14-sep-2024, From the cultural center of Bali, Ubud, to the Unesco heritage rice fields in Jatiluwih and then onwards to the Dolphins in Lovina. Another awesome adventure lies ahead of us… so keep on reading.

Jatiluwih; a stunningly beautiful place with 600 hectares of rice fields and terraces as far as the eye can see. It is a Unesco protected heritage site for good reasons. There are many trails to spend hours walking through these lush green fields and this is exactly what my parents and I did.

For three hours we follow the longest track through the glowing rice fields. It is a wonderful experience in nature and a great opportunity to make nice photos in this diverse landscape. We see freshly planted rice fields, rice fields that have just been harvested, farmers working in the field and their animals in a shed eating and getting ready for their next job. Surprisingly my parents are able to keep up with all the walking up and down the hills under the hot sun. I know for a fact it’s their first time amongst such beautiful rice terraces and I guess they don’t want to miss out on this wonderful experience. The scenery and ambience is truly magnificent in this place.

From Jatiluwih it is a 90 minute drive to our next destination up north. We are going to a place famous for its dolphins; Lovina. We arrive just before sunset and we are staying in a large and beautiful private villa with three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and a nice swimming pool. The staff at this villa is amazing and very attentive. They help us book trips, do our laundry and serve breakfast every morning as per our request. We are enjoying a bit of luxury in this big villa while the staff is serving us.

It has been seven years that I have been in Lovina, thus I don’t really know the area anymore. The staff of the villa recommends us a professional tour guide who is able to show us around on a nature and culture trip. The tour guide, named Masda, swings by in the evening to make plans for the next day. It feels nice to have a tour guide for once and that I don’t have to be one. The weight is off my shoulders for now and Masda can provide much more information about this place than I possibly can.

For our day trip we have three spots on the agenda to visit; natural waterfalls, natural hot springs and a large Buddhist temple.

Our first stop is at the Aling Aling waterfall. The path down to the water is steep with many steps but the views are worth it. The place is beautiful and peaceful, the thundering sound of this tall waterfall actually has a very calming and relaxing effect. As we continue our little hike further down the river we come across several other, smaller waterfalls. All just as beautiful as the next. The nature walk along the water and waterfalls is probably the highlight of our day. And next time I’ll join the guys that are canyoning here (sliding down waterfalls and jumping of cliffs). It seems like a lot of fun but today is not the day.

Just before lunch time we drive to the natural hotsprings. We order a Nasi Goreng and after the food we go into the warm pools to relax. It is only a small complex and after 30 minutes in the water, we have had enough. We want to go to our next destination; the Brahmavihara-Arama temple (a large Buddhist temple with lots of Hindu influences). They also call it mini-Borobudur (Borobudur is one of the most famous temples in Indonesia).

A beautiful temple and Masda tells us a lot about the history and cultural significance. It is interesting and captivating, but as often is the case, I can’t remember any of the things he said. By time we left the temple, most of the information had already left my mind. Nevertheless I am impressed by the size and beauty of this place, it is worth a visit. It was a very nice and eventful day, not just for us, but for Masda as well. He never had a Bule driver before, but he liked it (Bule meaning foreigner).

We are back in town relatively early in the afternoon. We go on a stroll along the beach, through the small town center of Lovina and makes some photos of the dolphin statue. Lovina is small but still has plenty to offer when it comes to restaurants, shops and spa’s. For a second time in a row we choose to have a sunset dinner at Spice beach bar. A large restaurant at the beach with good food, fresh juices and excellent service. The only thing missing was the sunset itself, it was hiding behind the clouds.

Lovina is most famous for its dolphin watching tours. Mom is already hesitant in going (out of respect for the animals) and I had done it before so I wasn’t sure either, but we decided to give it a go nonetheless. The boat driver is very kind and it is nice to be out on the water with a boat. However the actual dolphin watching was not a very positive experience. We see plenty of dolphins and it’s nice to see them in their natural habitat. We are also lucky enough to make nice photos of these beautiful animals. But the thing that made this a less positive experience is the fact that we saw more boats than actual dolphins and this is where the problem lies. In my opinion there are waaaaayyy too many boats on the water and not respecting the personal space of the animals. As soon as a group of dolphins is spotted, all boats are rushing over and “chasing” them. Most of these boats only care about getting as close as possible for a photo. Sometimes they even almost hit these poor animals. One of the rules is to shut the engine off and keep a clearance of 50 meter. What I witnessed today is boats rushing with loud engines and approaching the dolphins as close as one meter or less ☹. This is very sad! I am more than aware that I am part of the problem today, and my parents feel the same. It is a wise lesson for us to never take any part in such a tour, one that exploits, or possibly harms animals. From now on we will stick to nature and cultural tours and I will discourage people taking tours that involve animals.

On a positive note; just chilling on the water, enjoying a hot drink and a snack, away from the dolphins, with my feet in the water was very pleasurable and relaxing though! So it was not all gloom and doom and we made the most of it.

The Lovina trip was our last excursion in Lovina and the next day we are driving to the mountains in Kintamani… so stay tuned!

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