After arriving in Ubud and familiarising myself with the essentials: local transport, supermarkets and ATMs (all vital for this particular traveler’s needs) I went through my itinerary for the next 5 days. Like many tourists visiting Bali there were some very specific sights and attractions that I wanted to see.

Ubud Monkey Forest. Tegallalang rice fields. Ubud Palace. Saraswati temple. Agung Rai Museum and Gallery. Uluwati Temple. Garuda Wisnu Kencana park…..and last, but certainly not least, Mount Batur (an active volcano in the Kintamani region of North-Eastern Bali, approximately 60 - 90 minutes drive from Ubud).

Having previously visited 2 volcanoes on the island of Java (Mount Merapi and Kawah Putih) I was eager to add Mount Batur to my list; not least of all due to the much-anticipated sunrise trek that I had read and heard so much about.

The prospect of a 3 - 4AM hike in near-darkness traveling 1.7km up the steep and often treacherous trail leading up the face of a live volcano to look out over the Kintamani region of Bali (and nearby Mount Agung) whilst capturing the sight of the early morning sunrise was one of those let’s-add-this-once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity-to-the-bucket-list-of-experiences-to-do-whilst-in-bali.

I’d never climbed a mountain in my previous 5 decades on planet earth and even though I’m far from the physical shape I once possessed (thanks to a prior few years of various health issues - see my blog for further details) I’m still in better condition than many people my age (and, ironically, even younger as it would transpire - more about this later).

I figured I could do this although lack of sufficient sleep would be working against me (as the logistics of visiting Mount Batur for the sunrise trek involved leaving Ubud at 2AM - which meant I would probably only receive a few hours of sleep at most).

Thanks to the arrangements of the host of the property where I was staying a price was negotiated and a driver booked for the 2AM drive the following morning.

All I had to do now was get as much sleep as possible, prepare some high-nutrient foods to take with me (so as to keep my energy levels up during the visit) and ensure everything was in place ready for the trek.

Getting ready

I set my alarm for 1AM to ensure that I had enough time for breakfast (as well as be able to get out of bed, shake off any grogginess from sleep and have adequate time for any last minute preparations for the visit). More than anything though I wanted to make sure my system was loaded with enough nutrients and calories too sustain me for climbing the mountain.

I turned in early for the night and woke shortly before the alarm having managed about 3 hours of total sleep. Not a bad amount considering that I usually struggle to sleep whenever I know I have to wake early.

What a time for the gas to run out in the kitchen though.

The planned meal of cooked green peas with soaked chia seeds was now replaced with soaked chia seeds and a large bowl of sauerkraut instead. Not exactly the most appealing of food combinations but my gut was getting massive amounts of probiotic cultures, plenty of omega 3’s and lots of minerals to help sustain me for the forthcoming trek. I added some CoVita probiotic fruit drinks afterwards (as well as a couple of bananas) and my system was as prepared as it was going to be whilst I waited for the driver to arrive.

Listening to the relative silence of the early morning hours whilst sat on the porch looking out over the empty rice fields was quite delightful. In some ways I felt a little deflated when the driver did arrive as I would have liked to have sat there for longer enjoying the tranquillity of that location at that time.

The journey

The drive to Mount Batur took maybe an hour to an hour and a half in total. Truth be told I actually can’t remember exactly how long the journey took but 60 - 90 minutes sounds about right.

Seeing the almost entirely deserted streets of Ubud, save for the occasional passing scooters and stray dogs wandering near the road side, was quite a novel experience. I’m not used to seeing Indonesian roads free from traffic (particularly with the crazy levels of vehicles and the inevitable macet experience that follows) so this was a new one on me. Driving unhindered and without delay whilst appreciating the tranquillity and beauty of the surrounding suburbs, villages and countryside as we made our way closer to Mount Batur was amazing. The stillness and beauty of the world at that time of the morning made me feel glad I had woken early just for that particular experience.

Arrival

We arrived at the car park forming part of the village near to Mount Batur and proceeded to find a tour guide. I had read many online accounts from visitors complaining about a local ‘mafia’ who pressure tourists into paying for a guide and those travellers explaining that the mountain could be climbed without a guide (although this was often times almost impossible to do thanks to bullying from the local ‘mafia’).

I figured that I’d try and find a decent guide (as I didn’t want to risk climbing the mountain on somewhat limited sleep when I wasn’t familiar with the terrain - the prospect of falling off the side of the mountain would, admittedly, put a bit of a dent in my overall enjoyment of the trip) but found that the prices were all stupidly high (700,000 - 800,000 IDR).

I settled for the third guide we spoke with, a young twenty year old male by the name of Kaman whose rate was 700,000. I figured this was still far too high but given how much I wanted to climb the mountain and the strength of my local currency giving me far more to spend when converted into IDR I wasn’t too bothered by the price. I could afford to take that hit as, in my case, it was quite negligible.

