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It’s 1.15am 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 finding 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 to the side. Immediately, my friend opened the door and puked some more. What a great start to our morning aye.
1. 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, loves 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 ally. 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: First documented eruption was in 1804 and most recent is in 2000
Elevation: 1,717 meters
How long to climb: 2–3 hours (depends 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
2. MY EXPERIENCE
RATING: 4/5
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.
3. 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.
- 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.
4. WHAT TO WEAR TO HIKE THE VOLCANO
- Wear a jacket or long sleeves and long pants or joggers. This will protect you from the chilly temperature as you ascends. You can wear a t-shirt underneath once the sun rises as it gets warmer later in the day.
- Use comfortable shoes with a good grip and socks. You don’t really need a proper hiking shoes (but perfect if you already have one). A good pair of running shoes will do.
- Wear a beanie or a cap. It comes in handy to protect your head from the chilly morning hike and also from the glaring sun later in the day.
5. WHAT TO BRING TO MOUNT BATUR
- Light backpack. As you will be hiking up for hours, it’s better to travel lightly and with only essentials.
- Ready a proper flashlight or a small headlamp. As mentioned before – It’s dark. The provided flashlights may not be sufficient enough. So it’s better to bring your own.
- Bring a hiking stick. It’s not really necessary. I’ve seen people used one. If you think it’ll help you hike better then go for it.
- Bring a water bottle. Always good to stay hydrated along the way.
- Ready your rain gear – rain jacket or poncho. Just in case of rain or hikes during the rainy season.
- Bring the essentials – Sunscreen, sunglasses and cash for better protection from the morning sun and sometimes, you might wanna get some snacks from the locals.
6. CAMERA EQUIPMENT
Camera gear – Of course, let’s not forget our handy-dandy camera. Like your go-pro, digital camera or even just your phone. So you can keep these memories forever. For my hike, I mainly used my DJI Osmo Pocket 2 and my iPhone 12 mini for my videos and images. The quality is good enough despite the dark environment. It would be nice as well to have a 360 action camera to really capture the 360 view all around the volcano.
7. MOUNT BATUR TREK 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
BOOK YOUR MOUNT BATUR TOUR TODAY
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.
8. BOTTOMLINE
Mount Batur is an exciting activity to do, just as long you’re prepared and physically fit. The view from the top is surreal and it’s a great way to tick this off your bucket list. As a beginner hiker, it was a challenge because it gets hard to breathe on cold temperature and steep inclines but, I think all the struggles are worth it for one of the best views in Bali.
Mount Batur Related Videos
I Hiked An Active Volcano
Mount Batur Virtual Tour
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