Dive ConceptsGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0812 3684 5440; www.diveconcepts.com; dm 50,000Rp, r 100,000-300,000Rp; aW)
A great place to meet other divers, this busy French-run dive shop has an old-school guesthouse with 12 rooms in a variety of flavours (from cold water and fan to hot water and air-con), including six-bed dorms. It has barbecue and film nights, too.
Puri Madha Beach BungalowsHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0363-22921; www.purimadhabeachhotel.weebly.com; r 500,000-600,000Rp; aWs)
Re-styled bungalow-style units lying directly opposite the Liberty wreck dive site offshore. The best of the 21 rooms have air-con and hot water. The spacious grounds feel like a public park, and there is a swish pool area overlooking the ocean. You can't beat getting out of bed and swimming right out to a famous shipwreck.
Deep Blue StudioGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0363-22919; www.diving-bali.com; s/d/tr incl breakfast US$28/44/60; Ws)
Owned by Czechs, this dive operation has 10 rooms in two-storey buildings on the hill side of the road. It's an attractive place and is well set up for dive classes and chilling out after a day in the depths. Rooms have fans and balconies. A variety of packages are available with the affiliated dive shop.
8Getting There & Away
Plenty of buses and bemos travel between Amlapura and Singaraja and will stop anywhere along the Tulamben road, but they're infrequent after 2pm. Expect to pay 12,000Rp to either town.
Central Mountains
Most of Bali’s mountains are volcanoes; some are dormant, but some are definitely active. The mountains divide the gentle sweep of fertile land to the south from the narrow, more arid strip to the north. Northwest of Gunung Agung is the stark and spectacular caldera that contains the volcanic cone of Gunung Batur (1717m), the waters of Danau Batur and numerous smaller craters. In central Bali, around Bedugul, there's another complex of volcanic craters and lakes, with much lusher vegetation.
It’s all a big change if you've come from the coastal areas. Temperatures fall and you may need something warmer than shorts. There are two main routes through the mountains to the north coast (via Gunung Batur and via Bedugul), which allow you to make a circuit. There are hikes to do, clear lake waters to enjoy, and a few other natural and sacred sites of note, especially the mysterious temple Pura Luhur Batukau, the nearby Unesco-recognised ancient rice terraces in and around Jatiluwih, and stupendous hiking around the old colonial village of Munduk.
Gunung Batur
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Most day visitors come on organised tours and stop at the crater rim at Penelokan for views and lunch; most overnight visitors stay in the villages around the lake. The views both from above and from lake level are truly wonderful – if you hit the area on a clear day.
Gunung Batur Area
1Sights
1Pura BaturA3
2Pura Puncak PenulisanA1
2Activities, Courses & Tours
3Batur Natural Hot SpringC3
C.BaliC4
4PPPGBC3
4Sleeping
5Hotel SegaraC4
6Under the Volcano IIIC3
5Eating
7Kedisan Floating HotelC4
8Pulu Mujung WarungB4
2Activities
The setting for Gunung Batur is otherworldly: it’s like a giant dish, with the bottom half covered with water and a set of volcanic cones growing in the middle. Visit the area on a clear day and you’ll understand what all the fuss is about. Soaring up in the centre of the huge outer crater is the cone of Gunung Batur (1717m), formed by a 1917 eruption. A cluster of smaller cones lies beside, created variously by eruptions in 1926, 1963, 1974 and 1994. The last eruption was in 2000.
But is it worthwhile to go through the hassle and the expense of making the climb? You’ll get some amazing photos and come close to volcanic action not easily seen anywhere. But the flipside is that it’s costly; you have to deal with various characters; and at some point you may just say, ‘I could have enjoyed all this from the car-park viewpoint in Penelokan.’
Even reputable and highly competent adventure tour operators from elsewhere in Bali cannot take their customers up Gunung Batur without paying the PPPGB and using one of its guides, so these tours are relatively expensive.
