[TOPIC] 4 [Stats] N=60 | Source=../data/original/reviews.tab (1) We booked our sunrise climb through a small outfit on JL Bisma in Ubud--we opted for the \short climb\" (4-5 hours) that starts at Pasar Agung Temple. We arrived at the Temple at around 2:00 am and started our climb after a short religious ritual by the guides. The headlamps furnished by the guides were adequate, but we had one very powerful Black Diamond lamp we brought ourselves.\n\nIt should be noted that the climb is very nearly vertical, first in a forest and then on the exposed lava-rock face of the mountain itself. It is a bit disorienting in dark, and you have little idea of the terrain you are passing through. Please note that this is a very strenuous climb. We are a family of avid runners and we found this climb to be very rigorous.\n\nIt should be noted too that there are absolutely no toilet facilities of any kind once you start the climb (there are very basic facilities in the parking area). On the way down, in the daylight, we saw the unfortunate evidence of climbers who had defecated on or near the trail.\n\nThe sunrise at the summit was spectacular. Our guides brewed some narly coffee and provided a very simple breakfast. The Hike hike down was very challenging as well.\n\nThis climb was definitely the highlight of our time on Bali. Highly Recommended," (2) It might be a nice mountain with a good view. Also you will meet a lot of monkeys on the top. but still... it wasn't fun. There were just way to many people climbing up the hill on the narrow path which caused a traffic jam. At the night-time u could see a long queue of lights up the mountain.\n\nThe \companies\" do not have an upper limit for customers so they drive just as many there as they have requests. I would rather prefer to wait 3 days for an appointment to get the chance to walk the mountain with less people.\nThe guides were nice but the money does not end up in their pockets as you see when u meet them.\nAfter the return to the driver we were brought to a coffee orchard where we could try several coffees to try to sell us one of the products. Overall I.would not recommend it. Also you can just easily go up there without a tour. Maybe just stick with one of the guides and give him some money. They will be happy." (3) Not a too difficult climb and well worth the view. Make sure you take trip 2 or 3 (hike across the rim). Try to plan for a day when you will actually see the sun rise, and book with a tour group from Ubud or another place. I just showed up at Batur with and we had to pay 650,000rp each to get the guide, while they were offering the same tour for less than 500,000rp in Ubud and that included taxi. (4) Very prominent volcano site in Bali. It had been active in recent past. One can either enjoy the view of vast dark lava fields and gigantic 1700 m tall Mt.Batur from a place called Kintamani or can hike to the top. I enjoyed my trip to kintamani and would definitely hike to the top on my next trip. The view from Kintamani is very romantic with beautiful sunset which attracts hundreds of tourists every day to this place. (5) come to bali now as there is no problem with volcanos at all. The beaches are clean witg lots of restaurants and eateries right on the beach. (6) seated beside a lake, mt. batur stands majestically... sometimes clouds cover its peak but its height is so beautiful. it is a source of volcanic rocks that are made into statues of gods. (7) Two weeks ago I achieved a unrealized goal in my life of climbing a mountain and looking across the sea of rolling clouds as the Sun rose above the Flores Sea. It was an event I had been planning for more than a year after researching an adventure to Bali after scuba diving in the Komodo Islands. A 52 year old man, I'm very active and workout at the gym three times a week, but, climbing a 10,000 foot volcano to its summit was an ambitious dream for someone with no climbing/trekking experience. However, I've loved volcanos since I was a child and found the romance of climbing Bali's tallest and holiest volcano to watch the sunrise irresistible. Photographing it with my Phantom 4 camera drone and Olympus OMD E-M1 added additional allure and excitement. Its also not recommended that you attempt to climb Mount Agung without a Guide. So, after reading many reviews here on TripAdvisor I selected guide, Wayan Darta, Mount Agung Trekking, phone number, +6285237008513 and email, agungguide@yahoo.com. I was picked up at my hotel in Ubud promptly by Wayan's partner, Dartha, and we drove the 2 hours to Mount Agung for the climb. Dartha was very cool and spoke great English as did Wayan. If you don't speak Balinese I recommend these guys for their excellent English and ability to communicate well with American tourists such as myself.\n\nAfter emailing Wayan and telling him about my travel plans and itinerary, we made tentative arrangements for him to guide me to the summit of Mount Agung for the sunrise and aerial photography. I never actually called Wayan by phone, it was never needed. After arriving in Bali from a week of scuba diving in Komodo I had plans to dive and explore around Bali with a excursion of Mount Agung as the coup de gras of my Indonesian adventure. About 4 days before my climb, he and I made definitive plans that I would climb from the Pura Pasar Temple at the mid-point of Mount Agung. From there, we would climb to the true summit as opposed to the crater rim. After telling Wayan of my photography plans and the use of a camera drone, he suggested that I hire a porter to carry my gear since I was not an experienced climber. First great piece of advise he gave me. If you are not an experienced climber/trekker, do not,,, and I repeat, do not,,, try to carry a lot of gear up this mountain. Although I had a great backpack and only a camera, water, 2 lens and a tripod, it became evident I would never be able to make it to the top about 1/10 of the way up if I had not hired the porter. Furthermore, the drone, a Phantom 4 in its own case and backpack would have been an impossibility for me to carry up Agung safely. This is a Extreme trek for those who are not experienced and I would suspect its got a good degree of difficulty for those who are experienced climbers. You need a guide and if you are a photographer who intends to carry a lot of equipment, you need a porter.\n\nBeginning at the Pura Pasar Agung Temple, we started our climb just after midnight. The air was cool and crisp, much like a fall morning in Alabama. From the parking lot we climbed the stairs to the Temple grounds where Wayan and my porter, Nyoman Embety, made an offering to the Volcano for safe passage up and down. (I was already breathing hard from the climb up the concrete steps from the parking lot to the temple.) Whew,, this is going to be hard! Nyoman had my backpack and lead the climb while Wayan took my drone and carried it on his chest. I began the climb through the jungle and just thought of the adventure and the placement of Wayan's feet in front of me as he moved from rock,,, to root,,, to rock... seemingly dancing from side to side up a ditch like path.\n\nAt certain points along the way, Wayan and Nyoman would stop and we would rest. I would drink water and eat a energy bar. Second great piece of advice, carry lots of water!! (I really recommend that you carry 4 liters of water and dozen energy bars. You will sweat and expend more energy than you realize during the climb.) During these rest stops I would photograph the beauty of the valley and Bali at night. It was a full moon during my climb giving a certain surreal effect to the landscape. As we moved from the jungle to the volcanic rock & boulder face, the moonlight created a Sci-Fi Movie scene from an alien world. Time seemed to become irrelevant and I just locked on Wayan's feet as he stepped up, over,, and around rocks and boulders while moving along a visibly worn path up Agung. White painted arrows and circles marked the way when the rocks became dangerously confusing. After a couple hours or more, I began to believe I would indeed make it to the summit for the sunrise.