Lovina's main holiday attractions are the magical underwater world that exists just off of its black volcanic sand beaches, and the myriad dolphins that frolic offshore. Locals have taken advantage of these and offer scuba diving and snorkelling expeditions, as well as dolphin-viewing boat trips. Hotels usually make arrangements for these, as well as fishing or other watersport activities. The black-sand beaches are calm and suitable for taking children swimming. The adjacent interior is ideal for hiking, especially in the West Bali National Park. The Banjar Hot Springs are a relaxing excursion, as well as a number of spas in the area. You can also take an Indonesian cooking class at one of several schools.

Bahasa Indonesia is the official language, but many dialects are spoken. English is widely understood in Jakarta and tourist resorts.

Rupiah (IDR) is the official currency and is divided into 100 sen. Foreign currency can easily be exchanged at banks, hotels and money changers in major tourist destinations; US dollars is the most accepted currency. Cash often yields a better exchange rate than travellers cheques, which are not always accepted. It is recommended that travellers cheques also be in US dollars. Most major credit cards are accepted at hotels, restaurants and stores catering to the tourist trade. ATMs are available in main centres. Small change is often unavailable so keep small denomination notes and coins for items like bus fares, temple donations and cool drinks.

There are lots of hawkers on the beach in Lovina and this can become a nuisance to travellers.

In Lovina, the nightlife is confined to entertainment provided at the hotels, especially shadow puppet shows. There are some cosy bars in town where you can enjoy a cocktail or a local Bintang beer and live music or karaoke while on holiday. Some even offer discos on Friday nights.

Don't expect to find any gourmet establishments while on holiday in Lovina, but Kalibukbuk has plenty of good value budget restaurants catering for the tourist trade, most of them serving up a combination of western and Indonesian cuisine. Rijsstafel buffets are popular and special deals abound, as do 'happy hours'. One of the most popular restaurants with visitors is the Jasmine Kitchen, with red and green curries finished by coconut ice cream, and Mr. Dolphin.

The holiday resort of Lovina is actually a string of small villages strung along the coast, centred on the main town, Kalibukbuk. Here there is a western-style shopping centre and a variety of souvenir shops, where plenty of Balinese beachwear and tourist necessities are available. For serious shopping make excursions to the south, and to the villages where local craftsmen produce stone and woodcarvings, and jewellery designs. The most popular souvenirs from Lovina are the carved wooden dolphin statues, but don't believe the touts who try to convince you that they're ebony.

Indonesia spans three time zones. GMT +7 (West, including Java and Sumatra), GMT +8 (Central, including Bali, Sulawesi and Lombok), GMT +9 (East, including Irian Jaya).