Lovina is the collective name of a string of resort villages on Bali's northern coast, about 70 mi/120 km north of Denpasar. It offers decent black-sand beaches, good snorkeling offshore, and a variety of restaurants and accommodations. Lovina's noise and nightlife are concentrated in Kalibukbuk, which even at its worst is still much quieter than Kuta.
There are also plenty of nearby attractions. One popular pick is an early-morning dolphin trip. Boats gather in a flotilla offshore just before sunrise waiting for the dolphins to wake up and start leaping out of the water. Other sites include the Banjar hot springs and pretty Gitgit waterfall. The drive to the waterfall passes clove trees and some spectacular scenery and continues to lakes Buyan and Bratan.
An offshore reef keeps the waves at bay, so there's little surfing to speak of in this part of Bali.
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