\n\nAt about 3 hours into the climb we reached the point of Agung's path where you have to decide if your going to the crater rim, or, you are going to the true summit of Agung. The difference is two-fold. One, you get the bragging rights to saying you completed a more difficult, dangerous and higher climb; Secondly, you get the benefit of the highest point of Agung providing a 360 degree view of Bali instead of a 180 degree view found at the lower crater rim. The price is an extra hour of climbing, 3 hours as compared to 2 hours for the crater rim, and, its physically much more demanding and dangerous. Third piece of excellent advice,, wear real hiking shoes! I bought some Keen Targhee II hiking shoes and they were excellent with the exception of cushioning my big toes on the descent. (more on that later) Your feet will need to have excellent grip on the volcanic rock, you will step up boulders, climb along the mountain face, and have your feet slip between large stones and rocks. A tough and well designed shoe is a must. Trust me, don't wear tennis shoes or light weight athletic shoes. Get some specialized trekking/hiking shoes. Also, be conscious of the power of gravity on the way down. I suffered very severely bruised toes coming down. My toenails are very short and groomed, but, it didn't matter. The force of gravity kept pushing the tips of my big toes into the tip of the shoes. At the last 2000 feet or so,, I was in such pain as to almost cry. By the final 500 feet I was literally without the will to live anymore. Somebody shoot me,, maybe just shoot my toes?? Two weeks later both my big toe nails are black. I will lose them eventually. So, wear extra socks or somehow stuff some padding in the toes of your shoes to help prevent this toe injury.\n\nBe careful you don't over-sleep!! If I had a complaint about my experience it would be that my guide and porter fell asleep and let me sleep too long to comfortably make the summit. After traversing the switch-back along the face of Agung to the summit we apparently made good time and Wayan decided to camp below the cauldron rim. I would guesstimate that we were 100 meters below the summit when we all settled down at the last level nook before the volcano became a 70 degree vertical climb. Despite the wind whipping around me and chilling me in my sweat soaked hoodie,, I fell into a deep sleep on the side of Agung. I awoke to Nyoman yelling at Wayan, \Wake Up!! Wake Up!!\" My consciousness was pulled back into my brain and I opened my eyes to a brightening sky. My watch said it was 5:40 a.m. and I knew the sunrise would be happening in about a half hour. Time to hustle up the hill... and this is where it gets difficult. Even though I could see the top,, even though it looked to be something that I could climb in a short matter of minutes,, it was like ascending the impossible dream, note by note. I literally had to \"bear crawl\" up the face of Agung as I was scared that if I tried to stand and walk up I would lose my balance and break every bone as I fell backwards down the mountainside. Its steep,, its almost a vertical climb,, and it is deceptively high and extremely difficult to make quick time. It was going to be hard for me to make it up in time to see and photograph the sunrise...\n\nFourth great piece of advice,, Its WORTH IT!! I made it to the Summit of Mount Agung and I watched the greatest sunrise I've ever seen... Upside Down Sunrise Colors on a Ocean of Clouds as seen from above, rather than, the traditional view from below. So, different, surreal & sublime... A personal investment of sweat, time and courage to accomplish. I earned this sunrise..... so I flew my drone,, and I clicked my camera's shutter at the sight of it all.... When my life flashes before my eyes in the milli-second between life and death,,, this will be one of the moments I'm most proud of,,, one of moments that I realized just how great it was to be Alive!" (8) Best views are at sunrise, from the peak. To reach the top before the sun, we hiked through the night. To gaze out across the peaks and valleys with the sun's first rays made all that effort worthwhile. During our descent, we made it a point to peek into the still smoldering heart of this volcano. (9) Advertised literally everywhere, and hailed as THE thing to do in Bali; the spectacular Mt Batur sunrise trek, for me was the most overrated and disappointing experience in 6 months travelling through Asia. I won't go into specifics of timings and arrangements as these are covered extensively in other reviews. What I will say is this; it's true, the views from the top are incredible. BUT it simply is not worth paying an extortionate fee to 'trek' up a half-paved route and tussle with literally hundreds of other tourists vying for the best selfie spot (at times it can actually be pretty dangerous on the peak) After the view, you are ferried around the summit to see other seriously underwhelming sights, such as some steam, a cave, and a big drop where a tourist died. Now, I just admitted the views are incredible, but incredible views can be seen from other places- a tip, if you want to see something similar (better) at sunrise, motorbike or taxi to the rim, and stop at one of the several places on the road to watch it. You will see the sunrise over Mt Agung and the lake, and will also be able to see Mt Batur. You won't be set back several hundred thousand rupiah and don't need to get up at 2am. Also you can grab a decent breakfast. If you are thinking of doing this for the trekking (you probably aren't, let's face it), then do the longer more arduous Mt Agung actual trek. For me, this was an overrated, disappointing, tourist cash cow. There are other ways to support the local economy, see a fantastic sunrise and have a great experience. (10) I was looked forward to this trip. But I was so surprised when I got there on how small it took around 15 minutes guided by a woman. Wouldn't go back again once is enough. If you go don't go with high expectations.\nPlus the women at the end take you to a garage which consists of junk which they try and sell to you for ridiculous money. (11) No doubt the view is awesome but if you are not that fit,its wise not to climb..in my opinion it is harder than mt kinabalu in West malaysia cuz u dont get to rest long at pitstops.it is totally WORTH the pain!!just go!!:) (12) First of all Mount Batur a natural-volcano is not that high mountain and hike to the top takes roughly around an hour. I did with my mate, we decided instead of taking a tour drive over by scooter early in the morning.\n\nAfter arrived to the small town next to the Mount Batur we met our guide to the top & it took 40 minutes to hike to the top. Views are amazing all over, if lucky you will see all over Bali even Lombok or Java.\n\nAnother thing we heard before and we experienced is doing the hike without a guide is pretty hard and locals might get pretty angry and you might end up in intense argument with locals. So might be better if you find someone before who will be waiting for you.\n\nif you good on motorbikes then totally recommend scooters. Takes about 45mins from Ubud in the morning and later def faster to get back than by car. (13) Started the hike at 4 am and reached the top 6 am from Toyabungkah was worth waking up early morning for sunrise. The hike was a bit tiring as I am less exercise climber but still manageable. Though it was particularly clear weather as I can stun wonder4full sunrise. I would still strongly recommend the hike.\n\nMy guide was a local villager named Jero Susun and he was so kind, knowledgeable and nice person. He even made us hard boiled egg in the volcanic steam and sandwiches at the top.\n\nDo bring some jacket or warm cloth, its need but I would suggest to help support the locals hire them for a guide. A few extra dollars wouldn't hurt right? (14) If you want to climb the mountain, I believe best is to start from Ubud with a tour and avoid staying overnight here! Terrible place! We didn't believe the bad reviews about Toya Bungkah; we thought it would not be that bad, used to backpacker trips...\nBut it is!