Bali’s Volcanoes

Many people associate Bali with it’s beautiful beaches and peacefulness. However, Bali is home to a few amazing, and sometimes tumultuous, volcanoes. They tend to be great places to hike and to capture the beauty of this Indonesian island.

Bratan

This volcano is located in north-central Bali. It houses three lakes as well as hot springs. Bratan is surrounded by dense vegetation and strato volcanoes. This volcano has not erupted in hundreds of years. Most hikers can reach the summit within about 3 hours. Although it’s not that difficult of a hike, it is recommended to bring a guide along with you. Most people leave in the wee hours of the morning to hike up the mountain so that they can watch the sunrise.

Mount Agung

This volcano is the highest point on Bali. It is still active and last erupted in 1964. It’s not uncommon to see smoke and ash coming out of it. The western side of the volcano has vegetation and the eastern side tends to be dry and pretty devoid of plants. While people do hike Mount Agung, it doesn’t tend to be a popular hiking spot as it’s fairly challenging. Between 30-40 people hike it per day when weather conditions are favorable. You don’t need a guide to hike it, but it can be quite difficult to navigate. If you climb from Besakih, expect for it to take at least 8 hours. There is also an overnight camp available towards the top of the volcano.

Batur

This is the most active volcano in Bali. Every couple of years it has some sort of eruption, although they don’t tend to be too big. Batur is also the most popular hiking trail on the Island. The best time to hike it is from May-November, during the dry season. It is also as an excellent place to bike or enjoy the Batur Natural Hot Springs. This volcano can be difficult to hike for those that are out of shape. While it is possible to reach the summit in just a few hours, it takes most people at least 4 or 5 hours to do so. For those that want a guided experience, many of the guides can be found in the town of Ubud. Guides usually leave on the treks at around 2 a.m. so that hikers can see the sunrise. After the hike they will often cook breakfast using the volcanoes steam vents.

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