masterthesis-playground/raft/corpus/topic=4__part=001__n=60.txt

[TOPIC] 4
[Stats] N=60 | Source=../data/original/reviews.tab


(1) We visited the lake below mt. Batur. We really wanted to go see the sun rise and do a trek but traveling with a 4yo makes all that challenging. However, do it if you can and have the means to do it. It s an amazing experience and the view s breathtaking. It brings a certain thrill in just seeing something as enormous and dangerous as a volcano. A 1.5 hr drive from Ubud.
(2) Beautiful and gorgeous view of Mt Bator. Worth the long journey from Seminyak to Kintamani for this view, in Bali..
(3) We used a trek company to provide the guides up to the summit, taking the \quick easy\" way we scrambled up old lava flows and beaten trails for around 2 hours. The hike was relatively moderate to hard in difficulty, robust and sturdy shoes a must - not converse as I saw! Foot ware is key, plenty of places to slip or loose your footing on the way up.\n\nOnce up, we waited for dawn to appear behind a curtain of clouds (big shame) and explored the top. The steam vents are a photo opportunity and make the summit feel warm, where I would advise warm kit to wear whilst on the top - surprising how cold it is compared to the base but it is a mountain! When the clouds shifted a bit, the views were amazing and well worth it.\n\nTypical start time for dawn is 4am, assuming dawn is 0630, with 0600 arrival time. Leaving from kuta as I did, expect to leave at 2am for the 2 hour drive there."
(4) Amazing climb to the top where we witnessed a wonderful sun rise that reavealed a fantastic surrounding formed by the vulcano.\n\nTough climb, but definitively worth it.
(5) This is a beautiful, peaceful mountain. The people in the village is interesting to see also. The lake also is beautiful. Saw lots of things while I was here. Sunset was gorgeous!
(6) It's an early start but definitely worth doing! Even thought we didn't see much of the sunrise as it was quite cloudy but the view was still amazing on the way down when there was light. Bring good shoes and warm jacket!
(7) 1) Beautiful View of the Sunrise, Caldera lake, Volcano, Clouds\n\nAs you can see from the photos from other reviewers - you are likely to see the sunrise (not the sun from the horizon type) - but the sun rising from the clouds. You will also see the lake, volcano, steam from the heated holes, and clouds flying by. Once you reach the top, please be patient, spend time time appreciating nature and wait for the clouds to move around, you will see the view.\nDepending on where you are from and your travelling experience - the view would be above average, but not \spectacular\". However, if you have a spare day, I would still recommend you to hike the volcano to see the view.\n\nCrowds is actually reasonable, I won't say it's \"crowded\" at all (I am from Hong Kong); there's space to sit around to wait for sunrise and no one would block your view at all.\n\n2) Manageable Trek - Wear appropriate gear\n\nPlease wear hiking shoes! The \"path\" is full of sand and lose rocks, there's a path but no proper rocks / steps at all. Most people wear sneakers; but I have seen people in converse and one guy in flip-flops! I am not a particularly fit person, the hike (walk) up took around 2 hours (there's another \"top\" of the mountain which will be another 25 minutes). If you are a competitive hiker / trail walker you might be slightly frustrated with the speed of the general tourists / students / backpackers' speed.\n\nClothes wise - T shirt / sportsgear with a windbreaker - hot when you are walking; but cool once you get to the top and stop walking; long thin pants is fine (shorts is also OK - but i wore long pants to avoid any scratches in case I fall.... lose rocks / sand everywhere). A few people \"fell\" or \"slid\" but it's nothing major.\n\nSuggest you also bring a headlamp (see below for torch provided) and gloves (to hold on to rocks if necessary).\n\nSome parts of the trek is quite steep and the guide would hold your hand, or random guides / people selling things up there would hold your hand for a bit and expect some kind of payment / tip (e.g. a 12 year old girl held my hand for the last bit and I bought a cold drink from her for 30,000 IDR)\n\nDepending on your level of fitness, age, previous injury - there will be impact on your knee - so exercise your normal level of care when coming down (another 1.5 hours or so).