\nThe village is unpleasant and ugly, there is no access to the lake. People are very agressive to sell guided tours and follow you back to the hotel, circling around you with motorbikes. Intimidating, shouting and insulting. It looks like a gang is terrorizing the village. Outraegous prices for the guided tours. Obliged to take one; they stop you if you intend to start walking without a guide.\nWe felt very uncomfortable and our driver from Ubud didn't want to come pick us up again the other day... This says enough!\n (15) Breathtaking which makes the early hours, plus 2 hours of car ride, and then the chilling temperature all worth it. We got a quite a thick fog just before the sunrise, and probably missed a part of it, but when the fog cleared it was still as beautiful as any sunrise can be. The hike up took us 2 hours, slightly challenging for someone who doesn't take to exercising too well, but nevertheless quite manageable. Awesome! The hike down was easier in comparison, thank goodness. (16) Be prepared for this. Although it is only 2 hours trek but do remember that it is done in the dark...I signed up for a tour that picked me up at 230am from the homestay, had fried banana and tea before starting the trek at 4am. Besides the 1st quarter of the journey, the rest of it is a steady upslope. Besides the dark, the slippery stones is also a factor you need go contend with. Do make sure you are wearing the right shoes for this and bring a torch or headlight.\nThe sight at the top is great when it is less cloudy. Monkeys roam the top and perhaps you might be treking alongside a dog too. You may see Mt Abang and Mt Agung in the distance if the sky is clear. (17) The view from the Caldera is breathtaking with views of the lake, recent eruptions and Mount Agung.\n\nWell worth a look. The recent lava flows are striking. (18) I spent a while reading through Trip Advisor reviews in advance of booking our trek in order to get an idea of what to expect, etc so I thought I'd share my post-climb perspective.\n\n- My wife and I booked in Ubud with Bali Lines Tourist Service at 52 Hanoman Street. This was $35 / person list price (as per their big sign!) so we paid 600,000 rupiah in total for 2 people.\n\n- Pickup was 2.30am after which we were taken for coffee and banana pancakes, I guess you could skip this and have an extra half hour in bed though I think breakfast helps with the climb.\n\n- Guides are allocated based on a rotation system so you just get whoever's turn it is.\n\n- We were wearing long trousers, trainers (sneakers), and t-shirts then carrying fleeces. We wore the fleeces briefly at the bottom and the top when we weren't going anywhere but we could probably have done without - I guess it depends on how windy it is. We could probably have also quite happily worn shorts, though again there wasn't much wind so maybe we were lucky.\n\n- Definitely were shoes, rather than flip-flops or anything insubstantial on your feet. The ground is rough and you need the support and cushioning.\n\n- You don't need to be particularly fit. My wife was flagging a bit towards the end but there's plent of time spare so you can take quite a few rests and still make sunrise.\n\n- In our case there was no sunrise as it was too cloudy. Nonetheless the view is nice, most impressive was seeing the mountain lit up by lightning as we climbed! Fortunately it was a long way away (couldn't hear the thunder) so we weren't in any danger.\n\n- The guide had 3 torches so it probably isn't too big a deal if you didn't think to bring one on holiday with you (who does?!).\n\nHappy climbing! (19) I booked in advance before my trip to Bali and with help from tripadvisor, i booked with Bali Lines Tourist (Mr Ketut). If you need his contact details please ask me. 3 of us at price of INR900k (300k each). Pick up at our ubud hotel 2.30am, 1 hr ride to Mt Batur car park place. I thought we will have breakfast before we start but we were hurried to the starting point and to the guide instead. The guide handed us each a bottle of water to carry. so it might be good to have at least a small bag to carry your stuff.\n\nYou can leave those stuff you do not want to carry with you in the car (e.g. spare shirts etc). But be ready to jump off the car to meet your guide. It is quite dark so get ready before hand. Also, remember your guide's name and face, so you do not lose him at the car park area (there are many people).\n\nBefore you start the trek, tell your guide you need to go to the toilet (as there is no toilet along the way and up at the top). There is toilet at the starting point.\n\nthe trek is not difficult but because it starts at about 4am - it is dark and sometimes we find a little bit difficult to breathe properly. So take slow steps. We looked up and saw beautiful stars in the sky. So enjoy! At the sides are some small plantations of tomatoes e.g. you can see them again on your return route in daylight.\n\nThe trek is about 1 to 1.5hrs but take your time as the sunrise is about 6plus though you will see the skyline colours at about 5.45am. There is a little hut at the top and everyone will be there as to avoid the wind. Inside the hut, the guides and helpers prepare the tea and breakfast. Note the tea and coffee are chargeable. along the way, there might be someone selling drinks who will trek with you, even help you along the way. if you would not buy, better to let him know first so he can find the \real buyers\". They will bring bottles of coke in their bag and hope you will buy from them along the way. Buy if you want to but it is not obliged.\n\nYou will be served your breakfast either before the sunrise or during sunrise, depends on your guide. I am not so convinced if the eggs are \"volcanic eggs\" as I was in the cooking room and the bananas and eggs are \"warmed up\" so it is good to be eaten. see my pictures.\n\nBefore you descend, we were shown where the craters and a \"cave\". Our guide hinted that we could go to another route down which means it deviates from the plan (this means to pay extra money) to see the other stuff but we declined.\n\nAlso, it is good practice to pay tips to your guide. We also share our cookies, bread and banana with the guide and he appreciated very much as they usually do not have any breakfast.\n\nOn return trip: Our driver stop us at a coffee place to sample the different types of coffee where they introduce the famous coffee luwak (civet cat coffee). No obligation to purchase anything too. He did a 5 mins stop for us to see the plantation, but nothing much as it is better to see the rice field on your own.\n\nWhat to bring:\n1. torchlight (best if you have headlights - those you place at your head so you have free hands). make sure your torchlight works!\n2. good grip shoes if no trekking shoes.\n3. windbreaker (it is very windy and cold at the top)\n4. ideally you can wear a dryfit shirt beneath instead of cotton shirt - otherwise you get cold easily because you will perspire\n5. long track pants (again because it is cold up there)\n6. gloves - if you are those who need to grab plants to climb or rocks around. it also helps to keep your hand warm\n7. optional: heat pad - one will be enough to keep your hands warm up at the top\n8. optional: cookies / biscuits / water (remember there is no toilet along the way and up at top). it helps us as we were very hungry when we arrive at top and breakfast was not ready yet.\n9. camera / video cam to capture the beautiful sunrise and the scenery" (20) Hiked up Mt Batur with my and our guide, Lanang. It was a challenging climb, especially with the distance, the steepness and the rocks, but I wouldn't call it very difficult to climb. You'll get to the top before you have a chance to feel very tired. The view at the top though makes it all worth it. (21) fantastic hike, not too hard, beautiful views and great to relax in the hot pools after. our driver Widi was fantastic, very friendly and knowledgeable. (22) Drove up here as a day trip, didn't do the hike. Views of the mountain and the lake were beautiful. Beautiful landscape , had lunch there and the restaurant had good views of the volcano. Its a distance from Depansar but definitely worth a visit (23) I brought my 7 yo daughter to experience her first mountain hike and was really glad with the decision. The hike is excellent for my daughter with a perfect combo of easy trek and challenging climb.