Lovina Updates - Sleeps, Eats, Boats

Lovina, north Bali  is still quiet and inexpensive. 

1.The iconic dolphin statue:  Appears to be improved and shiny,
a great place to watch the sunset and to take photos.
 

 

 

2.  Dolphin boats:  Tourists still go out to see the dolphins
early in the morning just as they did 10 years ago.  The boat
captain will either text you or knock on your door in the
morning to wake you up.  There are 3 times as many boats
that go out and they are much more attractive than before.
Some even include life preservers.  The price remains cheap
60 rupiahs ($5.00) paid either to your hotel or directly to the
boat owner for a 1.5 or 2 hour boat ride.
 

3. Street dogs:  Still wander the streets  as they did 10 years
ago, but are fewer in number and look better fed.  However,
when the sun goes down, they suddenly seen to have a split
personality disorder.  The daytime sleepy dog becomes
suddenly becomes aggressive and vocal. 
 

Rabies problem:
I refrain from petting or getting near the dogs, since there is
an ongoing rabies problem here for the last 8 years on Bali. 
Sadly, it was reported today that a 9 year old Bali girl died
on October 31, 2014 from suspected rabies. The situation is
not under control, although Bali has tried vaccinations and
dog eliminations.
http://www.balidiscovery.com/messages/message.asp?Id=11198

To be on the safe side, I received a series of 3 pre-exposure
immunization shots before coming to Bali, knowing I would
be here for two months and wandering into the country
locations.  If bitten, I would still need a couple more shots,
but my immunity has already started.  Also,  Bali is not
consistently  with medical supplies - vaccinations,
medications, treatments or just health care in general.

4.. Hotels: I spent one night at the Rambutan Hotel, one
night at the Ansoka Hotel  and the remainder of the nights
at the Rini Hotel.  These hotels located in Central Lovina

Beach area, are one block or less from the beach and the
rates listed are negotiated and for low season.

The Angsoka Hotel, near the dolphin statue / beach
rents for about 240,000 rupiahs ($21.00 U.S.) a night for air
conditioned room, hot water, nice pool.  Most hotels have
free Wi-Fi. There is a full breakfast, an outside bar and
massage tables where you can get an inexpensive massage.
www.angsoka.com

The Rambutan Hotel, on Jl Mawar,  rents for 350,000
rupiahs ($30.00 U.S.) has a fan cooled room, hot water, 2
pools, lovely outside dining and a deluxe breakfast,
with good unlimited coffee. (not the usual thick Bali
coffee) The fan cooled rooms at Rambutan seem to be
pleasantly cool.
www.rambutan.org

The Hotel Rini, on Jl Mawar,  rents for 260,000 rupiahs
($22 U.S.a night) and that price includes continental
breakfast, a lovely pool, air-conditioning, lovely tropical
surroundings, a partially outdoor garden bathroom and a
cold water shower. Because it is hot in Lovina, the cold
water is not all that cold and is in fact, refreshing. There
are many Dutch and French guests.
www.rinihotel.com
 

5. Restaurants:  There are many more choices, but the
following are near the Rini Hotel.  They are my favorites
and I went to one or both of them everyday.
        
        Warung Ayu  is a very popular but small, offering
        the Balinese dishes  Cap Cay and Nasi Goreng  for 1
        5,000 - 20,000 rupiahs. ($1.50 U.S.)

        J.B.s Pizza Restaurant has a new airy, larger location,
        offering the J.B. Special pizza for  35,000 rupiahs.
        ($3.00 U.S.)  They also have lots of Balinese /
        Indonesian food.

        For those of you who are beer lovers, you can get a
        Large Bintang in Lovina for 25,00 rupiahs ($2.00 U.S.)

,

6.  Entertainment:
 

The "Poco Bar" near the main road is popular and fun,
has music 7 nights a week and is popular with the German
guests. Be warned that the music is loud - so bring your ear
plugs.

