A climb to the summit of Mount Batur - 1,700 metres and still an active volcano - to watch the sunrise is a great experience for more energetic travellers. This is an easy climb of about 2 hours, and local guides abound. You do not need to be in peak physical shape to complete this trek. Which parts of the mountain are safely accessible change according to local volcanic activity.
All guides will be members of the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides which has an office in Toyo Bungkah village (tel: +62 366 52362, 3AM-1PM), from where the treks commence. Book at the office or ask to see proof of membership to avoid problems later, and expect to pay Rp 300,000 to 400,000 per person. The association runs a cartel on climbing the mountain, and even if you have successfully scaled Everest, you will be obligated to hire a guide for this fairly low key, simple trek.
Use your common sense with the weather, but bear in mind that the paths become very slippery when it is raining, and climbs should be avoided altogether in the depths of the wet season (December to Februay especially).
There are two commonly used ascent routes. Both are about the same length, but by far the best is from Toya Bungkah itself, as more than half of the climb is through pleasant shady forest. The alternative route from Pura Jati is across ancient lava fields, there is no shade whatsoever, and underfoot conditions can be harsh. Longer treks of up to 10 hours are also available. These get you right off the beaten path, and will appeal more to serious trekkers. One rewarding option is to scale Mount Abang on the south eastern edge of the outer caldera. Ask at the guides association office.
Pre-dawn climbs timed to reach the peak at sunrise are popular, and also give you the best chance of avoiding the cloud which often envelopes the mountain from mid-morning onwards. From the peak of the mountain the views in all directions are quite splendid. The sun rises over much higher Mount Agung to the east, while the northerly aspect back towards the crater rim road takes in a large volcanic ash slope with several steaming, active cones. A popular little gimmick from the guides during the climb is to cook an egg on lava-heated rock. Fun, but also a stark reminder of just how active this volcano is.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Kintamani
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Kintamani Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
