Mount Batur Sunrise Trek In Ubud, Bali

After leaving the Gili Islands, we went back to Ubud for one night as we didn’t get a chance to do the Mount Batur Sunrise Trek when we were there earlier. I love hiking and didn’t want to miss what was to be an incredible hike up during the night (which I had never done before) in order to see the sun rise up behind the massive mountains of Agung and Rinjani on Lombok.

I highly recommend you visit a few tour stalls before settling on a price. We were being quoted between 550,000 – 750,000 IDR ($50 – $71 CDN) per person from a few companies. Then we came upon one tour agency that offered us 600,000 IDR for both of us. We were so glad we took the time to look around before making a final decision; this price was half the cost of all the other companies and the itinerary was the same. The name of the trekking tour company was Pineh Trekking and we had no complaints during our trek.

Our itinerary for the trek:

– We were picked up from our homestay at 2:30 am.

• We were actually told by our driver to not mention how much we paid for the trek because the other lady already in the van paid 700,000 IDR just for her. Ouch.

– We then picked up another couple and made our way to a coffee plantation where they served us a “breakfast” of assorted tea and coffee to taste (vanilla, ginseng, black, and lemon tea) and a banana pancake.

– Arrival at the starting point of our hike was around 4:00 am. There were many other tour groups present. We were split up into groups and given guides to accompany us up the mountain, which was meant to take about 2 hours.

• The trek up was definitely not for the unfit. I found it fairly easy, though many people around us were clearly struggling. I would not recommend doing this hike unless you’re physically in shape.

– Once at the peak, we were served bread and jam, and hard boiled eggs that were apparently cooked in the volcano steam.

• During the trek up I was obviously quite warm, however, as soon as we reached the top and cooled down I realized just how cold it was. I was wearing a running jacket and yoga pants and was literally shivering waiting for the sun to rise, so be sure to dress warm and in layers!
• At the top, there are benches to sit at while you eat your breakfast and wait for the sunrise. Afterwards, there was also the option to go exploring in the crater and around the peak. We were able to see steam coming out from the volcano in various spots throughout the crater. You could have also trekked up another 20 minutes or so to reach the highest point. We decided not to do this because our guide said it was very steep and rocky, making it easy to slip. Not worth it, we thought.
• Be warned: there are tonnes of monkeys at the peak who are pesky. If you’ve read my post on the Monkey Forest in Ubud, you’ll know they’re anything but friendly. Apparently there are so many there because of the abundance of food they are given by tourists.

– After about 45 minutes or so at the top, we made our way down and were shuttled back to our homestay, getting back at around 10:00 am.

• We found trekking down the mountain to be much more difficult than climbing up. There are many loose rocks scattered along the trail, making slipping and sliding down a frequent occurrence. Thankfully I didn’t actually slip and fall – I was just skidding on the rocks.

 

Overall, a highly recommended activity if you’re in Ubud and are looking for a bit of adventure!

 

 

My other adventures in Bali:
Two Nights In Kuta
What To Expect From Accommodations In Ubud
Wandering Ubud: The Streets, Markets, & Rice Fields
How To Survive The Monkey Forest In Ubud, Bali
5 Things No One Told You About The Gili Islands
The Many Sides Of Gili Trawangan: Bicycling Around
Sunsets And Night Markets: Gili Trawangan
Gili Trawangan: The Beach
Finding Accommodations In Gili Trawangan