Lovina and Batur | Bali
Spotting dolphins in Bali is quite an adventure but also a shame. We’ve visited Lovina, the Sekumpul Waterfalls and the panoramic view of Mount Batur in one day.
Lovina
Lovina is known for spotting dolphins. Our tour operator had already booked a dolphin tour but afterward, I felt a bit guilty. They are selling dolphins tour by explaining that you are going to see the dolphins “waking up” at dawn but in fact, the many boats are waking them up and hunting them down to spot even the tiniest fin.
The shore was separated into two parts. Our part of the shore consisted of at least 43 boats filled with tourists. I’m guessing the other part of the shore also consisted of that same amount of boats. So, you do the math. Around 100 boats, filled with tourists, hunting down every dolphin group to have a glimpse of such an incredible animal.
When a boat spotted a pod, they would shout it out loud and all other boats would follow them and enclosure the group of dolphins. I once saw the documentary Blackfish about the killer whale Tilikum. The documentary showed how fishermen hunted them down to capture their calves.
It was just the same now, but now for the enjoyment of tourists. I saw indeed dolphins and I was happy to see these incredible animals, but that feeling of hunting them down was killing the mood. In Florida, wild dolphins can be spotted without hunting them down. Just go on a boat and sail, they will come to you and surprise you. This was more fun because they decided to come to us. Not the other way around. Same for Canada.
Fun fact: The sand in Lovina is black due to the volcanoes. The beaches in Kusamba are also black.
Singaraja city
After our dolphin experience, we went on to visit Singaraja city, the old harbor of Bali. Singaraja means literally ” The Lion King”. I can hear that Elton John song already. You can still see some old houses of when the Dutch occupied Bali.
The beach near the old harbor is filled with plastic bags and waste. They have several restaurants on a pier, where you can witness the toilets being littered out into the ocean (with toilet paper included). Great smell, great sight, great pollution of the ocean.
Sad fact: Besides the fact that plastic pollution in Bali is enormous, Bali is also still fishing with cyanide and dynamite which are destroying the corals.
Fun fact: More and more initiatives are set up to preserve the coral. The nest in Gili Meno, or the Underwater Buddha in Nusa Lembongan are an example of that.
Sekumpul Waterfalls
After visiting Singaraja city we decided to hike to the Sekumpul waterfalls, a place many tourists skip because they all go to the Gitgit waterfalls, yet the Sekumpul waterfalls are more beautiful. It’s an easy 2 km hike downwards, but it’s the 2 km climb that is quite challenging. If you’d like to, you can take a guide who carries your belongings and helps you with the climb and crossing the rivers. The water is very refreshing after that long hike 😉
Hint: Throw on some waterproof shoes for when you’re crossing the rivers. It’s slippery!
Mount Batur
After our workout, it was time to go to Mount Batur. Many local restaurants in Kintamani are located on the perfect viewpoint, at an altitude of 1.400 meters. Just visit one of them and grab a drink on their terrace. The view is breathtaking. You can see mount Batur, Lake Batur and the lava trail of the 1917 eruption. The area of Mount Batur is also known for the cultivation of oranges.
Fun Fact: You can hike to the top of Mount Batur to see a beautiful sunrise.
Life of a Passion
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