\n\nI had an excellent guide recommended by our hotel (volcano terrace bali). Gede, our guide,was really friendly, helpful and ver informative when it comes to Batur and local culture. He really helped my daughter get ti the top and back. (24) It was the second time climb mount batur, its last week with our friend, it was excellent our organized by jezzn. From Bali trekking and tour, its excellent team work,started from reservation until the end of trip was well done.\n\nWe really recommended to contact jezzn for every one in the word, i and my guaranteed you will get the best experiences in Bali with them. His contact on Whatapp is +6281904082208.\n\nFrom pick up in our hotel by mangku and just amazing guide, Made make my second trip memorable.\n\nPlease take note, avoid freelance local guide around the village, they only want your money, one of my was intercepted, kicked and beaten by one of local guide, their official guide behalf of the government but they don't have behavior as hospitality. (25) We have completed an early morning trekking into Mt Batur and i must say that it has been a wonderful experience. Worths every single penny you pay for a guide and to present a beautiful sunrise above the clouds. A must do!!! (26) we went with balieco.3 guides were assigned to our group.one guide in particular, waje, was super patient and went out of his way looking and putting back together my son's broken headlamp.the initial hike was ok until we got to the almost vertical climb.lots of loose rocks.waje looked after my family throughout.at the top, the view was magnificent.going down was even more challenging.some people slipped and fell.overall, we enjoyed the climb but not so much the van ride(very long drive from legian and lots of winding narrow roads from ubud onwards). (27) We drove there by ourselves in the middle of the night. Its a mountain on no mans land so no trekking guide should be permitted.\n\nWe were followed,traced and forced by a lot of locals who were trying to sell their trekking guide tours to us. Not interested, then they told us that they hate tourists like us? Just because we dont wanna spend money on their horrible trekking rip off deals.\n\nAfter we went to the foot of the mountain our lives were threathenes by a group of 'so called guides'. They keep kicking and punching us from behind even though we were running away. After that we finaly got back to our bikes and we got ambushed even more by the locals.. this was a horrible experience and i sure hope no one will ever go there to spend their money on this horrible balinese sharade.. (28) We tried to walk to vocano by ourselves bacause we didnt want to buy a guide for a very easy trekking route witch we've done trough before with a guide. Guides costs around 20-100 USD and because they are going very fast we wanted to go by our speed.\nWhen we arrived to mountain, two men stop us and asked do we have a guide. We explained that we have went this before and we will take all the responsability if anything happens. (haha with guide we would still have the responsability). They said we cannot go without a guide because the goverment says its forbidden. We said thats very stupid and Ive got a agressive hit to my body from a older man and yelling we need to leave where we've came from.\nWe would have like to have a good conversation but violence solves the problems šŸ‡®šŸ‡©ā˜ŗļø (29) Take a tour on Mount Batur which starts in the early morning and enjoy the sunrise on Monut Batur. It is amazing and the tour guides are very friendly and helpful. They even offered me a banana with a piece of bread for breakfast and they cooked it in the hot steams of the vulcano! (30) Be prepared this isn't a touristy walk up a hill .You will need proper shoes .The guides will help in any way and if you are doing the sunrise climb then its very difficult as the pathways consist of loose rocks to small stones easy to turn or sprain an ankle and it all done in the dark.\nHowever when you get to the top to witness the sunrise it is spectacular and well worth the 90 minute to 2 hour climb .The descent is about 90 minutes so be prepared to spend at least 3 hours . (31) Went to a restaurant near mount batur. The view from here is really nice with the lake to one side.\nThe restaurant however with the great view is mega expensive.\nNice to see while in bali and made a nice change from jungle area of ubud. (32) I had 7 customers from Singapore did Agung Trekking Tour on April 11. The trekking started from Pasar Agung temple at 01.30 which takes about 3,5 to 4 hours in normal condition. This customer had different goal that is \ reaching the Summit \" and they arrived on the summit at 08.00 and 2 of them reached back to Pasar Agung Temple ( finish point ) at 14.30 and the other 5 people were slower reaching back at 17.30. They were first timer doing trekking but they had got their Goal and satisfaction.\nMount Agung has such great track and experience a very nice challenging of trekking." (33) Warning: Do not go on this trail if you are looking for a easy day-hike. This is an actual mountain where some climbing is necessary. The last hour consists of having to pull yourself up rocks using your hands and arms, and shoving your feet in small crannies. Now, any person who is determined and a little fit will be fine, but do not think this is going to be a easy hike where your legs won't hurt and you won't be winded.\n\nTL;DR: The climb is tough, but rewarding. Be prepared for cold at the top (5 degrees celsius so they say) and get shoes that will carry you up a mountain that can get slippery. Finally, use the bathroom before going up the mountain.\n\nThe long review:\n\nThe climb itself - I did the 'easy' trail from Pasar Agung with my brother and his friend Jisselle. You start by climbing 150 steps up a staircase to a temple. I was actually winded when we got to the temple haha, so you can imagine how nervous I was about the rest of the trip. It is night when you start (we started early ~1AM) so you have headlamps which are provided. The initial climb is through large tree and brush and it's fairly steep, but when you finally have a chance to look up, the stars are wonderful, probably saw 3-5 shooting stars just because the night is so clear. This part gets hot, so jackets off!\nAs you get higher and the vegetation begins to dissipate, it begins to get colder. Throw on your jacket and windbreaker and get ready for loose gravel and rocks. Just a heads up, the last hour or so you definitely have to do some rock climbing. It's not extensive and most people with a little strength can do it, but you will have to pull yourself up. Just keep leaning forward during those parts, and if you fall, fall forward. Finally, when you reach the summit, you will be cold, and the sun will begin cresting to a beautiful sunrise. You'll see (;\n\nGuides - Most groups are around 3 or more people paired with a single or two guides. Our guide was Wayan who is one of many in a big family business, but he is awesome! He was positive, waited for us when we slowed down and needed to take extra breaks, and he and his family shared food with us on the way up the mountain and at the summit. He even let us start early with him, because we were afraid we'd go slower than average, since we were a little out of shape.\nHowever, his entire family speaks good english, has great energy, and will supply you with food (and tea at the summit) and support until you get up the mountain. I would be happy to have them lead me up any mountain. Not to mention they are very affordable compared to other alternative companies who might charge you up to +500,000 rupiah/person.\n\nI want to mention that the driver going up the mountain was totally reckless! It was raining and he would defog the windows with one hand, the other holding the wheel, while making sharp turns.