Kintamani and Mount Batur Place guide

Nature enthusiasts who love hiking and want to immerse themselves in the tropical Bali landscape while absorbing local culture should head to the Kintamani and Mount Batur area. Found in north east Bali, the climate is notably cooler than in the lowlands of south Bali. Mount Batur holds significant spiritual importance to the Balinese, second only to Mount Agung. Plan a visit to the Pura Batur temple for an architectural feast. As a still-active volcano, trekkers should check conditions with their agency before heading up the mountain. A sunrise trek up Mount Batur can lead to breathtaking panoramas once up the volcano, best seen in the months from January to June. A more adrenaline-packed alternative to hiking is the Black Lava Jeep Tour that heads around Mount Batur.

Kintamani, at an elevation of 1,500m above sea level, offers up grand views of the majestic mountain range and lower lying areas. Kintamani holds a vibrant market every three days where you can take the chance to get cheap Indonesian food and freshly-caught fish from the lake. In nearby Penulisan, you can find the perfect spot to capture a viewpoint of Gunung Batur, Gunung Abang, and Gunung Agung. Pura Puncak Penulisan is also in this village, and it is considered the highest temple in Bali at 1,745m above sea level.

Don’t forget to take your essentials and cash with you to the region as services are hard to come by, and take care not to get duped by aggressive local vendors.

GETTING THERE

Ride a bemo heading to Kintamani from Denpasar, which will cost roughly IDR15,000. If you prefer to take a bus, catch one along the Denpasar-Batubulan-Singaraja route, which stops in Kintamani for ID16,000. Otherwise, you can take a motorbike or rent a private car and head north via Jl Raya Payangan.