\n\n3) Service-less Guide - Horrible Service, Lack of Sense of Safety\n\nI assumed all trekking guides are from (registered and governed by) the \"The Association of The Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides\" as they came out from that office. We arrived, a one-liner introduction as to her name, she asked where we're from, handed us 2 torches, and just started walking and expected us to follow!!!! Rude and unprofessional. She did put her hand out to give us occasional help, but its hiking in the dark! We are all adults and should be well prepared, but I would expect a guide to still give you a basic rundown or introduction of the hike - and this should be universal to every person going on the mountain - expert, leisure or first timers.\n\nThere was no safety prep talk e.g. what to expect during the hike; brief check on our gear and shoes, gentle reminder on whether we had breakfast / brought any snacks / drinks; any guidelines / do and don'ts during the hike; what to look out for when mapping our own steps on the sandy rocks.\n\nThe torch was silly - the battery was dying - it lasted to the top, but was obviously less bright that it should be, the guide had no spare battery, and she had no spare torch.\n\nSo apparently she's just a \"trekking guide\" and not a tour guide (according to our driver who said he knew her) - there was no information as to the history of Mount Batur, how it formed, the last eruption, rock formation, names of nearby mountains and villages. (see below for price).\n\nAfter the walk, we had fill in a survey issued by The Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides.\n\n4) Compare Prices before you join a tour! Look up the internet, as your hotel in advance.\n\nI agreed to the driver and joined this tour before arriving Bali - USD50 for the driver (40 mins drive from our hotel in Rural Ubud to the mountain, and he waited for us and drove us back) 3:30am - 10:30am; USD50 per person for the trekking guide! (negotiated to USD40 after receiving such appalling service; and the driver even told us \"not to mess with him in Bali\" in the course of negotiation).\n\nWe saw group tours for USD35 per person (we randomly asked a place in Ubud city centre right opposite Ubud markets - including transport, safety talk, breakfast (the simple as everyone mentioned - volcano steam boiled eggs and bread)); and as recommended by our hotel, private tours are around IRD1,100,000 for 2 people including hotel pick up ( and breakfast). So please compare what's available and do more research before committing.\n\nSome people added places to go after the hike, but as we had another day tour in Ubud (USD40 for 10 hours for the driver of a 7-seater car); we headed straight back to the hotel after the hike.\n\nThanks so much for being so patient in reading this review - we still enjoyed the activity; but the customer service and professionalism by the trekking guides are still lacking."
(8) We did it very early morning to be at the top by sun rise, the climb is not easy, and a minimum level of fitness is required, but after that .... Wouah.... Well worth the effort, specially to be at the top for sun rise.
(9) Just got back from the sunrise tour and it was amazing. We paid £24 each with Pineh and was worth every penny.\n\nWe was picked up from our room in Sanur at 2am and driven for an hour to the coffee / tea station where we enjoyed banana chocolate pancakes, tea or coffee before meeting our guide.\n\nThe trek up is quite challenging, but we made it up with a couple of rest stops and free water breaks.\n\nOnce at the top, we had a twenty minute wait for the amazing sunset to show itself in all it's glory. Beautiful.\n\nFree eggs and sandwiches followed.\n\nWe then set towards the crater & cave and was given all the information from our guide Putu.\n\nThe trek down was a lot easier and flatter but the overall experience is simply outstanding.
(10) This is a 'must do' when in Bali!! We booked our tour with Bali Sunrise Trekking and Tours and it turned out to be a great experience. I am not sure if it was meant to be but we ended up getting a private tour with our own guide. He was extremely helpful and very patient as we took our time hiking up to the top for the sunrise.\n\nThe hike is amazing - can be very strenuous for someone who's out of shape and can also provide you with a reason to get Balinese massage every day for the rest of your stay :)
(11) We arranged our own driver / guide from the hotel and listed what we wish to see. Mt Batur was part of the trip and it was interesting visiting. We did not climb the volcano (too old !) but viewed it from the road area, where we had lunch. I was told that it is still active and if you take the long walk to the top, you will be able to cook an egg in the steam.\nWorth the trip, even if you don't climb to the top, because of the spectacular views, only wished I had a better camera. The view from the restaurant enhanced the food . . . .