\n\nA few notes:\n1) You want to start a little early so you can make the sunrise for sure (and get a good spot at the summit), start early. Email wayan.idguides@gmail.com, and the guides that are associated with the email will accommodate you.\n2) You will be provided headlamps and snacks. But bring extras! We brought Pringles, Oreos, Peanuts, and Ritz crackers. Most people are starving at the summit but we were pretty good, and it kept us happy throughout the whole climb.\n3) Bring water.\n4) Wear pants and pack a fairly thick jacket or windbreaker. It gets COLD at the summit.\n5) Hiking boots would have been nice. Went in converse and I slipped around on rocks and gravel.\n6) Keep your shoulders relaxed, back straight, and breathe. You will conserve your energy. Also, point your headlamp at a comfortable position so that you can see enough ahead of your feet, but you don't have to crane your neck if you need to see where your feet land.\n7) Use the bathroom before you start! Nobody wants to have an emergency on the mountain, man!\n7) Be sure to tip (; (34) Me and a friend arrived today at the bottom of Mt Batur about 11am hoping to trek it without a guide as advised by a friend, looking online too it appears to be an easy climb.\n\nWe were greeted by a group of men posing as government officials and it was compulsory to take a guide up and we would be charged $30 each.\n\nWe explained we were looking to trek up without a guide which is apparently completely safe to do with some common sense and sense of direction.\n\nThey became very aggressive explaining that something 'might' happen to our bikes. They then called for their 'boss' who walked over and reiterated what they had just been saying, he then said if we try and walk up the mountain without one of their guides we would be shot, he then began getting very pushy and agitated.\n\nWe drove away on the bikes rather swiftly to which we were driving past groups of men on the side of the road giving us hostile looks talking on walky talkies. We went through the main town at the base of the volcano where everyone was being incredibly intimidating. We wanted to just drive around the volcano considering we had made the journey.\n\nWe went to the opposite side of the mountain to where the 'mountain mafia' were and managed to pay someone $8 to climb up without a guide. After travelling all that distance and receiving those disgusting threats there was no way we were turning around without some kind of satisfaction.\n\nMy advice would be to stay clear of this mountain as these thugs will only be taking more profits and will keep doing what they are doing. I have been travelling for over 6 months now off the beaten track in India and Philippines etc and this is the most hostile and intimidating situation I have came across on my travels.\n\nGood story though, so thanks 'mountain mafia', we got some great pictures at the top without lining your pockets too which was satisfying. (35) actually fairly difficult climb at the very top- pretty much just sand and mud. worth it for the views tho. i would do a tour as they do pick up/ drop off at hotel and give you a guide for the trek (which you dont really need as theres only one route and its very busy) but they give you a banana sandwich and a boiled egg at the top which is nice when your freezing sat at the top waiting for the sun. take lots of layers!! seems warm at the bottom but v.v.v windy and cold at top. hut selling tea and hot chocolate at top too. (36) Our driver picked us up at 2am at our hotel and drove for about 2hours to the foot of the mountain. Started the trek at about 430am. Don't think you need a jacket (which can be rented for 50k). It was windy but not chilly ( felt like 25-28 degrees celcius). We stopped for about 5 breaks (2-5mins each) to catch our breathe. Certain sections were quite steep and slippery due to loose volcanic rocks. Our guide was very nice and helped us at those sections where we needed extra support. Do plan more time if you forsee that you may require more stops.\n\nBreakfast was simple banana bread with tea. We couldn't finish our breakfast and fed the remainder to the monkeys. Trek down is easier but more loose rocks! Takes about an hour to return. Went to hot spring to wash up (not ideal after trekking and under the hot sun). Driver picked us up for lunch and sent us back to hotel by about 2pm. (37) Climbed up about 20 years ago but visit the area every time we visit staying at the lovely Baruna Cottages. The area has changed a lot over the years. The walk is very steep but well worth it particularly at sunrise. The area has some half built buildings which are used for ceremonies. Hot springs are good to relax your muscles. (38) Started the trekking sometime after 4am and had to get up there before 6am (sunrise) which means trekking uphill 1700 m in less than 2 hours. This is not for everyone, you have to have a good physic and cardio! If you go, bring loads of water or money to buy there, good steady shoes, flashlight and a sweater. The view is amazing! šŸ‘Œ (39) We set off from Ubud at 2.30am, arrived at the base of Mt Batur at 3.45am and began the hour long hike up the volcano. I have medium fitness level and had to stop every 10 mins or so to recover. It was very challenging to the point that I actually had an EIB episode (exercise induced brinchospasm) Thank God my husband had his asthma puffer on him. The guide said very little to encourage us up the mountain and didn’t even come to check on me as I was having the asthma attack to see if I was ok. We eventually made it to the top where it was freezing cold (we were in shorts and t-shirts) and had to sit for an hour, waiting for the sun to rise, while sprukers tried to sell you a loan of a blanket for 500,000 rupiah. We were NOT told to bring warm clothes. Unfortunately, the sunrise was hidden by clouds on our trip and the 5 of us were desperate to get down the mountain out of the cold, so we asked our guide to lead us down, not long after the sunrise. The guide held my hand the whole way down, which was very helpful, as the loose gravel is very slippery, in fact everyone of us took a tumble on the way down, ending up with scratches and scrapes. As we had walked up in darkness with flashlights, we had no idea where we had actually walked. When the sun rose and we saw the trek we had just done, we were pretty horrified. At some points we were trekking right on the edge of the volcano and a slight stumble or wrong footing could have easily seen one of us fall over the edge. I don’t like being negative, but I feel we were not adequately prepared for this trek in any way, shape or form. My husband is a very fit tradie and he did it, no worries, but for your average Joe, who walks a few times a week or bike rides, this was a very challenging venture. I’m glad I did it, but I wouldn’t do it again. (40) the trekking is easy and a must while in Bali, we left around 2 am from the parking area and started climbing towards the sunrise camp. i had a drone on my back all the way, and i smoke a pack of cigarettes per day, with all this i found the trekking easy. the last steps is the most tricky ones and definitely you need a guide. Make sure you negotiated for the price with the locals. I heard some of them hike the prices on foreigners. (41) I had a mixed feeling about Mount Batur but I know I'll definitely not hike it ever again. As we started quite late, we were stuck behind other hikers as there's only one way and quite narrow one to reach the top. Because our group was quite sporty we could take over some slower groups and get to the top in time for sunrise.\n\nThere's a lot of people because the hike is simply very easy. At the end of the parcours it becomes more rocky so you can try to climb it instead of hiking the regular way (otherwise you're constantly stuck behind slow groups). The view at the top is stunning when the sun rises over the lake so you quickly forget the massive crowd.