Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 271

eastern side, the third-highest mountain
in Bali, and Gunung Penulisan (1745m)
on the northwest corner, with Pura
Puncak Penulisan on its summit. Rising
from the floor of this huge crater is
Gunung Batur (1717m), an active volcano
with four craters of its own and Danau
Batur lake nestled beside it. Many visitors
come to the area to climb Gunung Batur,
usually for the sunrise.
here's an admission charge to the area
(Rp11,000); the ticket o ces are just
south of Penelokan on the road from
Bangli and at the junction of the road
from Ubud and the rim road.

Gunung Batur and Gunung Abang tower
on either side of the lake. An entourage of
hawkers accompanies the hordes of
day-trippers who pass through Penelokan.
he only way to avoid the circus is to
come early or late, or stay overnight.
About 4km north of Penelokan, Pura
Ulun Danu Batur (daily sunrise-sunset;
admission by donation; sarong rental
available) is the second most important
temple on the island after Besakih. It's a
fascinating place to visit at any time as
there are usually pilgrims making offerings
and praying, and the mist that frequently
shrouds the area adds to the atmosphere.

The crater rim
he villages of Penelokan, Batur and
Kintamani are spread for 11km along the
rim of the vast ancient crater and virtually
merge. he views across the stark volcanic
landscape from Penelokan (1450m) are
majestic. Danau Batur lies far below, while

Danau Batur and around
Situated at the bottom of the ancient
crater, 500m below its rim, Danau Batur
is the largest lake in Bali, 8km long and
3km wide, and one of the most glorious.
Home of Dewi Danu, the goddess of the
crater lake, it is especially sacred to the

4

CLIMBING GUNUNG BATUR
Batur remains active so check the current situation for climbing at W vsi.esdm.go.id - it's
mostly in Indonesian but it is clear if a mountain is on alert. Climbing Batur is best in the
dry season (April-Oct).
There's a choice of routes up Gunung Batur . If you have your own wheels, the easiest
route is to drive to Serongga , off the Yehmampeh road, west of Songan. From the car park,
it's from thirty minutes to an hour to reach Batur I , the highest peak and largest crater.
The most common walking routes up to Batur I are from Toya Bungkah and Pura Jati .
The path from Pura Jati is shadeless and largely across old lava fields. From Toya Bungkah,
numerous paths head up through the forest (one starts just south of Arlina's guesthouse) and
up to the warung perched on the crater rim. Allow two to three hours to get to the top from
either start and about half that time to get back down.
A medium-length trek involves climbing to Batur I, walking around the rim and then
descending by another route (around 4hr 30min-6hr 30min return).
In daylight , you don't need a guide from Toya Bungkah or Pura Jati if you've a reasonable
sense of direction, but you shouldn't climb alone and you should let somebody responsible
know where you are going. If you climb in the dark , which most people do to reach the top
for the fabulous sunrise views, you'll need to leave around 4am, and a guide is vital.
GUIDES AND TREKKING AGENCIES
Local guides are organized into the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides , or
HPPGB ( T 0366 52362), with o ces in Toya Bungkah and at Pura Jati, and anyone who climbs
Batur is under intense pressure to engage them. However, in spite of “fixed” prices supposedly
displayed in the o ces (from Rp400,000/group of four people), they can be confusing to use.
Be absolutely sure you negotiate all details beforehand (for example, whether breakfast is
included and which route you take).
All hotels and the trekking agencies in Toya Bungkah arrange climbs. These include Jero
Wijaya Treks at Lakeside Cottages ( T 0366 51249), who charges from around Rp400,000. Bali
Sunrise ( T 0818 552669, W balisunrisetours.com) arranges treks including pick-ups throughout
Bali (Rp550,000-900,000/person depending on the pick-up point, the trek and whether
overnight accommodation in Toya Bungkah is included). Usually minimum of two people.