Lovina: North Bali's Jewel
By Delil Yildiz and Darryl Jansen
Lovina lies in the rain shadow of the central range of volcanic mountains isolating it from the south and making it dryer and less humid than the rest of Bali. Every morning at sunrise, dolphins gather and play in large schools just beyond the coral reefs off the pretty black sand bay. Swimming is safer here and the snorkelling an diving locations rate among some of the best in Asia. Lovina is a different world from the rest of Bali. The incredible variety of the countryside, magnificent sunsets, local traditions and artistic culture, together with the slower pace of life, makes the area diverse, interesting and delightful; a real contrast to the other parts of the island and consequently tourists are flocking here in greater numbers to enjoy the slower pace of life. Its distance from the south has kept land prices low and there are ample amounts of prime beachfront and hillside land on offer, add to this mix a new airport in northwest Bali and you have the perfect investment climate.
Nyoman Arya Astawa, the owner of Tropis Bistro & Bar knows a lot about the process of land ownership in the area. “In Lovina and the surrounding area most of the land on the beaches are owned by the government,” says Nyoman. Nevertheless there are still many plots all over the north coast that are available for sale to foreign buyers. There is just a process to go through if you wish to acquire the land, but if you follow the protocols or go through a respected broker the process can be quite simple. “If a person wants to buy a plot of land like this there are certain rules and ways that need to be followed. Permission and agreements have to be obtained from the local community, the head of the village and so on, until you reach the top of the local government, which owns the land.”
There are a lot of foreigners in north Bali who have bought land both for private residences and hotel developments who cite the relaxing lifestyle and slow pace of life as the reason for their success. Silvia Bindar is the owner of a Kalsada Eco Village near Lovina. She first came to North Bali 17 years ago from Austria where she was a farmer. She felt the special vibe of the place and decided to try her hand in Bali. She found a 2.5 hectare plot, not just because the price was good but also because of the relaxing lifestyle of Lovina. “It is a quiet place, very relaxing, with beautiful mountains and beach views,” says Bindar. “The people are friendly, the area is very safe. The quality of life is just so much better here.” Currently there are six villas in the village and in total there is room for 20, including a dive centre and restaurant. The villas are built in such a way as to make them cooler using traditional thatched roofs meaning less need for air conditioning and electric fans. They do not use any chemicals, they produce their own electricity using generators and LPG. There are many trees, and they grow their own organic fruits and vegetables, and they have their own reservoir for drinking water. All the employees are from the local village, thus putting back directly into the local community
Graeme Stott is the owner of the Lovina Beach Resort, one of the biggest developments in Lovina, consisting of 32 apartments, 16 villas and two penthouses. He first visited Bali 10 years ago and on a daytrip to Lovina and, like Silvia, was taken by the area’s natural beauty and saw a lot of opportunities. “There is a lot of beachfront land available here but it’s not like Kuta,” he says. There are many positives about investing in Lovina, The investment climate is changing and people are flocking back to all parts of the island and bringing their money with them. “The local people are great employees and are well-trained for the tourist industry,” says Stott. “The new government is clamping down on corruption so business should become easier and more competitive. There is more development underway causing prices to go up and the returns will be good, especially for the locals.”
One of the biggest changes coming to Lovina and the north will be the new airport, projected for completion within the next three years. This will change the entire face of the north especially if there is enough foresight to make the runway long enough to handle medium-range air traffic. It will bring more tourists and business, and increase the incomes and standards of living of local people and business owners. For visitors it will mean that they can be in their hotels in less than an hour without having to make the several-hour-long trip over the mountains to get there but it will certainly never reach the levels of congestion that are evident in the south.
Nyoman Astanga thinks that when it happens it will have a very positive effect on the area. “Many local people will be happy with this airport. The tourism will be good and therefore the local people will get more possibilities to work and create more income,” he says. Of course, it will be more crowded but that is just a normal trend when places are made more accessible. There will be good and bad of course; the pace will become quicker, changing the relaxed air that has drawn people to Lovina in the first place, but this could be outweighed by the financial benefits to the local people and foreign investors. “When the airport is finished there will be more new international guests, who will help the local people but when it comes to real estate the effect will be that the prices will increase very fast,” says Nyoman. Whatever happens now is the time to invest.