Pretty much all the accommodation in the area can help you put a trek together. They can also recommend hassle-free alternatives to Batur, such as the outer rim of the crater, or trips to other mountains such as Gunung Agung.
Trips from Ubud are also easily arranged, from where you have the advantage of joining other trekkers in order to share costs.
PPPGBHIKING
(Mt Batur Tour Guides Association; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0366-52362; Toya Bungkah; h3am-6pm)
The PPPGB (formerly HPPGB) has a monopoly on guided climbs up Gunung Batur. It requires all trekking agencies to hire at least one of its guides for trips up the mountain, and has a reputation for tough tactics in requiring climbers to use its guides. A simple ascent costs 350,000Rp; the main crater 500,000Rp; exploration of additional volcanic cones 650,000Rp; plus an additional 10,000Rp per person. Prices are fixed and inclusive for groups of four.
Equipment
If you're climbing before sunrise, take a torch (flashlight) or be absolutely sure that your guide will provide you with one. You'll need good strong footwear, a hat, a jumper (sweater) and drinking water.
Routes
Most travellers use one of two trails that start near Toya Bungkah. The shorter one is straight up (three to four hours return), while a longer trek (five to six hours return) links the summit climb with the other craters. Climbers have reported that they have easily made this journey without a PPPGB guide, although it shouldn’t be tried while it's dark. The major obstacle is actually avoiding any hassle from the guides themselves.
There are a few separate paths at first, but they all rejoin sooner or later and after about 30 minutes you’ll be on a ridge with quite a well-defined track. It gets pretty steep towards the top and it can be hard walking over the loose volcanic sand – you'll be climbing up three steps and sliding back two. Allow about two hours to get to the top.
There's also a third track, which enables you to use private transport to within about 45 minutes’ walk of the top. From Toya Bungkah, take the road northeast towards Songan and take the left fork after about 3.5km at Serongga, just before Songan. Follow this inner-rim road for another 1.7km to a well-signposted track on the left, which climbs another 1km or so to a car park. From here, the walking track is easy to follow to the top.
8Information
Gunung Batur has developed a well-deserved reputation as a money-grubbing place where visitors (mainly around Penelokan) are hassled by touts and wannabe mountain guides (mainly around the lake area). Of course, the guides themselves can be a problem, too. Don’t leave valuables in your car, especially at any car park at the start of a volcano trail. Don’t even leave a helmet with a motorcycle.
8Getting There & Around
From Batubulan terminal in Denpasar, bemos make regular trips to Kintamani (18,000Rp). You can also get a bus on the busy Denpasar Batabulan–Singaraja route, which makes stops in both Penelokan and Kintamani (about 18,000Rp). Alternatively, you can hire a car or use a driver. From south Bali expect to pay around 500,000Rp. Bemos shuttle between Penelokan and Kintamani (about 10,000Rp to Toya Bungkah). Later in the day, you may have to charter transport (50,000Rp or more).
Around Gunung Batur
As of 2015 there's a 30,000Rp entrance fee (plus 5000Rp per vehicle) to access the area, which you'll be stopped to pay at the roadside ticket office.
Penelokan
Appropriately, Penelokan means 'place to look', and you'll be stunned by the view across to Gunung Batur and down to the lake at the bottom of the crater (check out the large lava flow on Gunung Batur).
5Eating
Although the huge tourist restaurants on the road from Penelokan to Kintamani disappoint, there are so
me acceptable choices here, including many humble open-air joints where you can sit on a plastic chair and have a simple, freshly cooked meal while enjoying a priceless view.
oPulu Mujung WarungINDONESIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 3864 4037; Penelokan; mains 38,000-65,000Rp; h9am-6pm)S
Easily the best option for a meal in the area, this fantastic cafe has epic volcano views. It's affiliated with the much-loved Sari Organik restaurant in Ubud. Soups are enjoyable in the cool mountain air, and you can also choose from salads, pizzas, Indo specials, homemade wines, juices, smoothies and more.