(12) This requires a lot of effort but you will be rewarded once you get to the top and see the views.... they are amazing!\nReally early start is a must for this, I wouldn’t want to do it in the heat of daytime and sunrise is perfect when you’re up there!\nWe started trekking about 4am for the sunrise at 0620am, I would advise to come prepared.\nBring plenty of water, and some snacks as you will definitely need the energy! Also invest in a really good torch.\nThe hike starts off with a a gradual incline towards the mountain in the pitch black, the terrain here is comfortable but you HAVE to wear walking boots or trainers.\nFrom the base of the volcano, it is an steep incline, and the terrain from the base to the first platform is various different size rocks and it is really unsteady to walk on. The climb is steep and is pretty difficult but if you go with a guide they are good with allowing you breaks.\nThe view from the first platform is obviously amazing but you HAVE to carry on the further walk (approx 30mins) to the very top platform.\nBe warned.... this last bit is extremely difficult, it is extremely steep and the terrain is very slippy and sandy but it is so worth it at the top.\nWe made it with about 20 mins to spare so all in all it took us around 1hour 45 to get to the top.\nThe walk down is challenging in a different way, again the terrain is unsteady until you get to the road, I would advise just taking it easy on the way down!\nI am definitely not a regular joker or anything, and even though I found parts challenging and difficult, we completed the hike and I would definitely recommend doing this if you are in Bali!
(13) You can enjoy here by a rental car with your driver... A huge lake is located around the mountain... Very beautiful here
(14) The mountain itself is worth 4 stars, but the guide service we used is only 1, so we gave it 3 stars for the experience. We were very excited to climb this mountain. We are both very fit and hike a lot of mountains in Alaska but are not that experienced at climbing mountains, especially not at night. We hired Ketut from the Lonely Planet guide and he picked us up from south Bali at about 8pm. We started the climb on the longer side of the mountain at about 11pm and were guided by one of Ketut's assistants, Putu. Putu was not a very good guide. He barely talked to us despite his knowing a little English and our knowing a little Bahasa Indonesia. Higher up on the mountain, when it becomes more technical and is more of a climb than a hike, he would be so far ahead of us that we were basically path finding ourselves. There were instances where I couldn't even see his head lamp because he was so far ahead. We had no doubt that he knows the mountain well but he did not do a good job of transmitting that knowledge to us. The mountain is quite challenging and a bit intimidating near the top, especially given the limited visibility from only the head lamp and moon. The views after sunrise are amazing though and the experience would be worth it with a good guide. Ketut was great and we would have liked to hike with him because he had a lot of interesting information having been in this region and hiked this mountain for years, but obviously driving 5 hours to pick us up and drop us off and hiking all night long was not wise. Would suggest getting a lot of info on your guide service before climbing this mountain.
(15) We booked this trip in December with Ubud Scooter Rental Company and started the hike at 4 AM in pitch darkness through a pathway illuminated solely by flash lights. We reached the top at about 6AM roughly and were in the clouds, although it was not the sunrise we had hoped to see, it was still a beautiful view and worth the climb.\n\nIt would be very easy if you are used to hiking and daily physical activities but it is also not impossible for those who don't, especially if you get a good guide. Don't rush yourself just because your group members are way ahead of you, take your time and just enjoy the trail.\n\nAt the top, there is small shop to buy tea, coffee, juice and snacks, there are also huge monkeys that will grab anything and everything so beware! the walk down is slightly easier and pretty too as by now you can see the area and does not have rocks to climb, however it can be quite slippery in the slopes, a good pair of shoes is very important.
(16) Did it as 2 52yo and an 18yo\n\nA tough climb if you're not fit but highly worth the experience\n\nWe didn't get to see the sunrise due to cloud but would still highly recommend doing it.
(17) We reached Kintamani at around 12:30pm and stopped on the way for a majestic view of the Mount Batur. The Batur Lake is equally beautiful and surrounded by Mount Batur on one side and green tree covers on all other sides. The cloud was playing hide and seek with the peak of the Mountain so we could not see the caldera clearly but the view was simply mesmerizing. The lazy cloud was hanging over the lake and we were spellbound with the beauty of nature. The weather was very pleasant with warm sunshine.\nOur Driver and Guide Mr. Gede took us to a restaurant and there we sat down and enjoyed the panoramic view of the mountain range and the serene lake while taking lunch. Slowly whole area was covered with thick cloud and became very cold and windy. One person was selling wrappers and scanty dressed ladies just grabbed most of these within minutes.\nIf you are a nature lover, don’t miss to spend time to view this beautiful active volcano and the lake. You will definitely like the stunning beauty of nature.
