Highlights of the Lovina tour

In the north of Bali and in the surrounding area of Lovina you can make several trips, this trip is called the Lovina tour, there are day trips (IDR 600,000) but also a trip for a morning (IDR 300,000) and one can combine all the options mentioned below, but the must be logical because of the distance, you can discuss the different options with the driver.

The Holy hot springs or “Air Panas Banjar”

In the village Banjar, a 20 minutes drive from Kalibukbuk, there are the hot springs, they are located in the middle of a flowered garden and it is a nice place to relax. The volcanic spring water is 37 degrees Celsius. The sulphurous, the healing for rheumatic disorders and skin complaints. Also if you are healthy of body and soul this is a good place to be. The healing water throws herself out of the mouths of eight stone naga (mythical creatures) in the first bath. From there, it flows to a second bath to three meters high as a massage jet to come down in the third bath. There is a small entrance fee of IDR 20.000
There are changing cabins and showers and there are lockers available. The water is nice and warm. Make sure that you do not have new swimwear, the water of the hot spring contains particles which can colour the swimsuit a little orange. (Don’t go there in the weekend because then it will be very busy with local people, unless you like that off course).
There is also a restaurant where you can have a drink and something to eat.

Brahma Vihara Ashmarama, Buddha Temple

Not far from the hot spring is the largest Buddhist temple in Bali. In Bali they call it the “Brahma Vihara Ashmarama”, it was built in 1969 and it is located in the hills of the village of Tegehe, (Banjar area) about 25 minutes from Kalibukbuk. From the temple there is a beautiful view over coastal strip of Lovina. The temple is built according to Balinese architecture but by the many statues and details it is really a Buddha Temple.
Recently, the renovation has been completed and there are new statues and temples. In the back of the complex is the small version of the Borobudur, where the real one is located in Yogyakarta (Java) and is used as a meditation room. Because of this renovation there is a small entrance fee of IDR 20.000, the sarong which is available free of charge, you must never enter a temple in shorts or with bare legs or bare shoulders, (this applies to all Balinese temples).

Munduk Waterfall

About 30 minutes further, there is an village called Munduk, a nice trip through the mountains leads you to a beautiful waterfall, it is a walk of 500 meters down via a well accessible path, here and there a little steep, but easy to do. There is a small entrance of 10,000 Rp, take a walk through the jungle, all kinds of flora is growing here, the birds are chirping and every now and then one sees a little snake. In short, a wonderful hike and also the beautiful flowers are very much worth the effort.

Labuhan Kebo waterfall

Since a few months it is also possible to cross the river via a newly constructed bridge (of bamboo) and continue walking to 2 other waterfalls. The waterfall is called Labuhan Kebo and is located in the village of Gobleg, from the Munduk waterfall it is a beautiful walk of 25 minutes through the green nature, here a little bit of climbing, and only the stairs (with uneven steps) at the waterfall is sometimes a bit tricky but otherwise good to do, the entrance is IDR 10,000.

Munduk – coffee stop

After the hike, it may be time for coffee, in the area there is a lovely business called Kubu Kopi, a place where you can drink coffee (the coffee that is processed there) and local pastries like Kue Dadar, a kind of pancake with coconut and palm sugar. Behind the restaurant there is a big organic garden where all kinds of spices are growing, cinnamon, vanilla, pineapple, cacao, coffee beans and many more. You can visit this garden with the staff of the restaurant.

Buyan and Tamblingan Lake

Also referred to as the Twin Lakes, located close to Bedegul, this area is a tourist attraction (also for local tourism, many Balinese are going camping here or spent their free Sunday with the family), the road from Munduk gives a wonderful view of the two lakes and the surrounding mountains and forest. Depending on the time you can choose to have lunch in Bedegul, this area is famous for its strawberries and there are several restaurants serving all sorts of dishes where the strawberry is the ingredient, think of strawberry milkshake or a pancake with strawberries.

The surrounding here is wonderful, you can choose to return back to Lovina, or take the road along the Gitgit waterfalls, you can also visit the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan (better known as the water temple) or the local fruit market in Bedegul.

Pura Ulun Danu Bratan

The Pura Ulun Danu Bratan is a Hindu temple and is located in the water of the Bratan lake. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Dewi Danu, the goddess of water, lakes and rivers.
The temple was built in 1633, it is spread over several areas of the temple. The Meru with 11 roofs is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Parvati. Also Buddha (as a reincarnation of Vishnu) has a place in the Hindu Gods temple. The Bratan lake is known as the “Holy Mountain”, the area is very fertile. It is located 1200 meters above sea level and the climate is cool. Please note that this is a tourist attraction and it can be very busy with people. Best time to visit this temple is early in the morning, the entrance fee is relatively high for an temple, IDR 50,000.

Bedegul

A bit further away is the village of Bedegul here you have a lot of local warungs and the local fruit market is also nice to visit, the area is known for growing strawberries which are on the market for sale, you can find all kinds of fresh fruit there. On the way to Bedegul you will pass the Handara gate.

Tree Top Adventure Park
In this area there are several tourist attraction like Tree Top Adventure Park, a climbing park for children, detailed information can be found on the website.

Gitgit Waterfalls

After visiting the temple we drive on to the Gitgit Waterfall (about 25 minutes drive). There are two waterfalls and coming from Bedegul you will first visit the Gitgit Twin waterfall, from the road and parking it is a short walk to begin of the path which is going down, it is a walk of about 600 meters down but once you get there it is worth it.
You can after this waterfall also choose for the Gitgit waterfall, this is a different kind of waterfall but with the same name, which is located more towards Singaraja, also here a walk of about 600 meters to reach the waterfall. (Check the Waterfall tour for more waterfalls).

The above mentioned are a few options and there many more, feel free to discuss with the driver.