\n\nThere are other volcanos with stunning views and maybe not so crowded (thinking about Ijen or Rinjani) if you want to have a better hiking/sunrise experience. (42) Didn't bother getting a guide for the experience as I didn't want to give money to follow someone up a mountain. It is a very easy trek to do - Level 5/10. I ran up parts and climbed steep paths that was not in use. I hired my scooter from Kuta. Booked hostel in Ubud. Woke up at 3am drove to mount batur which was not cold. I did the whole thing in shorts and a top. Would advise people not to take jackets and unneeded materials unless you are not used to the cold weather (I am British - mostly used to the rain lol ). If you have google maps you can download the walking route off google. If not head for 'Black lava Hostel' then follow the path from there and up the mountain.\n\nIf you are doing it solo DO NOT tell the guides if you see them they told me \you are not going up the mountain without a guide. Break our rules and we will break you\".\n\nThe group of 6 guides who said this was at an entrance 5 mins before the Black lava hostel. Rude and money grabbing, hope they somehow fall off the Mountain one day and land on their face. Anyway I just laughed and drove off.\n\nMonkeys at the top are really friendly. Take some chocolate and biscuits. They like Oreos and BBQ Pringles. I had 3 monkeys on me at once. We had a great time.\n\nWalk down is easy enough . 1 hour it took me down. Going up was 1hour 20minutes. Take water around 2 litres per person.\n\nI used my iPhone for the light but rarely used it as I didn't want to be spottier by the guides on the way up. They drive around on motorbikes. I almost felt like James Bond at times. Jumping in bushes until the enemy had cleared. Great day and I think I amuse myself too much. Great views of the mountain and if you are feeling cheeky like I did.\n\nGo swimming in the hot springs pool for free, just at the bottom of the mountain. Ask for a towel, dry yourself and enjoy your drive home.\n\nIf your not feeling the bond experience, get a guide. Don't pay anymore than 250,000. 200,000 is a good price and DO NOT give tips.\n\nThey do the route every morning and get enough money. Nasty people" (43) It's been ages since I did mountain climbing. Since I was already on the island and it was in the program, so I did the impossible (for me). Did a 2.5hr up and another 2.5hr down to witness the most beautiful sunrise I have even seen in my life.\nIf you have never done this, ever. I recommend you do it, so you can check it off your list. You will never regret it. The sight was absolutely gorgeous.\nI recommend you bring your own flash light, candies/sweets, and something to much when you get to the top. Dont forget your camera too... and a good pair of shoes. (44) I was extremely worried about this hike prior to doing it. However it was a very enjoyable trek and very worthwhile.\nI work out 2-3 times a week so am by no means extremely fit. However in a group of 6 people In total (not including the 2 guides) I was the first to the top of the mountain and the one who struggled the least. Hence I think it's very important for your body to be used to exercise especially vigorous exercise prior to this trek.\nI would recommend a caffeine dose just before starting this trek and furthermore a head light would also be very useful. Torches were provided for by the organised guide team however holding a torch whilst climbing isn't really ideal when you can be hands free with a torch on your forehead.\nUnless you are a highly experienced hiker,I would strongly warn anyone against doing this trek without a guide.\nI was fortunate enough to have a guide hold my hand the whole way down the mountain. Many people completed the hike with cuts and grazes all over their bodies from slipping whilst going down the hike. However for me, the guide how no assisted me was a true life saver!\nThe most difficult part of this experience was the ridiculously early wake up call followed by the unavoidable slippery path down.\nPreparation is key- regularly work out prior to this hike and be part of an organised tour whilst doing the hike.\nIt goes without saying that the sunrise views and general scenic surroundings were breathtakingly beautiful. (45) The view of Mount Batur and the Lake is amazing. Around 2 hour from Bali, it is a must visit. Tag it along some other areas to visit (Ubud, Temples etc.) Have lunch overlooking the view. A great experience. However must warn that the food is not the best and a little on the expensive side. But the views from the restaurant is great. (46) We did the hike early morning 3am to watch the sunrise from the top. Having a guide is recommended, our guide was young, only 15, but he told us he climbed the mountain at least 6 times a week, only taking a day off when he gets tired. He was very knowledgeable and helped me on countless occasions when I nearly fell/tripped.\n\nHe was patient with us as we stopped on numerous occasions for a water break.\n\nHard work, but well worth it. Wear correct footwear. Coming down is harder and can get very hot. (47) We left at 2 am from the Hotel and the guys drove us for one hour to the beggining to the climb. We started walking at 3 am and there was completely dark! We received just a small flashlight and we started to climb up in volcano on a narrow unpaved path, one by one in a row. After an hour's climb, increasingly steep started to be hard because there a lot of loose stones which make it tough. We stopped a couple of times to relax and you can imagine how was beautiful looking at the starts! The sky was completely full of them!!! We arrived at the top around 6 am (we were above the clouds and was freezing up there), it was still dark and when the sun rises the views are magical! Had a lot of monkeys there!! Definitely worth it! If you are going to Bali and want to experience something different, this is definitely the thing that you have to do. I absolutely LOVED this experience! (48) This trip is awesome. It is totally worth waking up at 1:30 in the morning. You see a wonderful sunrise, the still smoking volcano, the lake and some monkeys. Also the hike is a lot of fun! But: take very warm cloth (around 7 degrees on the top!), and the best shoes you have (best would be hiking-shoes)!\n\nDon't believe people saying it is too crowded! There are a lot of benches at the top where you can sit all alone! Of course there are no toilets, but bush everywhere. Proof that it is not that much of a tourist thing...\nAnd the hike is not difficult. I would not recommend doing it with kids but every adult in a healthy condition should be able to do it and enjoy it.\nIf you are overweight and didn't make it, don't blame it on the mountain!!\n\n (49) According to our guidebooks you can do this without a guide, because it is a 1 ½ to 2-hour ascent, on a highly visible way. All tour and travel operators offer this climb, but only to see the sunrise. Then of course with a guide, because he has the better flashlight. During daytime to climb on your own is not a problem.\nWe arrived at 1 pm, at the foot of the mountain, not a cloud covered our ascent. We told our driver if the weather is bad, we would go back at once.\nOn the trip to the volcano Mount Batur our driver didnĀ“t really want to bring us there. Whether it was that he feared of an incident, or that he wanted to go home earlier. This did not come out clearly. He told us different things, that he did not know exactly where the track begins, that there are no guides there at this time, that we definitely need a leader, then later that it is possible to do it at your own, ... He asked whether we want to stay here (because of the sunrise will be so beautiful). We suspect he knew exactly what was going to happen. We didnĀ“t understand anything from the conversation between our driver and the local guides. Before we started to go on our own, our driver told us that we should go to office of HPPGB first, because he didnĀ“t wanted to get any trouble with the guides. No one in this office is wearing a uniform or anything official. It is a group of men who were all dressed differently. Only one man apparently also looked like a mountain guide. This was also the quietest.\nAfter we put on our hiking shoes, we read the signs. A \guide\" mentioned that there was a better map inside the office, where the paths are visible. So we went inside. There is only one way up crater. We took a picture of it and wanted to go. On our own, without a guide.