HazelDiary

Bali is known for beach paradise for tourists and temple visiting. But do you know that you can also explore sport activities and hiking in Bali too? My friends and I decided to hike Mount Batur during our recent trip to Bali.
Where is Mount Batur?
Mount Batur is an active volcano located at the center of two concentric calderas north west of Mount Agung on the island of Bali, Indonesia. The south east side of the larger 10×13 km caldera contains a caldera lake (taken from Wikipedia). The last eruption was in year 2000 and it is 1717 metres.

Mount Batur hike is worth for the sunrise hike. This is the only one activity that requires an early wake-up call but trust me, it is worth it. My friends and I had a memorable experience hiking up.

How To Get To Mount Batur
It depends on your location in Bali. We stayed in Seminyak and we took 1.5-2 hours car ride. If you are travelling from Ubud, you only need 1 -1.5 hours car ride. We hired private car charter to bring us to the location. Alternatively, you can also book a sunrise trek that includes hotel/villa pickup. The sunrise trek will include transportation and a guide up to the top depending on which package you choose.





When To Trek/Hike Mount Batur
Most reviews said that the best time to trek Mount Batur is during dry day season in Bali, which is from May to September. It is advisable not to trek on a rainy or cloudy day as the route is steep and slippery.

Duration/ How Long Is The Trek/ Hike To Top of Mount Batur?
The Mount Batur sunrise trekking tours starts from 3plus in the morning and it is complete darkness to make your way up. It takes approximately 2 hours to summit Mount Batur and 2 hours to trek down. The whole process is approximately 5 hours including watching the sunrise on the top.

Things To Prepare For Mount Batur
1.  Headlamp / Torchlight – We started pitch dark so this is essential. I would suggest to have a headlamp so your hands can free up.
2.  Water – Although the sunrise trek will comes with a bottle of water for everyone, I would recommend you to bring your own for the hike. You need to consume more than just a small bottle of water.
3.  Snacks– Although breakfast is included in the package, you might more than just the simple breakfast prepared by the guide. Pack some biscuits or protein bars along with you.
4.  Insect Repellent – There will be pesky mosquitoes on the trail so be sure you spray or apply insect repellent over your body
5.  Trekking/ Hiking Shoes– Be sure to wear the right shoes for hiking. I wore my running shoes which are fine but then again trekking shoes would be ideal. The reason is that hiking footwear have good grip and protect your feet from rocks and debris on the trail.
6.  Light Windbreaker– You will get chilly later at the summit while waiting for the sunrise. So, bring your windbreaker to protect you. I wore the Parka from Uniqlo which is sufficient and also light weight.
7.  Lightweight Gadgets– We wouldn’t want to miss capturing the beautiful moments with our camera. However, getting to the top and hiking down is quite challenging. You need to be as light as possible when you are trekking. I would suggest for lightweight travel tripod or cameras. Actually phone cameras can do wonder too with some editing.




Insider Tips for the Hike/Trek
1. Jacket Rental Service– There will be a lady renting out the jacket in case you do not bring enough jackets to keep you warm up to the summit. The jacket rental rate is around IDR50,000 to IDR75,000. I would suggest you to wear layers instead of renting it.
2. Dirt Bike Service – There will be locals riding the bike from the midpoint that can take you up to a certain point and gets you down with additional charges. Price rate range from IDR20,000 to IDR40,000 depending on the pick up point.
3. Stay Connected– Surprisingly the telco reception was quite strong. I got my SIM CARD here.

Here are some photos taken at the summit while waiting for our guide to prepare our breakfast. Our breakfast includes sandwich and boiled egg. Simple breakfast before we prepare to descent the mountain.







The whole experience was quite memorable as we need to brace the steep route and slippery rubble. We need to constantly stay focus throughout the hike as there are no safety grips. For those who rarely exercise, please make sure you build up your stamina before you go for the hike.

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