In all honesty though this is way above and beyond what should really be charged for the trek (300,000 - 500,000 IDR is a reasonable range in my opinion) so be aware of local guides fleecing tourists. As stated in the previous paragraph this didn’t faze me in the slightest (my currency works to my benefit when converted into IDR) but for some visitors this will be a significant chunk of change. If you can, try and find a guide ahead of time and negotiate a reduced rate in line with the above (a decent tour operator should be able to help with this).

After paying the tour guide I took a much needed visit to the nearby toilets (5,000IDR entry - roughly 27 pence in UK sterling and, as with most Indonesian public toilets, the hygiene standards were very lacking...so be prepared for this) prior to starting the trek. It’s advisable to do so before beginning the trek as the 1.7km journey up the mountain is quite challenging and you don’t want your bladder protesting while undergoing this climb!

There were many other tourists congregating in various groups throughout the car park with their respective guides. Mostly these were other Westerners but there were a handful of different Asian nationalities too; Chinese, Japanese and Filipino (as well as some Indonesians too) as I would subsequently discover.

I was the sole tourist with my tour guide (maybe the price could have been cheaper with more participants? Honestly I have no idea as I was traveling alone but it’s definitely food for thought) and, after being handed a flashlight, we began to make our through the nearby village following the road leading up to the mountain.

Kaman explained to me the different crops that were being grown in the fields that lined the route we were taking (mainly tomatoes, onions and garlic) and I was fascinated by the sprawling village that resided in the region surrounding the base of the mountain. Given the mineral rich nature of volcanic soil it’s hardly surprising that so many different crops would be able to be grown there (although the prospect of the volcano erupting would never be far from my mind if I were living in such a location).

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could not only keep pace with the much younger guide but that I didn’t feel myself flagging nor being overly affected as we reached the initial stages of the mountain trail and the climb began. I had expected I would be hit quite hard as a result of still not being close to 100% fitness (and especially whilst operating on limited sleep) but I found I was able to cope quite well with the demands of the climb.

My thighs were feeling the ascent and although my heart was beating faster to cope with the demands being placed on my body I was amused to see that Kaman was growing increasingly out of breath. I wasn’t breathing hard at all and here was this young man, well over half my age, who looked to be in worse shape than I was!

Talk about reassuring my ego! :D

The climb became more challenging the narrower, steeper and looser that the surface of the trail became. Finding a secure foothold became a much slower process as the ground would often shift beneath my feet and given that there were razor sharp rocks and some sheer drops only a couple of feet away from where I was stood I decided to take my time navigating those sections of the mountain.

Far below me I could see other travellers that we had passed during the climb; their presence illuminated by the flashlights that they were carrying which made it appear as if they were undertaking some sort of pilgrimage up the mountain. That was quite an amazing sight to see and looked like it could easily have come straight out of a film.

After maybe an hour, or shortly thereafter, of climbing we reached the 1.7km summit (there were some taller peaks nearby but I didn’t feel motivated to want to climb those although, on reflection, I probably should have done so just to see as much of the mountain as possible). At this summit there was a nearby hut filled with local merchants selling refreshments as well as hand-made jewellery from the volcanic rock present there.

Kaman guided me to a viewing area not too far away and I looked out towards the peaks of Mount Agung which overshadowed the sprawling villages and settlements of the region far below where I was sat.

Sunrise wasn’t too far away and as we had reached the summit far ahead of other travellers (again I was quite amazed at my level of fitness that morning compared to how much younger all the other travellers were that we passed during the climb) I sat there enjoying the relative silence and tranquillity of the location.

Eventually dawn broke and seeing the darkness of the early hours being dispelled as the morning sunlight illuminated the skies was breathtaking. My one regret? That I only had a smartphone to capture this with. The images I managed to take really don’t do justice to what the eye saw and the soul experienced and are, at best, a very poor reflection of the sun rise in that part of the world. To be there though was reward enough and the irritation of waking early on poor sleep and hiking up a steep mountain paled into nothing upon being greeted with the sight of the sun rising above Mount Agung.

By this point other tourists had made their way up to the summit too and were busy taking selfies and doing their best to capture the experience of being there. Like myself they too wanted to savour that moment and it wasn’t long before requests from various couples were being fielded in my direction for taking photographs of them stood in front of the sun rising over Mount Agung.

All good with me and it was fun to see and talk with different people from all over the world who had also trekked up the mountain. After half an hour or so from first reaching the summit (and by now growing a little bored with having seen the sun risen) I took a walk around the surrounding environment. There was a nearby marker stone and a small party of macaque monkeys who were active near the large crater not too far from the marker stone.

Kaman and I climbed into a shallow and accessible part of the crater (as many regions of the crater consisted of nothing more than a sheer drop of tens of feet to the bottom) and I was greeted by the sight of steam gently and consistently rising from the wall closest to where I had entered. My paranoia concerning a possible eruption (that always accompanies visiting active volcanoes - my third to date since traveling to Indonesia) was allayed after another guide subsequently explained that the presence of the macaque monkeys meant that the volcano was safe to visit.

Always reassuring!