\nWe did not get far. Our driver was watching everything from a distance. 5 men blocked our way. Quite aggressive they said we could not go further. They pushed my fiance back as we wanted to walk the track. We explained that we know that it is possible to go without a guide. There would be no difficult passages. We would not need a guide. Then they said we should again go to the \"office\". There we were told then by the \"boss\" in a very loud tone, that this mountain is sacred, we should respect this and follow the rules. He does not care what is written in books, we have to come here with the author of the book and he would tell him the same thing. We said that we respect the sacred mountain, that we have a lot of mountain experience and would also hire a guide when he tells us a reasonable price. He says it costs 300,000 IDR. As we laughed, he presented us a – certainly self created - price list on which the cheapest tour was listed at 300,000 IDR. Other tours were listed for more than twice the price. We told the leader of the guides that we know what the average income in his country is and that these prices are exaggerated. He claimed that these were the official prices, which are set by the government. We did not believe him and questioned this.\nOur counter-questions did not count. When we asked for his name, he got even more aggressive. Why do we would need his name? We said that we go to the police (in the past this worked against \"Little Criminals\"). We didnĀ“t wanted to realize that corruption has the upper hand in this country. After insisting he mentioned the name \"Surin\" or \"Suria\". But then it all went pretty fast. The man stood up and slammed his fist on the chest of my fiance. The man was detained by another one, I placed myself in between. He yelled at us, we should go away. It is his land and his mountain! Then he kicked my fiance in the abdomen with his feet. At this time we stood up on the edge of the stairs of the office. My fiance could just keep his balance and we went immediately down the stairs and to the car park. The footprint is clearly visible on his white T-shirt. We made a picture of this.\nWe donĀ“t know, why the men reacted like this. We didnĀ“t speak up load or offended anyone. We went back to the car and wanted to go to the police, but our driver said first that he did not know where it was and we better should forget all about it. It would cost us a lot of money and nothing would happen because the ā€œguidesā€ pay the local police! Then we remembered the stories about corruption in this country which he told us this morning. Especially these regarding the police.\nWhy didnĀ“t we leave at once and wanted to go on our own? The reason is that we were in the temple complex of Besakih a few hours ago. We were informed by our driver that we only need to pay the entry fee and that no guide is necessary. That many guides make trouble and will tell us are that we are not allowed to get in the temple without a guide and that we will have to pay extra to go in various places in the temple. All this is not true, we can all go everywhere on our own and take pictures.\nAs we arrived there we only bought the entrance ticket and didnĀ“t take a guide at the office. At the entrance of the temple was a local man, who described himself as a \"temple guardian\" and told us that he is not a guide. He wanted to see our tickets again and didnĀ“t leave us alone walking into the temple. He told us exactly what our driver had predicted. The guard just wanted a tip. When we refused, he decreased the ā€œprice of the tip\" down several times and wanted to have only several dollars in the end. This is not about money but about principle. We persevered. As we asked him for his ID, (as an official guardian introduced by the government he needs to have some official document) he first told us not to have one, then that it was at the entrance and in the end he showed us a document that identified him as a tour guide. As we tried to take a picture of the document, but he pulled it off quite quickly, insulted us and let us alone.\nCompared with the income of a regular worker or rice farmer this ā€œpetty criminals\" take a fortune from the tourists. For a 2-3 hours walk on a simple, straight path, we should pay 300,000 IDR! This is completely absurd. These men earn enough money with the organized tour groups. What causes them to stop, the handful of tourists who want to \"climb\" the mountain on there own using violence." (50) I can hardly describe by the words how incredible view it has been. After we reached the peak and sun started to rise, I felt to grateful. Don't forget to take warm clothes, after trekking you'll be a bit sweaty.\nNote 1: I recommend to rent a car - car picked up us at 1:30 in our house. We had car for 6 people, each of us has paid 140 ths.\nNote 2: Bargain! We have paid half of the price which has been told us after arrival.\nIn total the price of this trip was less than 500 ths. Rp (less than 30 €).\nOn the way back our driver took us to see the Tegenungan waterfall, so eventually we had 2 trips in 1 :)\nNote 3: I have problems with my knees, if you guys have the same problem, prepare yourself bandage or something to fix your knee, 'cause it may hurt. (51) I've been to Mount Batur twice, once in January 2014 and another March this year 2016. It's a pre-dawn climb to the summit just in time to see the beautiful sunset. Both times I went with Bali Sunrise Trekking and Tours and I must say they have provided good services and reliability for this trek.\n\nDifficulty level for this trek is relatively easy for a regular office worker kind of person. Yes, you will break into sweats and bucket loads if u are that sort but this trip won't make you start questioning life mid-way through. Start a few walking or climbing sessions weeks before the trip if you haven't been actively exercising and that should help a good deal. I hope this is helpful as 'a regular fit person' just didn't helped me before i did my first trek here.\n\nAbout the climb, it starts pre-dawn at about 1.30am where a driver will pick you up at your hotel/villa, the journey depends on where you stay but u probably reach about 3.30am at a starting point (mine was a villa lobby which was pretty nice), hot beverages typically are provided before the trek for coffee junkies. After which, you start making your way up the 1717m mountain.\n\nRest points are ad hoc but with one major rest point mid way through the trek. If you rest too much, you might not be able to reach to the true summit to see the sunrise but you will reach some point to see it near the summit. Take note that there are two peaks at Mt Batur, I have been to both and would tell u to go for the higher peak as it is more breathtaking there.\n\nAt the summit, you can take pictures and there are nice seating areas (read 'ground' and some benches) to wait and catch the sunrise. The tour typically comes with breakfast made up of a packet of fruits and buns, which isn't entirely spectacular in my view. Your guide will also bring eggs to cook at the steam holes found at the summit. After you have shed a few tears from the beauty of nature, you start making your way down where the guide will bring you down closer to the crater to share with you the mountain's history and then you make your way back to the starting point. Reaching around 9.30am.\n\nWhat to bring? Good shoes for trekking or walking (the slopes near the summit are loose volcanic soil that are quite soft and harder to trek), some snacks to munch on at the summit, water of course. For simple luxury, a pair of slippers and a set of clothes to change is a good idea.