From Lovina it's an easy ride along the northwest coast of Bali to reach the diving and snorkelling beachside hideaway of Pemuteran. The road skirts the coastline for much of the way and aside from the rising hills to the south it's really a bit of an uneventful ride, with junction town Seririt being the only settlement of any size that you'll pass through.

Bye bye Lovina!

Compared to the mirror image road that runs along the southern coast, this one is delightfully light traffic wise, and while a couple of minor points of interest are dotted along the way, most will choose to simply barrel between Lovina and Pemuteran.

If you are wanting to break up the trip, your first stop should be at the Banjar Hot Springs, some 11km to the west of Lovina: lookout for the sign reading "Air Panas Banjar". From the turnoff it is another 5km to the springs themselves and this is a hit especially with domestic visitors -- it's just a shame they're not further along the road from Lovina so you'd have more grime to wash off.

Wash off the grime at the Banjar hot springs.

For a more serious diversion, take a left when you reach Seririt and head inland (and uphill) to the mountain town of Munduk. We're actually covering Munduk later in this series so won't get into it now, but if you're not planning on heading further west to Pemuteran, Seririt marks the last point where you can divert inland.

Pemuteran is known for four things. It's famous for a trio of temples, a reef regeneration project and for being a jumping off point to both stunning Menjangan Island and also West Bali National Park. You'd think with this many highlights Pemuteran would be a bustling tourist town, but, while the beach is indeed lined with places to stay, it's actually a very sleepy spot - those in the know love it though. Most of those frolicking on the beaches of Kuta reckon this is too far a drive to bother with.

We disagree!

Before you even roll into town you'll pass by the three temples: Pura Pulaki, Pura Pabean and Pura Melanting. The easternmost, Pura Melanting, is arguably of most interest to casual visitors, so if you're after a quick taster, stop here.

Travelling with young kids means you always get to see sunrise. This one in Pemuteran.

Pemuteran is home to an interesting reef regeneration scheme, and you can snorkel right off the beach here. The coral is still busy being, umm, regenerated, but there are plenty of fish to gawk at.

The beach itself isn't one of Bali's best, but the setting, with mountains looming behind the ocean, makes for some great pics. At the eastern end of the beach is an active fishing village and should you be interested you could probably organise a boat trip from here.

Much of the beach is lined with mid-range and up resorts. Those on a budget will be off the beach, but don't fret as some good budget digs do lie on the off-beach side of the road.

It's more enjoyable to walk along the beach than over them there mountain things.

Once you're done with Pemuteran itself, take a trip to the pier for Menjangan Island, from where you can arrange a boat transfer across to the island for a spot of snorkelling (or diving). When the visibility is clear and when there isn't a ton of plastic on the surface (a common problem), the reef and fish here are world class and certainly the best we've seen anywhere in Bali so far.

Even the boat landings in west Bali are scenic.

The boat trip doesn't come all that cheap, and comes with a mandatory guide (who will snorkel with you) so try to rustle up a group in Pemuteran, else hang out at the pier and try to wangle your way onto someone else's boat. Allow a full day to really get the most out of a trip. The best sites are the "drop-off" and the "coral garden". Be sure to get the boatman to show you the bat cave midway between the two.

No Photoshop required. The water really is that blue.

The second trip out from Pemuteran is trekking into West Bali National Park. A trek here will take you through the forest to hang out with the local macaque monkey population and, if you're lucky, other animals. The forest is hot and humid and at times physically demanding, so take plenty of water. Long pants and long sleeve shirt are not necessary but sturdy shoes are and a moderate level of fitness is advised. Trekking can be arranged through any of the hotels in town or at one of the local shops advertising tourist services.

West Bali National Park and not a dodgy tailor shop in sight.

Recommended beds
In Pemuteran, budget travellers should head straight to Kubuku, while we suggest flashpackers make a beeline for Taruna Homestay or Tirta Sari Bungalows. If you want to spend more, we were very impressed with both Pondok Sari, while friends highly rate family-friendly Taman Sari. At the top end, Amertha Bali Villas and Matahari Beach Resort are the two luxe options in central Pemuteran.

Stormy skies on the Menjangan run.

Next stop? Medewi!

