13 Tips & Tricks On How To Hike Mount Batur
It’s 1.15 am in Seminyak, Bali and my head is spinning from lack of sleep, and having fun 2 hours ago. A rookie mistake that I should have never done.
Today is Hiking Day. I never thought I would be hiking an active volcano in my life! This is insane. My friends and I, quickly prepared ourselves and patiently waited at the hotel lobby for our local driver.
The ride was fast and quiet, but I found out that Bali roads are filled with twists and turns, uphill and downhill. It didn’t sit right with my tummy. The alcohol from last night started churning but it was too late for my friend who was gripping her tummy and the car seat beside me.
She jammed open the car window and started puking on the road. The driver quickly pulled the car on the side and immediately, she opened the door and puked some more. What a great start to our morning aye.
WHAT IS MOUNT BATUR?
About: Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking Tour is one of the most popular things you must do in Bali as a tourist. If you’re into outdoor activity, love sunrises, and up for a challenge to hike an active volcano in the middle of the night? Then this is a perfect activity for you!
And even if you’re a total beginner, like I am. You must be worried if this is up your alley. That’s why I’m writing this blog to share with you some tips if you’re hiking Mount Batur as a total beginner based on my experience.
Location: Mount Batur — Bali, Indonesia
Status: Active Volcano
Eruption: The first documented eruption was in 1804 and the most recent was in 2000
Elevation: 1717 meters
How long to climb: 2–3 hours (depending on individuals)
Hiking Difficulty: Medium / Difficult. But it is also beginner-friendly. From what I’ve read online there are other routes that you can take depending on your level. You can enquire with your tour guide
DO YOU NEED TRAVEL IDEAS FOR YOUR TRIP TO MT BATUR IN BALI?
READ OUR FULL 6 Things You Need To Know Before Hiking Mount Batur BLOG POST FOR MORE TRAVEL IDEAS
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: 4/5 Stars
MY EXPERIENCE
I’m a casual walker-in-the-park kind of a gal. One of the toughest walks I’ve done is either MacRitchie Reservoir or Bukit Timah Hill. And that’s easy-peasy for seasoned hikers. So if a casual hiker like me can do it, for sure, you can! Just as long you’re in good health and get yourself prepared before the hike. You best bet, the view from the top will be worth it — given that it’s great weather.
13 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- Download WhatsApp app. This is one of the main channels that your local tour guide will contact you.
- Have enough sleep. The sunrise tours start before sunrise. Perhaps you start at around ~4am and hike for 2 hours or so. Reached the top at ~6 a.m. and that’s enough time before the sunrise. So make sure that you have enough sleep.
- It’s cold. I’m not kidding. So better prepare a jacket or warm clothes that are thick and convenient enough that you can hike with
- Use comfortable shoes with a good grip. This will really help most especially when you start hiking on soft sands. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve slipped.
- It’s dark. Tours may provide flashlights but sometimes it doesn’t light the ground enough to see better. So better bring your own.
- Bring a hiking stick. I’ve not used one when I was there but I’ve seen people using it. It seems easier to move the cause of the support. This is optional.
- Bring a water bottle. Tours provide water bottles but it doesn’t hurt to bring your own too. Stay hydrated.
- Bring snacks. Tours provide snacks or breakfast at the top but in case, there isn’t any. You can be prepared and enjoy the view while you munch.
- No toilet in the middle of the hike. This is nature. So just be prepared that there’s no privacy to go to the loo while hiking.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are a lot of hikers around. Sometimes your tour guide could be helping your other friend. If you need help don’t be afraid to ask for help from a stranger.
- Beware of monkeys at the top. Upon reaching the top, the crowd starts to gather, the monkeys come to play. Be aware of your items and food, they can steal it from you. They definitely stole our breakfast. Lol.
- Motorbike taxis are available for a price. If you’re not in best fit, no worries. There are motorbike rides that you can hire to help you get on top. If you’re in the middle of the hike and you can’t seem to continue. Just let your tour guide know and they will call up a motorbike taxi and it will help you go up faster. Just hold on tightly, the road can be very steep! Also be aware that on the last climb, you still need to go on foot to reach the top.
- Make sure to go in a dry season. Try not to go during the rainy season — November — March. The dry season is from April to October.
MOUNT BATUR SUNRISE TREKKING PRICE
There are a lot of tour companies that provide a tour of Mount Batur. While we were doing our research it’s either we were looking at Klook or Viator. Then we stumbled upon the ‘Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking’ website and they seem to have a lot of reviews. So we enquired for 3 pax.
