OYO 91191 Lovina Dolphin Lodge

We stayed for over a week and found it very good value. It isn’t luxurious, but the services are convenient, and the simple bedroom is surrounded by tropical plants with a clean, basic pool outside. From this peaceful hill near the main road, you can look out over the ocean. The 12-bedroom villa is about a 2.5-hour drive from Ngurah Rai Int'l Airport and the crowds of South Bali. It’s also a handy base for North Bali sights, including dolphin watching, waterfall treks, hot springs, and diving or snorkeling near Menjangan island, with its well-preserved coral reef. We’d recommend it to our friends.

I’m still trying to process the experience, and it left me traumatised. The agent couldn’t speak English and had to use software to communicate. The pool was stagnant and filthy, the rooms looked as if they’d been hit by a terrorist attack, and the road outside was impassable, full of huge holes and at a 45-degree incline. My motorcycle nearly crashed there, and I could have been seriously injured or killed. I wish I’d never booked this place. Avoid it like your life depends on it, because it probably does.

I’m from NZ and stayed at this villa for a week on a Bali holiday before Covid-19, after a friend recommended it. It was great value for money: the villa and room were clean and nice, and while it isn’t super luxurious, it gave me a real Bali feeling. The service was great, with everyone helpful and friendly. It’s in Northern Bali, away from the crowds in Kuta and Nusa Dua, and the beach is awesome, only 500-600m away, or a 5-10 minute walk. There are several good, cheap restaurants within walking distance. Try RM Mina Segara for grilled fish, Bebek Tepi Sawah for duck, or Baturiti Resto. Highly recommended if you want to experience traditional Bali.

Be careful with this place. They seem to be at odds with the Oyo brand and openly say the inn gets nothing when a booking is paid through Oyo. Then they set their own rate at 100 rups per night, compared with Oyo’s 58k rups.