Lovina is located in the north of Bali and is a much less touristic destination compared to popular hotspots like Ubud, Canggu or Seminyak. It is also where people go to be able to swim with dolphins in the wild.

You can do this day trip from anywhere, but the pickup time will be EARLY if you aren’t staying in Lovina. You’ll head out on a small boat at sunrise to see the dolphins swimming and playing out in the open sea. You’ll even get the opportunity to swim with them, which is such an incredible experience.

Our pickup time was 3:30am, as it is around a 2-hour drive from Canggu up to Lovina. If you can sleep easily, then you can sleep a little more in the car on the way there. However, one thing I will say is that the route to Lovina passes up and over the mountainous area of Auman and Gitgit, and the roads are very windy. If you tend to get car sick, this is definitely something to bear in mind.

It won’t be long between heading out on the boat and spotting your first dolphin. The great news is that it is pretty much 100% guaranteed that you will see dolphins, since they are in the area every single morning throughout the year.

You will be given a snorkel and a mask and will jump in while the boat is stationary. Holding on to the swing hanging off the outriggers, the boat will pull you along while trying to find the dolphins.

Again, you might need to be patient whilst the tour guide finds a pod of dolphins. The experience of swimming alongside a pod of around 30 dolphins was so surreal, and definitely something I will never forget.