After exploring Bali’s iconic temples such as Uluwatu and Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, we head north of the island toward Lovina Beach, one of the best places in Bali for a dolphin watching tour. This quiet seaside town is famous for an unforgettable experience: watching dolphins at sunrise—and even swimming with them. What better way to celebrate Mom’s 60th birthday in Bali than a dolphin watching tour in Lovina Beach? It’s one of the most popular activities in North Bali. Seeing dolphins in their natural habitat is a rare privilege and the perfect birthday gift. But did the experience live up to our expectations, or was it more mixed? We’re telling you everything!
Lovina Beach: the must-visit spot for a dolphin watching tour in Bali
Friday, February 06, 2026
To see dolphins at Lovina Beach in North Bali, you have to wake up very early. Most dolphin watching tours in Bali leave around 6 a.m., just before sunrise. We walk to the beach, about 10 minutes from our hotel, as the day slowly brightens. There, we meet Captain Morgan and his traditional boat, who will guide us on this dolphin excursion trip.
The first light of day breaks through the clouds as we speed toward the horizon. The goal of the morning: spotting dolphins at sunrise, the ideal time to see them. Famous for this activity, Lovina Beach is one of the best places in Bali to see dolphins in the wild all year round. The last time we saw dolphins was during a tour in Ushuaia. We hope to reset the counter today. But as with all wild animals in their natural environment, nothing is guaranteed. So will the dolphins show up for Mom’s birthday?
Dolphin excursion in Bali: a popular experience at Lovina Beach
We quickly realize we are not the only ones heading out on a dolphin tour. In fact, dozens of other boats are going in the same direction, all searching for dolphins off the coast of Lovina Beach. Even in the low season, this activity remains very popular. We are in Bali, after all. High or low season, it’s always busy. The captains communicate by phone and all head toward a large bay known for dolphin sightings. On board, we scan the waves looking for fins. Will the dolphins show up today? Will we be lucky enough to see them? With all these boats, the agitation makes us wonder. Honestly, with so much chaos, I’d stay away too if I were a dolphin! 😆
Suddenly, all the boats head in the same direction. It feels like traffic on the sea: total chaos. Dozens of boats rush to the same spot to try to spot dolphins. Yet everything is perfectly controlled: the captains maneuver with impressive precision. And the dolphins are there. They swim in groups, appearing between the boats. There are dozens of them. They surface on one side, dive under, then reappear on the other. Left, right, in front, behind. By the time you turn your head, they’ve already vanished and reappeared elsewhere. It becomes almost dizzying (and a bit seasick!) as we keep turning in every direction.
Captain Morgan perfectly controls his boat. He manages to follow the dolphins and anticipate their movements so that we are always nearby when they come up for air. After a while, he shouts: “Do you want to swim?” Swim! Lucas, Yarana, Rémi and I back off. No way we’re getting in the water here. But Mom says yes! Without hesitation, she puts on a mask and jumps in. She simply holds onto a wooden handle attached to the boat, puts her head underwater, and lets herself be carried along.
Swimming with dolphins in Bali: the highlight of the Lovina excursion
Captain Morgan spots the dolphins, positions the boat perfectly on their path and shouts: “Look!” Mom puts her head underwater and witnesses the incredible ballet of dolphins swimming gracefully beneath her. There are dozens of them, moving in harmony side by side, passing right underneath her. Wow! 🐬 The boat cuts through the water to follow them, and she struggles to catch her breath between waves and spray. “Left!” “Right!” “Straight ahead!” Dolphins are everywhere and she manages to spot them several times underwater. Incredible! A dolphin tour in Bali for her 60th birthday, and even swimming with dolphins—this is truly unforgettable 😎.
Our review of the Bali dolphin watching tour: between magic and overcrowding
We learned something during our Pan-American road trip from Canada to Argentina: observing animals in their natural habitat is always a precious privilege. We are the ones entering their world, and it is important to remain humble and respectful.
It is obviously difficult to see dolphins at sea without joining a tour. However, we must admit that the concentration of dozens of boats around them made for a rather mixed experience. It is hard not to think about the impact of this daily, year-round activity on dolphins hunting in the bay, with stress and disturbance. As in many tourist spots in Bali and elsewhere, the high level of crowds and over-tourism raises questions about wildlife preservation and respect. Despite everything, this dolphin excursion at Lovina Beach remains a memorable experience from our family trip to Bali. It’s not every day you get to see dolphins in the wild—and even swim with them!
Back to the hotel and relaxation after the excursion
We return to Lovina Beach and to the Rambutan Hotel after 2 hours on the water, starving. A hearty breakfast is waiting for us. To reach the restaurant, we walk through the gardens, which we are discovering for the first time in daylight and without rain. They are beautiful, well maintained, full of flowers and lush greenery. The restaurant even has a second pool, much larger than the first!
We enjoy a hearty breakfast, then relax by the pool.
Visiting Lovina Beach in the low season: atmosphere and local life
At 2 p.m., we start feeling hungry. So we head out to explore Lovina Beach. The main street is lined with small massage shops (“massage, massage?”), local restaurants, and agencies offering various activities, including tours around the region. Perfect timing—we need to plan the rest of our Bali trip. We talk to different people, trying to negotiate the best price, or at least not get overcharged.
Despite the crowds out on the water this morning (mostly tourists who came to Lovina Beach just to see dolphins and left right after), the streets are empty and shopkeepers are all over us. When we pass their stalls, they don’t let go. Mom gets pulled into a shop by a woman trying to sell her a dress at all costs. Rémi, meanwhile, gets harassed by an older lady trying to sell him mangosteens at an inflated price. It takes us quite a while to escape and finally find a restaurant.
We celebrate Mom’s 60th birthday in Bali!
We then sit down in a large empty restaurant and order our usual fruit juices: banana, orange, tomato for Lucas, and the classic avocado-chocolate smoothie for Mom—not great. But we quickly realize nothing here is really great. We order pizza, fries, guacamole, chicken skewers and… Greek salad for Lucas. A strange choice in a Balinese restaurant, especially since we keep reminding ourselves to avoid raw vegetables. Even worse, his salad arrives soaked in water. Yikes: between tomato juice and the suspicious Greek salad, we worry about his stomach 😅. Suddenly, a familiar tune plays in the restaurant: “Happy Birthday!” ♭ Everyone is surprised except Yarana! She secretly told the waitress it was Mom’s birthday. As a result, Mom gets a beautiful birthday cheesecake with a candle!
Back at the hotel after this not-so-great meal, we settle again by the pool. Lucas and Yarana, who had gone into town, come back with a real dessert: donuts! What better than enjoying big donuts by the pool? We spend the rest of the day there, until rain drives us away in the late afternoon.
Next stop: heading to Munduk in central Bali
In the evening, Lucas and Yarana want Vietnamese food. No problem, there’s a Vietnamese restaurant on the main road, about 1 km from the hotel. So off we go, led by Lucas. What we forgot is that we are in Indonesia. Here, pedestrians don’t really exist. We walk along the main road with cars and trucks rushing past us at full speed. And we still have to cross. What a hassle! In the end, this short kilometer takes much longer than expected. Luckily, it wasn’t for nothing—the Vietnamese restaurant is delicious.
To end this day in Lovina Beach, we walk back to the hotel along the beach path, quieter and more pleasant but also darker. After this long day marked by our Bali dolphin watching tour and our discovery of the town, everyone heads to their room to rest. Tomorrow, we continue our road trip across Bali as we drive to Munduk in the center of the island.
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