Kintamani & Batur
The villages of Kintamani and Batur now virtually run together. Kintamani is famed for its large and colourful market, which is held every three days. The town is like a string bean: long, with pods of development. Activity starts early, and by 11am everything's all packed up. If you don't want to go on a hike, the sunrise view from the road here is good.
Spiritually, Gunung Batur is the second most important mountain in Bali (only Gunung Agung outranks it), so the temple, Pura Batur ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; admission 10,000Rp, sarong & sash rental 3000Rp), is of considerable importance. It's a great stop for the architectural spectacle. Within the complex is a Taoist shrine.
Penulisan
The road gradually climbs along the crater rim beyond Kintamani, and is often shrouded in clouds, mist or rain. Penulisan is where the road bends sharply and heads down towards the north coast and the remote scenic drive to Bedugul. A viewpoint ( GOOGLE MAP ; Penulisan) about 400m south of here offers an amazing panorama over three mountains: Gunung Batur, Gunung Abang and Gunung Agung.
Near the road junction, several steep flights of steps lead to Bali's highest temple, Pura Puncak Penulisan ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), at 1745m. Some of the sculptures date back to the 11th century.
Around Danau Batur
The farming villages down on the lakeside grow onions and other aromatic crops. It’s a crisp setting with often superb lake and mountain views.
Kedisan & Buahan
A hairpin-bend road winds its way down from Penelokan to Kedisan on the shore of the lake.
2Activities
oC.BaliADVENTURE TOUR
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %info only 0813 5342 0541; www.c-bali.com; Hotel Segara, Kedisan; tours from adult/child 450,000/350,000Rp)
Operated by an Australian–Dutch couple, C.Bali offers bike tours around the region and canoe tours on Danau Batur. Prices include pickup across south Bali. Packages also include multiday trips. A very important note: these tours often fill up in advance, so book ahead through the website.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hotel SegaraGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0366-51136; www.batur-segarahotel.com; Kedisan; r incl breakfast 250,000-600,000Rp; W)
The popular Segara has bungalows set around a cafe and courtyard. The cheapest of the 32 rooms have cold water; the best rooms have hot water and bathtubs – perfect for soaking after an early trek.
Kedisan Floating HotelBALINESE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 3775 5411, 0366-51627; Kedisan; meals from 25,000Rp; h8am-8pm; W)
This hotel on the shores of Danau Batur is hugely popular for its daily lunches. On weekends tourists vie with day-trippers from Denpasar for tables out on the piers over the lake. The Balinese food, which features fresh lake fish, is excellent. You can also stay here: the best rooms are cottages at the water's edge (from 400,000Rp).
Toya Bungkah
The main tourist centre for the area is Toya Bungkah, which is scruffy but has a cute charm and a serene lakeside setting.
2Activities
Hot springs bubble in a couple of spots, and have long been used for bathing pools.
Batur Natural Hot SpringHOT SPRINGS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 3832 5552; Toya Bungkah; admission from 150,000Rp; h8am-6pm)
This ever-expanding complex is on the edge of Danau Batur. The three pools have different temperatures, so you can simmer yourself successively. The overall feel of the hot springs matches the slightly shabby feel of the entire region. Lockers and towels are included with admission, and the simple cafe has good views.
4Sleeping
Under the Volcano IIIGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 3860 0081; Toya Bungkah; s/d incl breakfast 150,000/200,000Rp; W)
Featuring a lovely, quiet lakeside location opposite chilli plots, this inn has six clean and simple rooms; go for room 1 right on the water. There are two other nearby inns in the Volcano empire, all run by the same lovely family.
Danau Bratan
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Approaching from south Bali, you gradually leave the rice terraces behind and ascend into the mountain country around Danau Bratan. Candikuning is the main village in the area, and has an important and picturesque temple, Pura Ulun Danu Bratan. Munduk anchors the region with fine hiking to waterfalls and cloud-cloaked forests and to nearby Danau Tamblingan. Note that it is often misty and can get chilly up here.
On Sundays and public holidays the lakeside can be crowded with courting couples and Toyotas bursting with day-tripping families.
