Last Updated on June 3, 2023 by Ellen
Say “Bali vacation” and you might dream of white sand beaches and surfers, with coconuts and ocean breezes. And you’d be right — if you went to Kuta.
The problem with Kuta: it’s where everyone goes.
That beach gets so crowded. And sure, that can be fun for a few days, but we wanted something peaceful for our slow travel, one-month-long stay.
Lovina for a Bali vacation
We felt Lovina was a great value. It has way fewer tourists than the southern beaches. It has rare volcanic black sand beaches with cool ocean breezes. There also are plenty of coconuts – but no surfing because the northern part of the island is calm and shallow with coral reefs.
Our rental bungalow was right down the road from Lovina’s black beach. We were near the boats that take tourists to see dolphins. But our bungalow was far enough away to be private and peaceful – which was ideal for our Bali vacation. (Ok, ok — I admit: every month is like a vacation for us.)
Our Bali Airbnb in Lovina was available for our dates for less than $600 a month. The monthly price was discounted by the owner from the nightly and weekly stay calendars. (Read more on slow travel with monthly Airbnb rental here.)
Video: what $600 a month buys
This video shows you the beautiful place where we lived for four weeks in northern Bali.
Isn’t that gorgeous?
Yes, we saved money. But we also loved it for these other reasons:
- More peaceful than Kuta, Legian and Seminyak
- Amazing host
- Sunsets over volcanoes and the Bali Sea
- Calm, shallow bay at Lovina’s black beach
- Nearby waterfalls, hiking, hot springs, and more
There is a variety of restaurants. Take your pick of warungs – or small restaurants. Prices are comparable to hawker centers in Malaysia or Thailand, or pho shops in Vietnam. Think: $1.50 to $2.00 a plate. Also, at the warungs in our rental neighborhood, the women cooked our dinner from scratch in their kitchens.
There are more pricey options, too, if you want to dine in a more traditional restaurant on the beach. Some offer kayaks while you wait for your food.
We recommend Lovina for a Bali vacation
In addition to outdoor activities already mentioned, there are diving, snorkeling and dolphin tours, if you’re into those for your Bali vacation.
Or you can watch fishermen and boats and kayakers as the sun sparkles over the Bali Sea and sets behind distant, giant land formations. Or spend your days poolside reading a great book.
Whatever you want to do. You can’t go wrong for under $600 a month.
For a link to Annie’s awesome Airbnb, go here.
For more information about Lovina on Wikipedia, go here.