Average price: 40 USD — 60 USD / pax
Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking: 40 USD / pax
By the looks of it, it seems like a reasonable price. We had to deposit 15 USD per person to the tour operator’s Paypal account and pay the remaining 25 USD in cash (Indonesian Rupiah) upon meeting with the guide.
BEWARE: Initially, there was one guide that was allocated to us (3 pax). However, somewhere in the middle of the hike, a little boy — maybe 9 years old — joined in and was instructed to guide us — who were a little bit slower.
At the beginning, it was great but as we reached the top. The guide started asking for tips for the little boy. Obviously, we were aware of this kind of extra tipping and we respect the hassle for such a young age. What got to our nerves was when the tour guide started asking for more money.
One of our friends who can speak Bahasa started to feel annoyed and started talking to them in their local language. It came as a surprise to the guide, the conversation got a little heated. At the end of it all, we gave what we think is enough and we were too tired to even argue further.
So just be aware of this extra tipping.
DO YOU NEED TRAVEL IDEAS FOR YOUR TRIP TO BALI, INDONESIA?
WATCH OUR VLOG ON HOW TO SPEND 4 DAYS IN BALI | PART 1| Mount Batur, Bali Waterfall, Rice Terrace Bali FOR MORE TRAVEL IDEAS
STORYTIME
It was said that Mount Batur is one of the most popular hiking spots in Bali because of its amazing sunrise panoramic view.
Indeed it was.
Upon arriving at the foot of the hike, two things that strike me…
It was very cold.
It was very dark.
So we met our guide and got our free bottle of water and a flashlight. It was quite exciting what was waiting at the top for us. Yet, daunting because the path we were walking on was completely dark and the flashlight barely lit up the ground.
I like to hike or take walks around the national parks in Singapore but this hike… This is something else. It will really take a toll on your legs. The elevation and steep inclines are rough and that’s why having a guide is very important. They know where to place your footings and they can hold you on rough ground.
What’s beautiful is that as you walk up, there are other hikers like me who are struggling. Lol. We walk past them and we cheer for each other. It was like a whole marathon — everybody was literally nice and amazing.
At one of the rest spots, a little boy — maybe 9 years old — came out of nowhere and started following our group. The guide instructed him to guide my friend and me, while the main guide was with our guy friend who is a lot faster.
Despite stumbling on soft dirt and coldness, it was a scenic route. It was amazing to see a glimpse of the sun peeking at the night sky. The sounds of the insects chirping in the trees. The sounds of the other hikers struggling as much as you do.
Halfway through my friend decided to take the Motorbike Taxi and ride up near to the top. And so I’m alone now with the little boy, trudging along the dirt path. I almost wanted to give up as well but I can’t. I have to finish this hike.
Near the top, I finally met up with the others and together, we hiked up the last part of the journey.
It was pretty crowded at the top. It was kind of scary because the path was a little uneven and with one wrong move, you could fall into the cliff. We were so tired and hardly feel our legs.
Our legs had turned jelly.
There are benches at the top that have a panoramic view of the lake and mountains. We sat there as we watched the sunrise before our eyes.
Nothing gets better than this.
The guide served us our breakfast with bread and tea or coffee. Unfortunately, we didn’t move fast enough and it got snatched away by the monkeys.
They’re everywhere!
Oh well… There goes our breakfast.
On our way down was even more picturesque because you have now, a very clear and beautiful view of the lake. The blue skies and mountains.
It’s such a magnificent view. I will never forget this sunrise trek.
This has been the most challenging hike I’ve ever done in my life. And I’m proud to have trekked this active volcano. Although, I wish I could have gone way higher where you can see the crater or the smokes from.
But I was already exhausted.
And to be honest, I was a little scared because the pathway was narrower when you go up and I might slip due to fatigue.
That’s just my head playing with me.
But if I were to trek this place again, I would love to go up higher and see one of the many highlights here in Mount Batur.
DO YOU NEED TRAVEL IDEAS FOR YOUR TRIP IN BALI, INDONESIA?
You can check out the:
- Travel Blog Post: How To Spend 4 Days In Bali — A Complete Itinerary For Bali
- Youtube Vlog: ‘HOW TO SPEND 4 DAYS IN BALI | PART 1| Mount Batur, Bali Waterfall, Rice Terrace Bali’
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