Mount Batur
An active Bali volcano, 1,717 m: two hours of climbing in the dark for sunrise over the caldera, Lake Batur and the cone of Mount Agung.
What it is
Batur is an active volcano in the Kintamani area. It stands inside a huge caldera, with Lake Batur at its foot, and last erupted in 2000. It is the easiest volcano hike on Bali: about 500 m of ascent and no technical sections. At sunrise the summit looks out over the lake and Agung and, on clear days, Rinjani on Lombok.
When and how
The classic option is the sunrise trek. Tours leave Ubud around 2 a.m., start walking by 4 and reach the crater in roughly two hours. Hiking with a local guide is the norm, and at the top guides cook eggs in the steam rising from vents in the rock. The dry season, April to October, is best; in the wet season clouds often hide the sunrise.
Tip
Bring a headlamp and a warm jacket: before dawn the summit is windy and can drop below 10 °C. After the descent, the hot springs on the lakeshore are a good way to warm up.
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