Wherever you go, you are likely to see the tasty local strawberries on offer.
Danau Bratan Area
1Sights
1Bali Botanic GardenC2
2Munduk WaterfallA2
3Pura Ulun Danu BratanD2
2Activities, Courses & Tours
Bali Treetop Adventure ParkC2
4Sleeping
4Meme SurungA2
5Puri Lumbung CottagesA2
6Strawberry HillD2
7Villa Dua BintangA2
5Eating
8Don BiyuA2
9Ngiring NgewedangA2
10Strawberry StopD2
Candikuning
1Sights & Activities
Pura Ulun Danu BratanTEMPLE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; off Jl Raya Denpasar-Singaraja; adult/child 30,000/15,000Rp, parking 5000Rp; h6am-6pm)
An iconic image of Bali, depicted on the 50,000Rp note, this important Hindu-Buddhist temple was founded in the 17th century. It is dedicated to Dewi Danu, the goddess of the waters, and is built on small islands. Pilgrimages and ceremonies are held here to ensure that there is a supply of water for farmers all over Bali as part of the Unesco-recognised subak system. The tableau includes classical Hindu thatch-roofed meru (multi-tiered shrines) reflected in the water and silhouetted against the often cloudy mountain backdrop.
Bali Botanic GardenGARDENS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0368-2033211; www.balibotanicgarden.org; Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali; entry 18,000Rp, parking 6000Rp; h7am-6pm)
Established in 1959 as a branch of the national botanic gardens at Bogor, near Jakarta, these gardens cover more than 154 hectares on the lower slopes of Gunung Pohen. Don't miss the Panca Yadnya Garden (Garden of Five Offerings), which preserves plants used in ancient Hindu ceremonies.
Within the park, the Bali Treetop Adventure Park ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0361-934 0009; www.balitreetop.com; Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali, Bali Botanic Garden; adult/child US$24/16; h9.30am-6pm) has ropes, nets and the like, which let you explore the forest well above the ground.
4Sleeping & Eating
The choice of accommodation near the lake is limited but nearby Munduk has many excellent inns.
oStrawberry HillGUESTHOUSE$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0368-21265; www.strawberryhillbali.com; Jl Raya Denpasar-Singaraja; r 450,000-600,000Rp; W)
Just outside Candikuning you'll find 17 conical little woodsy cottages arrayed on a hill. Each has a deep soaking tub and nice views down to south Bali (some have better views than others, so compare). The cafe's Indo menu (mains from 40,000Rp) includes soul-healing soto ayam (chicken soup) and gudeg yogya (jackfruit stew). Pick your own strawberries for free from the hotel's patch.
Strawberry StopCAFE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0368-21060; Jl Raya Denpasar-Singaraja; snacks from 15,000Rp; h9am-6pm; W)
Locally grown strawberri
es star in milkshakes, juices, pancakes and other treats. You can also get full meals. Bananas are used when berries are out of season.
8Getting There & Away
Danau Bratan is along the main north–south road between south Bali and Singaraja.
Although the main terminal is in Pancasari, minibuses will stop along the road in Bedugul and Candikuning on runs between Denpasar's Ubung terminal (20,000Rp) and Singaraja's Sangket terminal (20,000Rp).
Generally, though, you'll want your own transport to get around the scattered attractions of the region.
Munduk & Around
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The simple village of Munduk is one of Bali's most appealing mountain retreats. It has a cool, misty ambience and is set among lush hillsides covered with jungle, ricefields, fruit trees and pretty much anything else that grows on the island. Waterfalls tumble off precipices by the dozen. There are hikes and treks galore and a number of really nice places to stay, from old Dutch colonial summer homes to retreats where you can plunge full-on into local culture. It's a thriving little backpacker town, with many people who come for a day and stay for a week.
When the Dutch took control of north Bali in the 1890s, they experimented with commercial crops, establishing plantations for coffee, vanilla, cloves and cocoa. It's a legacy that remains today.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 54
