Mount Batur sunrise trek: what to expect from Ubud

Mount Batur sunrise trek is the most popular early start in central Bali: a climb of about 2 hours up a 1,717 m volcano to watch the sun come up. You start in the dark, around 3 or 4 am, and you can do it from Ubud with a driver and a local guide. The climb is easy for most fit people, but Bali's volcano alerts changed in late 2017, so check the advice first.

This guide covers the volcano, the route, the guide rules, a rough budget and how to check for warnings before you book.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Mount Batur; Wikitravel, Kintamani (2017 version).

What the mountain is

Mount Batur (Gunung Batur) is an active volcano in Bangli Regency, north west of Mount Agung. It sits in the middle of two huge calderas, with Lake Batur on the south east side. The cone rises about 700 m above the surface of Lake Batur. Its first recorded eruption was in 1804, and the most recent was in 2000.

About 15 villages sit inside the caldera, including Kedisan, Songan, Trunyan and Toya Bungkah. Most locals farm, but trekking has grown because the climb to the central crater is fairly simple. UNESCO added the Batur caldera to its Global Geoparks Network on 20 September 2012.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Mount Batur.

The climb and the timing

Wikitravel's 2017 entry calls it an easy climb of about 2 hours, and says you do not need to be in peak shape. Most trips leave Ubud in the middle of the night, so you reach the top before sunrise. The sun rises over Mount Agung to the east. Climbing before dawn also gives you the best chance of clear air, because cloud often covers the mountain from mid-morning.

There are two usual routes, both about the same length. The one from Toya Bungkah runs through shady forest for more than half of the way. The other starts at Pura Jati and crosses open lava fields with no shade and rough footing. Guides often cook an egg on warm rock at the top, which is a fun reminder that the volcano is alive.

• Pack a warm layer. The caldera rim is about 1,500 m up, and the area can be around 15 degrees cooler than the coast.
• Bring a torch, water and shoes with grip.
• Avoid the climb in heavy rain. Paths turn slippery, and Wikitravel advises skipping it in the depths of the wet season, December to February especially.

Sources for this section: Wikitravel, Kintamani (2017 version).

Guides, fees and local rules

Local rules matter on this mountain. Wikitravel says all guides belong to the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides, which has an office in Toya Bungkah village, where the treks start. It lists a fee of Rp 300,000 to 400,000 per guide, for up to 4 people. Guiding is not formally compulsory, but the same entry warns that walkers who skip a guide can be confronted at the start, and that some visitors dislike the association's hold on the climb.

Our advice is plain. Book a guide through your hotel or the association office before you arrive, and ask to see proof of membership. That avoids touts and high prices on the night. If you do climb without a guide in the dark, carry a route map, because many paths cross and the right one is not always clear.

The mountain is also sacred to the Balinese. A registered guide makes an offering on the way up. Treat that with respect, and stay out of farm land and temples. Women should cover their legs to the knee at temples.

Vehicles entering the Kintamani area pay a fee of Rp 10,000 per person, according to the same entry. Keep the ticket, as you may be asked to show it again.

Sources for this section: Wikitravel, Kintamani (2017 version).

What a trip from Ubud costs

Ubud is about 45 minutes from Kintamani by car, so most visitors book a package with pickup. Wikitravel lists two examples from Ubud operators: a Batur sunrise trek with breakfast on the summit and a hot spring swim at US$55, and a sunrise trek with a bamboo forest and village visit at US$65. Treat these as a guide only. Prices differ between operators and change with the season.

Ask what the price includes before you pay. The useful items are pickup, the guide, breakfast, the entry charge and any hot spring ticket.

Sources for this section: Wikitravel, Kintamani (2017 version).

How to check volcano advice before you book

Mount Agung is the reason to check. On 27 November 2017, Indonesia raised Agung to alert level four, the highest, and set a danger zone of 8 to 10 km around the crater. Bali's airport closed for 24 hours, which disrupted 445 flights and about 59,000 passengers. On 4 January 2018, the volcanology agency (PVMBG) cut the danger zone to 6 km, but kept the alert at level four.

That zone is around Agung, not Batur. Wikitravel notes that the parts of Batur you can reach safely change with local volcanic activity. So the advice for this trek is simple.

1. Check the official alert level for both Agung and Batur before you pay a deposit. Indonesia's volcano agency publishes these.
2. Read your government's travel advice. Australians can use the Smartraveller page for Indonesia.
3. Ask your operator in writing which route they will use if activity changes, and what refund they offer if the climb is closed.
4. Check flights with your airline, because ash can close the airport at short notice.
5. Follow your guide. Do not walk into closed areas for a better photo.

Check again on the day you climb. Alerts can move within hours.

Sources for this section: Scientific American, Bali volcano: Indonesia orders immediate evacuation as highest alert issued (27 November 2017); Coconuts Bali, Danger zone narrowed down to 6 kilometers (4 January 2018); Wikitravel, Kintamani (2017 version).

Sources

1. Wikipedia, Mount Batur: en.wikipedia.org
2. Wikitravel, Kintamani (including Climbing Mount Batur): wikitravel.org
3. Scientific American, Bali volcano: Indonesia orders immediate evacuation as highest alert issued: scientificamerican.com
4. Coconuts Bali, Danger zone narrowed down to 6 kilometers from smoking Bali volcano's crater, but alert remains at highest level: coconuts.co