The north coast of Bali is one of the quietest parts of the island. Most tourist never make it up there and those that do are simply on their way from Amed to Lovina. What is up on the north coast and why should you go there? According to some people the resort of Lovina, (which is actually a conglomeration of the villages of Pemaron, Tukad Mungga, Anturan, Kalibukbuk, Kaliasem, Temukus and Banyualit) got its name after the last king of Buleleng, Pandji Tisna (1908-1978), named his holiday home ‘Lovina’ back in 1958.

Some say the name means ‘the love in the heart of people’, others say it means ‘Love Indonesia’. Mexican artist and writer Miguel Covarrubias and his wife Rose first came to Bali in 1930. His book Island Of Bali tells about their arrival by ship in Buleleng (Singaraja) on the north coast.

They had been filled with images of waving palms, women carrying baskets of fruit in their heads and picturesque rice terraces. Their ship had sailed from New York, through the Panama canal, across the Pacific Ocean and down through the South China Sea.

I1930 Bali was still under Dutch control and Singaraja, the capital of Buleleng was already a trading port complete with Javanese, Arabs, Chinese and Europeans. Back then the southern area of Bali was not very populated and Covarrubias refers to the area as the malarial coasts of Kuta, Sanur, Benoa and Ketewel.

The main tourist center back then (everything being relative, of course) was Denpasar and getting there meant driving through the highlands from Singaraja. He describes Singaraja as having neat Dutch bungalows, gasoline stations, dingy shops where people are unkempt. He complains that the beautiful Balinese people of the steamship pamphlets are nowhere to be seen.