Upd. 07/10/24

Volcano Batur. Climbing the active volcano Batur at dawn

827

Do you dream of watching the sunrise on a volcano?

It's worth noting that this activity is not for everyone! The ascent itself is not difficult, but it takes place in the darkness. The start is at 4 in the morning to reach the summit by 6-6.30 am.

The views from the height of Mount Batur in the early morning light are incredible indeed! You have the chance to see Mount Agung (the largest volcano in Bali) and even Mount Rinjani (on the island of Lombok) if you ascend early enough. It's an amazing adventure!

If you choose the longer route, you'll get a close look at the active craters of Mount Batur and even witness breakfast being prepared using volcanic steam (eggs and bananas)!

This area is indeed very interesting and beautiful on its own.

The active volcano Mount Batur is situated within the crater of another very ancient volcano. Within this same crater, the Lake Batur was formed, which is the largest lake in Bali and holds great sacred significance for the Balinese people.

On the shores of this lake, there is also an ancient settlement of the indigenous Balinese people - the Bali Aga village of Trunyan.

Additionally, in this area, there are several hot springs. Although they are more warm than scalding hot, it's very pleasant to relax your body in them after the ascent to the volcano. The water in these springs is very soothing, leaving your skin soft and tender!

If you plan to hike Mount Batur, we recommend staying overnight at the base of the volcano.

There are a few accommodation options in this area, especially the good ones. Most of the hotels are located in the village of Toya Bungkah. Some good options include The Breezy Volcano, Batur Pyramid Guesthouse, Bamboo Mount Batur, Villa Danu, Villa Jempana, Bintang House, Black Lava Hostel and Lodge.

There are a few more options in the village of Kedisan. However, most of the accommodation there tends to be of lower quality, older, and sometimes overpriced. If you look at the reviews for these hotels, you'll find that most of them are negative, and in reality, these reviews are accurate. The only good option in Kedisan with a beautiful view of Mount Batur is Batur View Homestay.

We stayed at Mapa Lake View Bungalow. It's located away from the main options, but that's perfect for those seeking tranquility and peace. The bungalow is new and clean with two separate rooms. It's situated on a small hill with a beautiful view of the lake and Mount Abang. You can even enjoy a view of Mount Batur from the shower. The rooms are spacious and bright, very minimalist. And most importantly, the bedding is clean (which is a rare find in budget hotels in Bali). From this place, you can walk to the hot springs in about 15 minutes.

By the way, if you don't want to hike up Mount Batur, you can watch the sunrise right from your bed! The rising sun is visible from the room's windows!

827

2-day tour to the Kintamani region and climbing Batur volcano

477

Sunrise on the top of Batur and visiting the 'the dead village'

595

Crisis at Lake Batur: Indonesian Authorities Launch Large-Scale Clean-Up Initiative

303

Best active activities in Bali!

709

7 Must-do Things in Bali

30530

Comments

To the last comment

07/10/24

The most important thing is to get a good night's sleep beforehand, eat well, wear suitable shoes with a strong sole, bring a windbreaker, preferably with a hood, a hiking stick, technical gloves (cheap ones can be bought at ACE or in a hardware store), a flashlight (even better, a headlamp, which organizers often let their clients use during hikes), a backpack with mineral water. I also took brown sugar and a bun with me.

The hike is not long, but the terrain is very inconvenient, sand and hardened lava - their sharp edges can tear the sole, so you need sturdy shoes. Due to the sand and the incline, your foot can slip, and you might fall, so you'll try to grab onto bushes, making technical gloves more convenient.

The beauty at the top before sunrise is indescribable... so it's worth overcoming all of this!

I highly recommend taking a dip in the hot springs at the base of the volcano right after you return, it instantly relieves all the fatigue!

Good luck!

07/10/24

An interesting question, especially when considering what is cooler. If you're concerned about the incline, it depends on the path you choose to the summit. And if by 'cool' you mean fun and interesting, everyone has their preferences. I went to Batur just for the company and enjoyed everything - the sunrise, the view of the lake, and the descent through volcanic tuff among the vegetable patches. I had always wanted to visit Ijen because I watched a show about the river of blue fire as a child. However, we couldn't see it during our visit because we climbed with the sunrise, and it's only visible at night. You also need to descend a couple of kilometers on a challenging path to get close to the sulfur lake in the crater. Our guide wasn't ready for this feat and discouraged us. But the nature on Ijen is fascinating; it varies greatly depending on the wind direction and the sulfur emissions. I recommend making the effort to walk as far around its caldera as possible, rather than standing in line for a photo at the same tree. Also, note that Ijen is on Java, and getting there takes some effort. It took us about 4-5 hours from Ubud to the ferry, then a crossing, checking into a hotel, and waking up at 3 a.m. for the climb. Batur, on the other hand, is easily reachable from Ubud. You're picked up from the hotel at 3 a.m. and back in your room by 2 p.m., having soaked in hot springs after the hike.

07/10/24

From my experience, when you hike a volcano at night, you will inevitably sweat, and at the top, you sit in the wind waiting for the sunrise. Therefore, wear something light on the way, and change into dry clothes at the summit.

07/10/24

A bit about our ascent)

We wanted to climb by ourselves after reading reviews on independent ascents, marked some points (the road through the temple) and set off.

By the way, we were coming from the Sekumpul waterfall.

About 20 minutes before the official entrance to Batur, in the village, we already saw people with sticks, waving towards us, we tucked in behind cars that were clearly taking people to the ascent, thus painlessly passing several points with seated guides. It was 3 am.

We turned at the marked turn, and right behind us, a guide emerged from the darkness.

We tried to shake him off — fortunately, we already had some experience driving on what was practically off-road, but the guide, of course, knew the road and all the bumps better.

We stopped and tried talking to him in Russian, but the man with a stone face (unlike other Balinese) said he knew all our tricks, and that we perfectly understood each other. He began recording our numbers and calling.
We tried again to pass further and disappear without headlights, but he was very quick.

We had to return. There, we started a dialogue. Without haggling, they named a price of 120 per person and called a guide — a very cool guy!

This seems to suggest that there were too many people trying to sneak onto the ascent via this “secret” road, and now locals very closely monitor such tourists. I believe the situation would be the same at 1 or 2 am — we would have been turned back. It's their “business” and no one wants to lose money.

By the way, 120 is quite a reasonable price and the guy earned it worthily.

He secured us seats on benches with the best view of the sunrise, brought a mat to keep us warm, and even covered us with a blanket from somewhere. No rush, he answered all questions and showed us around everywhere we wanted.

And we were incredibly lucky with the sunrise! The “milk” only appeared when we began to descend)

So the “secret” spot may not be so secret anymore, but it offers a good saving and a comfortable ascent)