\n\nWhat to look out for? The top summit has a good view of the sunrise and to the left a good view of the plains, on a foggy day, watch how the fog slowly creeps into hiding as the sun rises. Throughout your trek, your group might be accompanied by helpful locals who are carrying drinks to sell at the summit. They are generally friendly and do help you if you really needed it, just don't give them the false hope of you buying that drink from them if you don't intend to. It isn't particular expensive and does sounds nice to drink a nice bottle of coke at the top. (52) This was an absolutely new experience for us - myself and husband. We are two totally unfit individuals who have never done a hike. But reading about this trek and getting encouraged by who had tried this earlier, we decided to go for it. We booked a cab and driver who said he would take care of the entire thing and we paid him 600,000 IDR per person inclusive of the drive from Ubud to Kintamani, guide at the foothill, breakfast (bread, boiled eggs, banana and water to carry) and drive back to resort in Ubud.\n\nWe were picked up at around 2 am and it was an hour or more drive to Kintamani. When we reached, we found over 300 travellers waiting or starting their hike. It was cold and windy - so remember to carry a warm jacket. Your guide will provide you with flash lights. Please travel light - do not carry heavy bags.\n\nThe walk up is extremely difficult for people who do not work out / trek. It will take about 2-2.30 hours for you to reach the top and you can make it just before sunrise. Second half of the hike is very steep. It's pitch dark all around, except for all the tiny light strings emitted by the flash lights. On a clear night, if you look up, the view of a million stars above you will mesmerize you.\n\nOnce you reach the top, if it is a cloudless day, you can get the perfect view of sunrise. We were not fortunate enough since it was cloudy up there. However, the view was totally worth the climb. A small kitchen/restaurant where your guide will heat your food and serve you. There are many monkeys around who are more or less friendly.\n\nThe climb down will take another 2 hours. The view while you clinb down is breathtaking.....you can see the beautiful lake batur and the molten lava metamorphosed into rocks. beautiful spots all along the way down where you can click pictures. (53) My friend and I arrived at Kintamani the day before the trek and stayed at Catur Dewi Hotel which has a great view of Mt Batur. If you stay here and they show you the rooms right at the bottom of many sets of stairs - ask to see other rooms as those just below the restaurant are much better and you can still bargain for them. It's close to town and only about 10mins drive to the start of the trek. You then only have to leave the hotel at 3:30am to arrive ready to hike up the mountain at 4am.\nTREK: The first part of the trek is more cardio and the last part of more strenuous on the legs. My friend and I are 40 and fairly fit and found the trek fine... not easy as such, but I've done much harder. I did it in hiking sandals and had no problems. After a few minutes of walking you can take off your jacket and you need it at the top, but it's not really really cold. Definitely go the extra distance from the crater to the very top as you have to climb up over rocks which is a bit of a task, not too hard and the view from the top is great - worth a little bit more effort. We also went into the cave to the little temple inside (not too far) and this was lovely. All in all, it was a fun and rewarding experience and I would do it again if I had another friend who wanted me to go with them.\nBy the way, just chilling at a restaurant having a long late lunch the day before with perfect cloud free views of Mt Batur was a great experience.\nHOT SPRINGS: The hot springs only a few minutes drive from where the trek starts and finishes were a great place to spend the rest of the afternoon easing the muscles. We found out that if someone drives you there they get commission (50,000IDR), but if you go on your own it's only 100,000IDR. They provide lockers to safely store your stuff (big enough for big overnight bags), showers and a towel. You can also have a nice lunch there (by the pool is better so you can avoid all the tour groups stopping for lunch at the restaurant) and also some yummy cocktails by the pool. I can't believe we didn't meet anyone else there who had done the trek that morning (aside from 1 girl) as it's the perfect thing to do after the trek and so close.\nI recommend doing the trek and then the hot springs. It's a lovely way to spend a day in Bali! (54) Every day around 100-200 people climb Mount Batur. The trail is quite easy and in 2 hours you will reach the top. To avoid accident, a local climbing guide must be hired here with the choice of having hot tea or coffee with banana sandwich on the top while enjoying the sunrise around Mount Agung, Mount Abang and Mount Rinjani. (55) I climbed up this mountain in June 2014. It is not difficult to climb but is definitely bit tiring. Took me about 1.5-2 hours to reach the top of mt batur. We started at 2:30 am from my hotel in ubud, started the climb at around 3:45 and were on top by 5:45. It was cool at the top and some winter clothes will definitely help.\n\nWhile I reached well before the sunrise time, the weather was cloudy (though sky seemed clear at night and stars were visible) and hence could not see the sunrise. The view from top is nice, though it is better to check the weather to make sure you see the sunrise as another trek might not be feasible during your stay.\n\nThe volcano mountain is no more active, though the there is lot of steam coming from within. However, did not see anyone boiling eggs from the volcano steam as mentioned by many in the reviews.\n\nI went with Pineh travels and these guys were quite professional in their services.\n\nHowever, strictly speaking a guide is not necessary for the trek. Since there are about 100-200 people for the trek, you can just be part of the crowd and do it on your own. (56) Mount Batur, viewed from Kintimani over lunch, is a majestic view, & well worth the drive. Potography an sun rise or sundown would be a blast. (57) Thank you very much Jero to arrange our hike to Mt. Batur, your uncle Ketut was just a great guide. He is helpful, patient and and friendly guide. Keep your best services, I am sure your team will be the best one for mount Batur guide.\n\nI and my family will keep your number +6281904082208 ones some of my or family will hike Mt. Batur I will pass your number. This hike is our best experiences in Bali. (58) Hikers beware !if you are like my husband who was planning to walk up this mountain without a guide ,then you will possibly be disappointed.\nFirst either book tour or reputable company (we would normally use Bali safest drivers but they were busy).My husband booked a taxi driver who seemed friendly, he charged more than going rate then ,after agreeing price he didn't even come and sent another taxi driver.When he arrived at Mounts Batur (after 2.5hrs from nusa dua )he was met by Mafia guys .. no joke he was told he had to pay for a guide otherwise he wasn't going to be allowed to get past them.He then tried to drive to the other side of Mountain but was again met by more Mafia types...in the end he gave up and decided to see other parts of beautiful Bali. Very sad that he wasn't able to do this hike. (59) there are loads of people each morning trekking to see the sunrise but they have several points (peaks) on the volcano to stop to wait for the sun to come up so it didn't feel to crowded. the higher peaks are a bit more of a slog as you are walking on ashy type material so it is likewalking up a big sand dune. The weather was clear for us so we saw a beautiful sunrise - I am not sure if that is normal or not! one of the highlights of the holiday for us. (60) Apparently this volcano is active and last erupted in the 50s. You can actually see on my photos the dark burnt area below the volcano where the lava has covered the surface and everything on its way. Amazing!\n\nBeware of the locals who sell souvenirs. Some even place their products directly into your hands saying \take it\". Do not take it or you will have to pay. It is not a big deal, so just be polite and buy it if you have some spare change. I don't want to say bad things because I know that this is their way of earning a living so don't be rude to them."