Not too long afterwards Kaman and I took a different route down the mountain face back towards the car park. This was generally much gentler on the knees than had we travelled back via the route we had ascended the mountain with. That stated there were points in the descent where the knees were feeling the pressure a little too keenly so anyone with knee/hip/ankle problems may very well want to think twice with a visit to Mount Batur.

For the first quarter of the descent the trail was mostly rock and soil (and some of the dust thrown up from the descent - particularly with tour guides on motorbikes passing to and fro - was quite heavy in the air…thank God for my airinium mask) before changing to a road.

At this point Kaman was either bored and/or feeling tired as he lamented the fact that my driver couldn’t travel to pick us up (due to being boxed in by other cars in the car park). Hmm, shame…I guess you’re going to have to earn that over-inflated tour guide fee after all Kaman.

Me? I loved the walk back to the car park as the sight of the early morning sunlight painting the mountain trail and surrounding village in that glorious warmth of light that makes the world look and feel so incredibly alive was amazing.

Seeing that environment, albeit from slightly different routes, in both the darkness of early morning and the richness of the late morning sunlight made for some amazing sights.  From what had previously been absolute silence and the sole presence of tourists and tour guides making their way towards Mount Batur to the now slowly emerging activity of local residents tending to their crops, engaging in manual labour tasks and driving to and fro on motorbikes.

What incredible sights.

I loved it all. I can’t even begin to describe how fortunate and blessed I feel to have the richness of experience that comes with immersing myself, even if only briefly, in such environments. The sensory experience. The people. The memories. All priceless.

Seeing how simply the villagers lived and how hard they toil to eke out an existence is yet further proof of just how much we have to be grateful for in the West. Our lack of gratitude for even the basics of clean water, sanitation and food is staggering to my mind when visiting places such as these. We really do need to start counting our blessings far more than we currently do (and in many cases don’t).

I finished up the tour after re-entering the car park and meeting with my driver. What an incredible experience (even if the guide fee was stupidly over-priced - just be aware of this if planning to visit  here); amazing sights, a physical challenge that I surprisingly handled without any difficulties and memories that will stay with me for life.

Preparations

Bring a rucksack for storing provisions such as food and, if necessary, camera equipment (as well as providing space for excess clothing). You can buy refreshments at the summit of Mount Batur but I think it’s wise to bring your own wherever possible.

Water is essential as you will require frequent hydration during the climb - be sure to bring a 1.5 litre bottle with you for the trek.

Food - if you are in the habit of using sports supplements then some power bars or a protein shake would be a wise investment to make for the trek as you’ll use up a lot of energy during the climb (particularly if you’re running on low sleep to begin with). I brought along some bananas too just for those additional carbs and calories.

If you can load up on a nutrient rich, calorie dense breakfast 1 hour before the drive to Mount Batur then do so as this will provide your body with further energy stores and calories for the climb ahead.

A word of warning: ensure you are wearing protective clothing and footwear. NO sandals or open footwear as the trails up the mountain vary in composition and firmness. You WILL experience a range of surfaces from dirt and earthen trails to loose, jagged rocks of varying sizes and dusty pathways - and these can get quite challenging to navigate. Suitable footwear is a must - I found that a decent pair of trainers with a good grip was adequate for the climb up and down the mountain.

The early morning trek can get quite cold so be sure to also bring a light jacket (also handy should the rain make a potential appearance - as it has been known to do so at times). You will likely find the start of the trek quite cold thanks to early morning temperatures but, within minutes of climbing, and the sweat starting to pour, you’ll probably relegate the jacket to your rucksack.

Shorts or trousers? That’s purely down to personal preference. I opted for trousers as I figured that might be wise for potential protection from loose rocks and helping to keep my legs warm during the climb (as I didn’t know how cold the morning temperature might be). After 20 minutes of climbing I wished that I had opted for shorts instead as I found trousers to feel quite cumbersome once I started sweating.

If you don’t already own a facial mask for filtering out dust and air pollution (and you really should if you’re visiting Indonesia with its notoriously poor air quality) then be sure to invest in one before your visit. The dust thrown up from the mountain trail during parts of the trek can be quite heavy and I’d hate to think of just how much damage that must cause to people’s lungs without the protection of a mask.

Getting there

Tour packages operate throughout Bali for anyone wishing to visit Mount Batur although private arrangements can also be made (such as the one I negotiated through the host of the property where I was residing).

These should all involve transport to Mount Batur from your hotel/home stay and back.

Fee

This varies from tour operator to tour operator so be sure to shop around and weigh up your options. A private arrangement will typically involve booking a driver for a half-day for around 400,000 IDR.

On top of this you will quite likely need to pay for a tour guide upon arrival at Mount Batur car park (as many online reviews I have read complained that tourists were ‘not allowed’ to trek up to the mountain without a guide). Personally I think this is one hell of a racket as the fees are ridiculously high (and the Police/Government really need to step in and sort this out) but if your currency is much stronger than the Indonesian Rupiah then the hit is quite negligible and hardly noticeable.