{"id":319,"date":"2013-07-12T14:40:00","date_gmt":"2013-07-12T06:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/2013\/07\/12\/bali-for-kids-dolphins-at-laid-back-lovina\/"},"modified":"2014-10-03T18:19:48","modified_gmt":"2014-10-03T10:19:48","slug":"bali-for-kids-dolphins-at-laid-back-lovina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/2013\/07\/bali-for-kids-dolphins-at-laid-back-lovina\/","title":{"rendered":"Bali for Kids: Dolphins at Laid-back Lovina"},"content":{"rendered":"

The second leg of our Bali tour turned out to be our favorite.  In our past Bali trips, we had never thought of visiting Lovina for the fact that it’s located at the north-western tip of the island, and takes about 3 hours car ride from Kuta or Bali Airport.  Lovina is a charming laid-back little town, made popular by its wild dolphins sightings.  It is one of the rare gems left in Bali, far quieter and more tranquil than the maddening crowds thronging the popular tourists hotspots of the island’s southern side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Our favorite place in Bali..at The Lovina<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This trip, we nearly wanted to drop Lovina from our itinerary because our preferred accommodation was fully booked.  It turned out to be such a great blessing in disguise after nights of research, I chanced upon this charming little beachfront hotel, simply named ‘The Lovina<\/a>‘, which was newly opened in Dec 2012.  We booked the room via the hotel’s website<\/a> and didn’t expect it to be the best leg of our Bali trip.<\/p>\n

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Best in Lovina…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Lovina Resort<\/b><\/p>\n

We had booked a Mountainview Suite but was given a complimentary upgrade to the Beach Suite upon check in. The rooms at the Lovina are spacious, light and airy; each comes with an open plan accommodation that combines kitchen, dining and living area \u2013 all opening up to a balcony overlooking the ocean. We liked its modern, clean and tasteful furnishings and the warm hospitality which truly makes you feel you are in Bali. We stayed at a 1 bedroom suite.  The resort has 2 bedroom suites and villas to accommodate larger families too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Welcome to The Lovina…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Inner facade of the hotel, from the beach…our room is on the 2nd floor.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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The view from the Balcony…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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The spacious open Kitchenette…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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The Bedroom with a large king-sized bed…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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View of the Living Room, with a Sofa Bed for Dana to sleep on…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Wild Dolphin Tours<\/b><\/p>\n

The main reason why we were willing to put up with the long drive to Lovina was solely because we wanted to bring Dana on a wild dolphins tour.  Our driver, Esa had arranged his fisherman friend to bring us out at a fraction of what the local tour agents are charging. We had to meet the fisherman at 5.30am in the morning, right on the hotel’s beach.  The benefit of waking up early on holiday is the gorgeous sunrise that greets you, something you don’t witness often in Singapore…<\/p>\n

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Waking up to such natural beauty makes it worthwhile…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Sky lightens during our boat ride…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Sun rises at the horizon…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Riding into the rising sun…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Out on the tranquil sea…in search of the elusive wild dolphins..<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Staying upbeat despite the heat…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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First time on an Outrigger Canoe…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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There are various dolphin encounters available in Bali.  Some allow tourists to swim with the dolphins in an enclosed pontoon and pose for photographs.  We decided we want to let Dana view the wild dolphins in their natural habitat and picked this tour.  The outrigger canoe looked a bit rickety but it was motorized and sturdy.  Each canoe can sit 4-5 comfortably.  We only wished the fisherman had children life vests but he doesn’t so we settled for the small cutesy arm floats which he offered (Hello Kitty no less!).  After an hour travelling on the boat (along with dozens other similar canoes), we finally came across pods of wild dolphins!  Not as many as we would love to, but enough to make our spirits soar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Awesome looking clouds…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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The fisherman uncle who brought us out to sea…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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First sightings of the dolphins got us all excited!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Trying to go nearer for a closer look…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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It’s a pity they were too fast for us…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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An awesome sight to com this close to these wild dolphins!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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A delighted little girl…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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and her equally cheerful Daddy!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Mommy Dee of Prunt+Nurture<\/a> has captured some really fantastic videos of these wild dolphins on her vacation. Do hop over to her blog post<\/a> to view them.<\/p>\n

Snorkelling Tour<\/b><\/p>\n

After the dolphins have disappeared, the fisherman brought us closer to shore to snorkel.  We like the fact that we will be dropped off right on our resort beachfront after the dolphin and snorkelling tour (hassle free, no additional transportation to be arranged) and we can strut back in time for a dip followed by breakfast! <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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A lone yellow canoe in the sea…beautiful sight isn’t it?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Dana’s 1st snorkelling experience in the ocean!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Enjoying the tranquility of the moment…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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View from the canoe as we approach our resort after a morning out at sea…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Pool<\/b><\/p>\n

We went for a dip in the pool right after we returned from snorkelling to rinse off the salty sea water.  During our two nights’ stay at the resort, we had the pool largely to ourselves…really peaceful and relaxed, without a care in the world – indeed a great contrast to the maddening crowds and congestion at Kuta or Seminyak. We only wish we have more days to linger in Lovina…<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Having a morning swim…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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in this inviting pool…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Glad she’s a confident water baby….<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Showing us a back float…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


<\/b> The Food<\/b><\/p>\n

After washing up, we headed to the Heliconia Restaurant<\/a> for our Ala-carte breakfast which came included in the room package. We were pampered with freshly baked breads, fresh fruit juices, exquisite Balinese food and a rustic view of Lovina!  We dined at the restaurant for two subsequent meals during our stay, the service and cuisines never fail to impress us.  Holidays should always be this good…<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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The alfresco dining area…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Thatched roofs and timbered fans…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Our Princess admiring the view…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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View of the mountains in the distant…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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and wet Paddy fields of Lovina…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Arranging freshly cut flowers from the resort ground!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Our family portrait at The Lovina…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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A refreshing glass of Guava Juices (for us) and Milk (for Dana)…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Dana’s Banana Pancakes…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Daddy’s Big Breakfast…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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And my fav Indonesian Mee Goreng!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Some dishes we had for dinner…<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Amazing Gado-Gado interpretation by its chef…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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A humble banana fritter dish given a gourmet makeover! Delicious!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Why Lovina<\/b><\/p>\n

If your idea of a holiday is an idyllic getaway with good food, great hospitality, clean, cosy accommodation (at affordable prices), gorgeous sunrises & sunsets, relaxing spas and bonus educational animal encounters (in this case, wild dolphins),  you must come to Lovina and stay at The Lovina<\/a>. It’s slightly remote but definitely worth the journey.  We are already missing this hidden gem and dreaming of a return soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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One of the best Spa treatments we had in Bali…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Dine by the Beach – checked!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Signing off from laid-back Lovina!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This is Part 3 of our ‘Bali for Kids<\/b><\/span>‘ vacation which we went in June 2013.  You can also read of our adventures at the Mara River Safari Lodge<\/b><\/span><\/a> and our day at the Bali Safari and Marine Park<\/b><\/span><\/a>.  Stay tuned for more kid-friendly Bali travelogues coming up. Meanwhile, enjoy your weekend!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Our canoe against the mesmerizing Lovina sunset…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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The second leg of our Bali tour turned out to be our favorite.  In our past Bali trips, we had never thought of visiting Lovina for the fact that it’s located at the north-western tip of the island, and takes about 3 hours car ride from Kuta or Bali Airport.  Lovina is a charming laid-back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,67,24,28,25],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p59hHF-59","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}