(18) We booked the tour with Bali Eco Cycling for 450,000 IDR pp, which is quite reasonable as we had the pickup from our hotel, snacks, water, torches, wet weather gear, breakfast and not to forget 3 guides (for 7 passengers) included. The walk up starts out quite easy, Last half an hour is steep. Part of the group choose to go to the very top, but that path is fairly difficult, with loose sand. We were lucky to have a great clear daybreak, with views as fas away as Lombok.\nWe went down another way, with the beginning very hard. Nearly everybody in the group slipped at least once. The guide were very helpful. always lending a hand if necessary.\nThe tour was not entirely as described on the Eco Cycling website however (no trekking around the rim, breakfast not cooked in the steam fissures etc.)\nAll in all, a great experience. But views of course are not guaranteed.
(19) We climbed Mount Batur to see the sunrise and it was well worth the climb. We started in darkness with lights attached to our heads and took about 2 hours to reach the top. Fantastic experience!
(20) What a view!\n\n... but, you'll have to work for it. We did the sunrise trek and wouldn't have it any other way. My husband is in very good shape so we expected that he'd do well on the journey. I work out, but I wouldn't call myself extremely physically fit or anything. After reading reviews, I knew I'd be able to do the hike, but thought I'd have a few difficulties. As it turned out, though, I surprised myself when we ended up passing most of the other groups on the way! We only stopped a couple of times to catch our breath and take a few sips of water. I was out of breath on the way up a few times, but just a 20 second break and I was good to go again.\n\nDefinitely wear comfortable shoes. If you take no other advice, take that! Bring some water, and a windbreaker because it's cold at the top. Oh and definitely bring a flashlight (torch). Also, take a moment to stretch your muscles before you go... about halfway up I wished I had. My muscles were definitely sore later that day and the next, but that's the beauty of having fully affordable spa treatments in Ubud!\n\nDo yourself a favour and climb to the highest point. It hurts by that point, but trust me- it's worth it. We saw views from both spots and the higher one was worlds better.\n\nBreakfast is good- I'm a new fan of banana sandwiches! I don't eat eggs but my husband was happy to have mine for me. He says that volcano steamed eggs are tasty.\n\nOur guide was awesome- very friendly, knowledgable and his english was great. His name was Gede (pronounced like \Good Day\" with an Australian accent, haha).\n\nSome   of mine who climbed Mt. Batur a few months ago somehow haggled a price of $40 USD for 4 people, but I'm not really sure how they did that. We arranged our trip in Ubud with our hotel, and we paid $65 for two people (however, that included transportation to/from Ubud, as well as visiting the rice terraces and a coffee place where we learned about Balinese coffee). We also tipped our guide 150,000 IDR.\n\nIn the end, it was well worth the price, the sleep loss, and the pain. I highly recommend doing this!!"
(21) One of our highlights for our Bali trip was to visit Mount Batur of Kintamani Village, a famous scenic picturesque for all photographers. The reason why many chose to sacrifice their sleep is for its spectacular view after Mount Batur collapse and was set as a crater lake, leaving it as one of the world's finest caldera of size 13.8 x 10km.\n\nAnother reason is that I've never hiked up an active volcano that was rising at 5,633 ft up.\n\nIf you would like to book a half day sunrise tour, you can try booking it at Bali Lines Tourist Service, located at 52 Hanoman Street in Ubud City. It cost US$70 per person inclusive of a guide. Be careful of unlicensed tour agencies who charge you for taking you there and not having a accredited guide. It is said that each guide can only bring 4 pax per trip.\n\nTry to get plenty of rest and avoid eating adventurous food the night before .\n\nOn the morning of the trek, we were called by the hotel concierge 45mins earlier than our assigned 230am pick up and had to rush hurriedly to the car only to find 2 indonesian men decked in winter wear and ski caps. Luckily, my partner, PC and I were wearing a long sleeve shirt over our tees and with scarves.\n\nWe took another pit stop at another hotel and picked an Australian couple up, only to find them under dress in t-shirt and shorts. Mind you, the weather up at the peak is said to be around 16-18 degrees on a sunny day, so I'll advise that you wear a t-shirt, bring along a jacket or windbreaker and wear proper footwear. Oh, not forgetting a torchlight too!\n\nWe arrived at our meeting point at Toya Bungkah around 3.30am and was served with the local version of banana choco pancake which had a glutinous texture and your choice of coffee or tea. The little meeting point also sells souvenirs such as Kopi Luwark, also known as civet coffee.\n\nAt this point, it would be too late to discover that you would need a torch at this trip and PC and I had to offer one of our torches to the other couple.