After wandering around Ubud, Bali for a few days and seeing the rice terraces, I decided to hop on an excursion that my hostel had listed. I’d seen hiking Mount Batur at sunrise listed in a few places but wasn’t sure if it’d be worth it.
Worth it, it was.
Mount Batur is an active volcano in Bali, Indonesia and it’s 5, 633 feet above sea level. Climb an active volcano? Yes, please.
How long is the hike to Mount Batur?
I was picked up from my hostel at 2:00 am followed by 4 other girls. Once everyone was picked up, we had about an hour drive from Ubud to Mount Batur. We stopped to get sustenance and probably started the hike around 3:30-4 am.
Our tour was led by a young guide and he actually took us a different way up. It was slightly away from the rest of the tour groups. We hiked in the darkness for about 2 hours and had plenty of time to find a spot to watch the sunrise. There was no rush to start the hike down and we had lots of time for pictures.
I arrived back to Ubud at about 10:30 am after the hour-long drive back to the city.
Costs
I believe it was about $24 for the sunrise tour at Mount Batur. It included pick up, drop off, an early breakfast and a snack at the top of the volcano.
What to Wear
After spending a year in China, I had condensed my clothing situation so that I could backpack Asia for 3 months and only packed the essentials. Apparently I didn’t think workout gear was essential because I did not bring proper tennis shoes.
Let me stress: proper tennis shoes are important.
The hike up is through the darkness with a small flashlight. We were lucky to have chosen a night with a full moon (completely coincidental in my case) and had a little extra visibility. But rocks and holes can come out of nowhere. Good tennis shoes will help a lot.
While the hike up can cause quite a sweat, the temperatures were lower the higher we got. I had a light wind breaker and was fairly cold once we hit the top (this was in September). I’d recommend wearing leggings and having layers so that you have the option to get cooler or warmer. Our guide handed us a blanket once we got to the top, but blankets were a little scarce.
What To Bring
Apart from the extra layers mentioned above, make sure to bring lots of water and maybe a few snacks. Our tour started off with a banana pancake and coffee at about three in the morning (included with our tour). When we arrived at the top, we were given banana sandwiches (I don’t rememberer eating this ha) and eggs that were boiled in volcanic steam.
Our guide also provided us with a small flashlight so we didn’t have to worry about getting one.
How hard is hiking Mount Batur?
The hike up was not too strenuous, even though I was out of shape and wearing cheap fashion sneakers. It is uphill hiking for two hours though. When I say ‘not too strenuous’, I mean that I didn’t feel like I was dying at any point. I was definitely sweating and breathing hard. Some sections are steeper than others, some are more moderate.
What to Expect
Our guide took us on an alternate route which was great because there were many other groups doing the hike. All you could see was a snake of flashlights winding up the volcano. Luckily the path we took was void of people and we ended up at the top before the crowds arrived.
At the top, you have a (hopefully) beautiful view. I was a little nervous at first because the sky wasn’t very clear. But sure enough, when the sun started to rise, the sky cleared and we had a beautiful view. Here is a little sunrise progression:
After the sun comes up, I’d recommend staying for a little while at the top. We had this incredible cloud coverage come in and it surrounded Mount Batur. It was beautiful to be above the clouds with the morning sun.
The way down was where it got interesting. The path is covered in a thick volcanic ash/dirt mixture. It’s very slippery and the path can be a little steep at times.
Honestly it was like skiing. You could just slide down at some parts because it was so thick. My fashion tennis shoes did not stand a chance and actually it was quite painful because I got so much dirt/ash in my shoes.
We stopped near a part where you can see steam rising and there was a swarm of monkeys. They were everywhere! And watch your belongings around them. They will steal whatever is in sight!
My water bottle was tucked in a side pocket in my bag and a monkey came up to me and snatched it out! Then he proceeded to BITE the bottom of it and chug the water from the bottom!
When I signed up for this tour, I actually didn’t think I would love it as much as I did. The hike wasn’t too long, the views from Mount Batur were beautiful and it was such a unique experience. How many times do you have the opportunity to hike an active volcano?! It’s an early morning but hiking Mount Batur was so worth it!
Depending on how much time you have in Bali, there are some definite places to add to your list. Check out this epic 10-day guide to Bali from Four Broads Abroad to see the best spots around the island!
Heading to other countries nearby? These SE Asia bucket list items are a great place to start!
PIN IT FOR LATER
Leave a Reply