Mt. Batur - what to know before trekking the volcanic mountain and how to reward yourself after it!

Mount Batur is one of the active volcanos in Bali with a height of 1717 meters above sea level. It’s essentially a night trek that allows you to catch the sunrise emerging from the clouds surrounding the mountain top.

Being a night trek, you get the experience of trekking under the blanket of a starlit sky above you. As you advance further you also get a bird’s eye view of a beautiful trail of torchlights created by all trekkers behind you. One peculiar memory I have here was a point in the trek where the mountain surface had a small opening leading to a deep cavity; and our trek guide asked us to put our hands close to it. Being a volcanic mountain, we could actually feel the warmth emanating from beneath the surface despite the cold weather outside!

The summit was slightly disappointing in the sense that the clouds made it difficult for us to get a clear view of the sunrise. Regardless, we had a great time having warm beverages in the pleasant weather while enjoying the view of Lake Batur and the magnificent Mount Agung across the lake. You can also stroll a bit on the summit and spot the volcanic crater on the west and spot some monkeys chilling alongside.

How to get there:

Several local guides and tour operators (also available online) offer the trek services including pick-up and drop services and trek essentials such as water, torch lights, etc. It is best to consult your hotel / BnB regarding the guides in the area.

The pick-up for us was around 1:30 am from Seminyak (2:30 am from Ubud) followed by a 2 hour drive (1 hour from Ubud) to the starting point.

Time taken:

The trek starts around 3:00 am and it takes about 2-2.5 hours to ascend to the summit. Approximately the same amount of time is taken to descend so expect yourself to reach your car around 9:30-10:00 am (depending on your group speed, number of breaks, time spent at the summit, etc.)

Cost: IDR 500,000 / pax (INR 2,500 / pax)

Tips:

It is a moderately challenging trek but manageable for beginners. The first half of the trek is relatively flat which eventually gets steeper and rocky (wearing good shoes is a must!).

The descent is from a different route and is not as rocky (we observed people cycling down that route too!).

The weather at night as well as on the summit top is relatively cold so it is advisable to carry a warm jacket along (we had to rent jackets from locals at the starting point).

Book your stay in Ubud a day prior to the trek to get that extra hour of sleep.