Leaving my king-sized bed, french press coffee, and rice field views from my poolside Bali villa to trek up Mt. Batur at 1:45 AM hardly sounded appealing. However, now having experienced this first hand and seeing the surreal panoramic view I can say it was certainly one hell of a memorable birthday.
Ahh that special moment exhilarated by the climb up 5,600 feet, waiting to get a glimpse of what was actually around me. From the darkness, I waited to see the landscape take shape with bright hues of pink and orange lightly illuminating its mountain edges. As the sky brightened with the morning sun Mt Batur, located along the Ring of Fire of volcanic activity, began to reveal itself along with Balis largest and widest lake at 7 square miles directly below.
Ok didn’t mean to give you the punch line first but couldn’t help myself…let me backtrack a bit to give you the play by play. We arrived at the base of the mountain at 3:30 AM. Our trek began in virtually the pitch black of the night with a hint of moonlit glow casting over the rugged topography. I was bundled in layers upon layers and zipped tightly in my North Face faux vegan down jacket, beanie hat, and hiking boots with my headlamp for a hands-free climb.
→ Check out my favorite travel accessories for Mt. Batur and beyond here.
Passing a few moonlight local homes, agricultural fields of hot peppers and tomatoes the easy paved path did not last long. The terrain quickly steepened and became quite dusty and rocky as I trailed the others in front of me trying to see in the darkness. We kept a good pace for the hour and a half upward climb and paused a couple times to take a sip of water and catch our breath. With less than 3 hours of sleep and being woken up from a bear like slumber, I was surprised at my unusual energy. The air was chilly and cool and I was really grateful I dressed warmly.
We reached our destination at 5 am and had plenty of time to wait in the darkness for the new day to begin. With my hot tea in hand and giddy school girl anticipation bubbling of what was around me I was wondering what I’d see when enough light evidenced itself. My feet dangled below me and I shivered as I waited with my camera ready and eager to capture mother nature at it’s finest moment.
The moment I came here for finally arrived. Blackness slowly turned to a midnight blue and the foggy mist below revealed itself and quickly began to dissipate. The sky began to brighten and evidenced Bali’s largest lake, with black lava visible from the last explosion in 2000 surrounding me up to the mountain peaks.
Ahhhh mother nature. In those seconds my fear of heights subsided and I was grateful for pushing myself up out my comfy bed to witness this spectacular sunrise. You won’t miss the sleep you didn’t get and you will remember that moment when you and mother nature are one.
→ Check out my favorite travel accessories for Mt. Batur and beyond here.
Ready to see this epic view? Being prepared ensures the best experience. There are definitely some things you should know before you decide to hike Mt. Batur. So, I’ve provided some travel tips to ensure you have the BEST experience. This is a trip you want to be prepared for. Below I have detailed the following information:
- How to get there?
- What to bring?
- What to wear?
- Good things to know.
- What to do after your hike? (hint: natural hot springs)
How to get there:
Distance from Ubud: 42 km (approx 1.5 hours)
Distance from Canggu 72 km (approx 2 hours)
Distance from Seminyak 72km (approx 2 hours)
Personally, I decided to have my favorite driver pick me up at 2:45 AM and drive me from Ubud for approx 500,000 for the day) and take us to the base of the mountain. You can shop for tours, but I wanted to try to sleep during the 1.5-hour drive
What to bring:
Water: For sure grab a recyclable water bottle and fill it up BEFORE you arrive…There are some vendors there but Bali has a plastic crisis and no more trash is needed on the island or its beaches.
Flashlight: I trekked on a full moon, but the moon lite mountain is still not enough to see the rocky path and carefully place my feet step by step. I love my ____headlamp it’s super lightweight and illuminates my view so I have my hands free so I can grip and climb up rocks when need be.
→ Check out my favorite travel accessories for Mt. Batur and beyond here.
What to wear:
Clothes – Layer Clothes Since you are starting your trek at about 3 am it’s dark and chilly. I was glad I did my research and wore long pants, tank top, long sleeved top, an insulated jacket, and warm beanie hat!
Jacket – Don’t buy down. Seven geese are live-plucked their feathers to make just one jacket. Its horrible cruel. Youtube it and watch it and you’ll never want to buy down again. So join me in boycotting down. I have found an awesome North Face cruelty-free jacket on my shop page. Go to my shop page and click ‘jackets’
Footwear– Much of the trail has small to large volcanic rocks and some steep inclines. I was really glad I wore my hiking boots to protect my ankles and help grip my footsteps easier. At a minimum for sure wear tennis shoes and not flip-flops.
Don’t forget to bring a bathing suit for the hot springs afterward!
Good things to know:
Toilets. There aren’t any toilets the entire way up or back…so go before the trek if possible and grab some toilet paper and be prepared to go in the bushes if need be.
Fitness level required: I was glad I wasn’t a smoker because depending on the pace you keep up will likely need to pause and rest a few times, but I think as long as your knees and ankles are in good condition for the steep climb and rocky sections you can take your time, take a sip of water and keep on keeping on!
Should you get a guide? Oh sure, you could wait for the crowds and just follow them if you really wanted to or you can start a little earlier like I did with a guide and beat the herds.
Some guides will also be able to give you a bit of local history about the mountain and help you navigate where there are fewer people. I was happily surprised to be taken to a section of the mountain where steam was rising from the volcano and saw some guides cooking eggs for their hiker’s breakfast.
Also, my guide discouraged me from going up the last leg of the hike because it’s way too crowded and the view was not any better than the ledge we found a short distance away. We also enjoyed some hot tea to warm us up why we rested and enjoyed the black dark skies turn from black to hues of orange and eliminate the lake below and shine across the vista.
How long is the hike?:
From the base of the mountain plan on about 1.5 – 2 hours hike to climb a height of 100 meters (5,775 ft).
When was the last time Mt. Batur was active?
In 1963 Mt Batur erupted and 75,000 residents were forced to evacuate.
Cost: If you hire a guide it’s about 500,000 for one or 600,000 for the group. As soon as you drive into the lot you will see dozens of guides who will be eager to be your guide. You don’t have to have a guide, and you could wait until the crowds all go up and follow along, but I was glad I did since we went up the mountain about 3 am and there were fewer people around and I surely would have gotten lost without some direction.
Guide and Entrance Fee:
500,000 IDR / US $33.84 for one person
600,000 IDR / US $40.61 for two or more people
Tour Packages:
I preferred to just get a private driver to take me from Ubud about 145am. (roundtrip private driver for the day 500,000) + Entrance fee.
What to do after your hike?
Toya Devasya Hot Springs & Wellness Resort
Batur, Kintamani, Bali – Indonesia
+62 819 9994 4323
info@toyadevasya.com
When I hear hot springs I’m all in! nothing better than soaking a body in a natural hot natural spring!
When I sleepily staggered into Toya Devasya, I have to confess I was disappointed that it was not a “natural” setting that I was entering but rather had huge obnoxious signs and horribly painted animal statues everywhere. On the bright side…after having less than 3 hours sleep and hiking up a mountain, I was freak’n grateful for a buffet breakfast, hot spring pools and a view out over the lake was sublime.
How to get to the Hot Springs from Mt. Batur?
Just 2.2 km away from Mt Batur, you wont have to go far….
→ Check out my favorite travel accessories for Mt. Batur and beyond here.
Additional resources:
The great lakes of Bali. Bali Now
Toya Devasya Hot Springs & Wellness Resort
Batur, Kintamani, Bali – Indonesia
+62 819 9994 4323
info@toyadevasya.com
