry: IDR 15,000. Open daily 8am–6pm. Get there early or late — midday can be crowded with local families on weekends. The surrounding garden is beautiful and the springs are genuinely relaxing after a day of exploring. Bring a towel and a change of clothes.

Pura Pulaki

A Balinese Hindu temple built directly against an ocean cliff face, about 20 minutes west of central Lovina on the coastal road to Pemuteran. The setting is dramatic — waves on one side, cliff face on the other. The temple is also home to a population of grey macaques (monkeys) who are considered sacred here and are decidedly comfortable around visitors. Secure any food, sunglasses, or small items before entering — the monkeys will take them. Dress appropriately (sarong and sash required; available at the entrance for a small rental fee). Allow 30–45 minutes.

Sekumpul Waterfall

Often described as the most beautiful waterfall in Bali, and the description is not overblown. Located near the village of Sekumpul, about 45 minutes south of Singaraja. The falls consist of multiple cascades dropping into a deep gorge surrounded by dense jungle — the visual is genuinely spectacular and completely different from the more accessible Gitgit falls on the main road. The hike in is 45 minutes each way on a path that descends steeply into the gorge and requires some scrambling — slippery when wet, which it often is from mist from the falls themselves. Entry: IDR 20,000. Hire a local guide at the trailhead — IDR 50,000–100,000 for the group. The trail is easier with a guide and some of them have excellent English and can explain the local area. Go early — by 11am the mist burns off and the light is less atmospheric.

Budget Breakdown

Expense	Budget	Mid-Range
Accommodation (per night, per person)	IDR 200,000 (~$12)	IDR 600,000 (~$37)
Breakfast	IDR 20,000 (~$1.25)	IDR 60,000 (~$3.75)
Lunch	IDR 25,000 (~$1.50)	IDR 80,000 (~$5)
Dinner	IDR 40,000 (~$2.50)	IDR 150,000 (~$9)
Dolphin boat tour	IDR 100,000 (~$6) shared	IDR 400,000 (~$25) private
Temple entries (per day)	IDR 50,000–100,000 (~$3–6)	IDR 100,000–200,000 (~$6–12)
Menjangan day trip (all fees incl.)	IDR 700,000 (~$43) snorkeling	IDR 1,200,000 (~$75) diving
Car + driver (per day)	IDR 500,000 (~$31) shared	IDR 700,000 (~$43) private
Banjar Hot Springs entry	IDR 15,000 (~$0.93)	IDR 15,000 (~$0.93)
Sekumpul guide fee	IDR 50,000 (~$3)	IDR 100,000 (~$6)

Rough total for the 3-day itinerary (per person):

• Budget traveler (shared car, budget accommodation, warungs, snorkeling at Menjangan): IDR 1,800,000–2,500,000 (~$110–155) total for 3 days
• Mid-range traveler (private car, comfortable accommodation, restaurant meals, diving at Menjangan): IDR 4,000,000–6,000,000 (~$245–370) total for 3 days

These figures are per person based on solo travel. Shared costs (car, private dolphin boat) are significantly lower per person if you're traveling with a partner or a small group.

Best Time to Go

Dry season (April–October) is the best time for north Bali, and specifically for Menjangan Island. Visibility at Menjangan is highest in the dry season — often 25–40m — making it one of the best periods for wall diving. The dolphin watching season at Lovina runs year-round, but calm seas (common in dry season) produce better early morning conditions for the boat trips. Temple walks and waterfall hikes are more pleasant without the risk of afternoon rain.

Wet season (November–March) is less ideal for north Bali than for south Bali, and the specific risks are relevant here. The mountain road through Bedugul can become hazardous in heavy rain — reduced visibility, slippery curves, and occasional debris on the road. Menjangan visibility drops significantly in the wet season (often 10–15m or less, compared to 25–40m in dry season). Waterfall trails like Sekumpul become significantly more slippery and occasionally close. The weather in north Bali is actually slightly drier than the south even in wet season, and mornings are often clear — but the risks above are real enough to affect planning.

July and August are peak season for Bali broadly, and Menjangan in particular sees higher visitor numbers in these months. Pemuteran accommodation — which is limited in supply — books out early. If you're traveling in July–August and want to stay in Pemuteran for a Menjangan dive trip, book your accommodation 3–4 weeks in advance. Lovina has enough accommodation supply that this is less of an issue, but good guesthouses at good prices still fill up in peak season.

If you're integrating north Bali into a broader Bali trip, check out our one-week Bali itinerary for how to sequence south and north Bali efficiently. And make sure your travel insurance covers water sports and scooter riding before you head out to explore.

---

North Bali rewards visitors who make the effort to get there. It is not as polished as the south, the roads are sometimes rougher, and the creature comforts are fewer. But the dolphin pods at dawn, the empty temple courtyards, the visibility at Menjangan dropping away below you into deep blue water — these are the Bali experiences that people talk about years later. Allocate at least three days, take the mountain route, and don't skip Singaraja. There's more history there than most of south Bali has seen in decades.