The "Sea Breeze”, usually my favorite, right on the beach
has the best sunset view and a promising breeze, but they
didn't  offer live music during this visit.  The once dirt floor
has been upgraded with cement embedded with stones.
The sunset mosquitoes have not really changed!

Other restaurants have guitar players occasionally, so there
is always something going on.

7. Hawkers:  Continue  to congregate in the statue location, 
selling sarongs and shells  (She sells sea shells at the sea
shore :) or baggies of fruit pieces.  $5 U.S. will buy you a
coconut oil massages, if you don't mind lying down on a
sarong covered cement slab near the black lava sand  beach.
Here you can buy tours to the hot springs / Buddhist temple.
 

8.  Shopping stalls:  They were built by the government
bordering the beach, and all an element of sales pressure
whenever you walk by.
However, there remains an old path of broken up sidewalk
slabs along the beach and are a little  further from the stalls
which means avoiding saying "no thank you" a hundred
times.

 

9. There was a precious stream that used to flow into  the
Bali Sea, where children laughed, played and went fishing. 
Now it is  polluted with plastic and garbage and in fact, it
is stopped up.

10. All in all, I still like coming to Lovina.  Compared
to other tourist areas of Bali, Lovina is still fairly cheap!
It is quiet and peaceful,  has a few motorbikes but nothing
compared to Ubud.  There is good snorkeling and diving
about 1.5 hours to the west.  A couple of retired folks
said there were intending to stay for 2 months in Lovina.
However, most tourists here are in their 20s, 30s, 40s.

The New and The Old, Ubud, Bali

The New:
Starbucks is Alive and Well Nearby the Royal Family Property.

Street view of Starbuck.  The building used to be an old warehouse and Starbucks had agreed
to keep it much the same, so that it would blend in with the other neighboring buildings.  Ubud
residents fought to keep out McDonalds and Burger King.



Starbucks and it's "Gong" at the quiet side entryway, Ubud, Bali

There is a open area in the back of Starbucks with a fantastic view
of the lotus pond and a temple that has evening dance performance.
 

While there are spontaneous processions on the main road,  Starbucks is open on the
main road, with A-C and Wi-Fi.  As representing the "new",
"Starbucks" is located near the  property of the Ubud royal family,
where the last  king's descendants currently live in Javanese teak houses and where
there is a beautiful temple that has evening shows.  Tourists are welcome to wander
about the property and if you are lucky, a member of the royal family might tour you
around.  At one time in history, the king (raja) had up to 50 wives in their attempt to
procreate many sons.  Can you imagine all 50 of the King's wives having a
latte break at Starbucks? Even now, there are some Balinese men who have multiple
wives.

I noticed that prices are about the same price as at home and because it is expensive,
you wont see many Balinese inside having coffee.  Besides, the Balinese prefer to
drink either ginger tea or their thick syrupy "Bali coffee".  I wasn't forewarned and
discover that  the traditional Bali coffee is finely ground, poorly filtered and just plain
thick, especially at the bottom. It is bound to make you jittery and will stain the fine
grooves of  your teeth. 


The New:
Organik Sari Restaurant...

Hurry to enjoy . .....I noticed new places popping up, new housing and shops. There
are several other restaurants lining up, all great views.  Soon, the rice paddies will be
littered with shops and restaurants.

Organik Sari Restaurant:   This one is in middle of the rice paddy area at the end of
Jl Kajeng has several restaurants with a view. It has it's own organic garden and an
awesome view of the rice paddies.  There are two ways to arrive at Organik Sari
and  each one is a good 20 minute  walk in the heat.  On the walk you will see other
construction going on, such as in the building of new houses.

Organic green feta tomato salad and a green cleansing drink.

  

The Old:

Views Within One or Two Blocks Of Starbucks

 

I'm guessing that is a pot of rice on her head with other food items for sale to the Balinese.
She is going to set up shop somewhere......life can be a struggle.

 

  

"We're buddies forever" - Ubud, Bali

"I ate the whole bowl of popcorn and now there's a kernel in my throat" - Ubud, Bali