You must have been thinking we were never going to get out of Amed, huh?! Compared to the windy coastal route from Candi Dasa to Amed the road onwards to Lovina is a breeze. It's a long drive, but plain sailing with barely a hill along the way. That's not to say it isn't scenic, as you'll pass by diving hub Tulamben, lava flows, waterfalls, a bizarre art museum, and an old Balinese capital before rolling into Lovina just in time for some ikan bakar and a couple of chilled drinks.

Between Amed and Lovina there is a big hill

Immediately upon leaving the coastal strip of Amed you veer inland through Culik, then slowly start to work your way west along Bali's northern coastline to the diving centre at Tulamben. You'll note to your left the sweeping slopes of Gunung Agung rising up from the sea. When it erupted in 1963 lava flowed down through this area and you'll pass over great tracts of flow as you drive west, reaching Tulamben in some 45 minutes.

In 1942, the USAT Liberty was en route from Australia to the Philippines and was torpedoed by a Japanese sub in the Lombok Strait. The Liberty wasn't sunk however and limped westward trying to make it to the port at Singaraja. Like the Japanese sub it failed in its mission and ended up being beached at the village of Tulamben. There it lay for the next 21 years, till lava from Agung's eruption in 1963 pushed the vessel off the beach and back into the ocean — creating one of Bali's top diving destinations.

Les Waterfall is a minor diversion not too far from Tulamben

There's little to Tulamben aside from diving though and its stony beach isn't all that conducive to beach volleyball, so unless you've got diving on your mind, keep on moving. If you do have diving on your mind, there are a bunch of affordable hotels in Tulamben to choose from.

We got to ride most of the Tulamben to Singaraja stretch in the pouring rain. You get caught out on the motorbike in the rain and get wet and think "Ah well, may as well just keep on riding as I'm already wet." This is a mistake. There is wet, really wet, extremely wet and wetter than that still. The latter three stages of wetness are best avoided by taking shelter till the storm passes.

Midway to Singaraja you'll reach the astoundingly peculiar Art Zoo which is home to an American artist Symon, whose work has been described elsewhere as Matisse meets Warhol. It's well worth a wander through and quite good views from the upper reaches of the property can be had.

The powerful Git Git falls, south of Singaraja

Not long after leaving Art Zoo the road veers inland and inside an hour you'll be navigating the one-way streets and the hustle and bustle of Singaraja itself. Keep your nerve and follow the traffic and before you know it you'll be thrust out the other side of town from where it is just another 10 minutes to the sleepy black sands of Lovina. Once you're set up with a bed you can always pop back to Singaraja for a bit of a potter around.

Time out during a cremation ceremony in Singaraja

Like the area referred to as Amed, Lovina is actually a string of villages starting with Anturan then followed by Banyualit, Kalibukbuk and Kaliasem. Kalibukbuk is the centre of the "scene" with plenty of places to stay, eat and relax. Lovina is best known for its dolphins and you'll be near continually harangued to do a boat trip of one kind or another — that the dolphins keep coming back really left us wondering if they really are as smart as people say.

Early morning beachside at Kaliasem, Lovina

Lovina is fine for a couple of lazy days on the beach, but if time was short and we wanted a lot of beach time, this probably wouldn't be our first choice as the beaches really are just average. But chances are, if you've made it to Lovina at all, you've got a bit of time up your sleeve. It remains surprisingly rural with wide swathes of rice fields abutting a small (but growing) number of hotels, but going on the number of real estate signs all over the place one wonders how long the fields will remain as, at least by Bali standards, land is still cheap in these parts.

Invasion of the moronic land grabbers

Beaches aside, Lovina can be used as a base to visit waterfalls, including the impressive Git Git waterfall, and to the west of town the banjar hot springs are popular, but most would do well to pack a couple of books.

Relax at the hot springs

Recommended beds
In Tulamben, Bali Permai and Liberty Dive Resort would be our first two picks, though there are plenty of other places to choose from.

In Lovina, budget travellers should make a beeline for Harris Homestay, flashpackers to Rumah Kita, or, if you don't mind being a bit away from the action in Anturan, Mumbul Lovina. If you're looking to spend a bit more, Starlight is excellent value and Rambutan represents a great deal for families. At the upper end, Damai, up in the hills behind Lovina, is the premium option.

Next stop? Pemuteran!