\n\nWe started our hike at 4ish and made our way into the dark, on flat grounds across what seem like a small farm and about 20 minutes later, we made a pit stop at a shrine for prayers before embarking on our journey. At this point of time, came a drink seller, who would hike up every morning with at least 8-10 bottles of coca-cola(s).\n\nDuring my ascension, I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath, simply because the mountain shales were loose, my knees were giving way from climbing up on steep rocks and probably irregular exercise prior to this vigorous feat.\n\nThe air was cold and thin, a couple of times, I wish I gave up but at the same time with much encouragement from PC and our tour guide, Dana, I managed to press on. Dana was very nice to have helped with my backpack due to the camera tripod and equipment that led to my fatigue.\n\nWe managed to reach to our destination. A small hut at the top in the midst of the cold air, plumish midnight skies and faint stars scattered on the tip of Mount Batur. Depending on your guide and package that you have paid for, we were served with volcano steam hard boil egg and rewarded ourselves with a bottle of coke from the drink vendor who accompanied us during the hike.\n\nI'm not going to elaborate the scale of beauty here but I suggest that you try it at least once and experience, breathe and feel what Mount Batur can offer you.\n\nTo sum it up, Mount Batur is definitely worth the try, of every penny considering that in this lifetime, you would never thought of climbing up an active volcano, eating volcano steamed eggs, climbing up rocks, possibility of having bruised toes, meeting a bunch of monkeys midway, placing your hand and feeling the steam off a small volcanic hole and having the world beneath your feet! I say go on, curse at it while you're at it but when its awfully over, you'll be so proud that you did it.\n\nFor more pictures, visit, http://wanderlus.blogspot.com/2011/07/mount-batur-bali-world-beneath-my-feet.html
(22) I climbed Mount Batur with two  . We are all quite active but not regular hill walkers. Our guide Ari was amazing! She was so informative and very chatty. She was probably one of the nicest people I met in Bali (and the Balinese people are all very lovely!!)\n\nWe paid 300,000 for our trip at a tour kiosk in Ubud. And that included transport to and from the mountain (plus a stop at the Luwak coffee planation), breakfast and coffee before the climb, a pack lunch and bottled water. The driver picked us up at our hotel in Ubud and dropped us off back at our hotel.\n\nThe climb took about 2 hours to the first level. We opted to climb an additional 25 minutes to the very top. We got there about an hour before sunrise. It was a bit chilly up at the top so I would recommend bringing a jumper. The sunrise itself was incredible and the views were outstanding. They were serving some hot chocolate at the top which helped to warm you up!\n\nI would highly recommend to anyone who visits Bali!
(23) Thought of trekking up Mt Batur as my friend has done it with her hubby and they recommend it. I am also gonna do the same- recommend this to anyone who is adventurous and able to wake up early to trek up this mountain.\n\nWhat do you need?\n1) IDR 700,000 with breakfast IDR 600,000 without\nIDR 500,000 if you just wanna trek halfway\n2) good shoes or preferably hiking shoes\n3) walking stick\n4) wind breaker\n5) water and some food/chocolate or power bar.\n6) sunblock\n\nWe left our hotel in Sanur at 2am and we arrived at the foot of the mountain at 330am and got a guide and started trekking up.\n\nWas a grueling climb. Luckily it was dark as all we wanted to do was to reach the peak. The cool air helped a lot. Made the climb easier. Took us about 1.5 hours to reach the top. It was really cold at the peak. So it's important to have a wind breaker. Breakfast was prepared by the guide. Was eggs and bread with either tea or coffee.\n\nWe waited more than an hour for the sunrise. I was a little disappointed that we didn't see the first sunrise as it was really misty. The mist only cleared half an hour after sunrise and that's when we were able to appreciate such a fantastic view. We saw Mt Abang and Mt Agung and it was spectacular. The view of the valley was also amazing.\n\nWe took the hike around the mountain peak and it we got to see the crater. Climbing down wasn't easy as the gravel was loose and slippery and I felt as i was skiing. Thankfully it didn't rain that day.\n\nHiking down was also nice despite the hot sun. Really got to appreciate the view of the valley and of Bali.\n\nWe also had amazing guide who was really friendly and he didn't push us to hurry. He was also super sweet as he helped us carry our heavy bag pack.\n\nIt'd one activity you got to try. My only con is the price.\n\n
(24) The climb was hard as I was not the most fit person but my husband found it okay. The view at the top was beautiful. We didn't see the sunrise as the weather was bad and it was very foggy. However it was an incredible experience.
(25) It was physically heavy to climb all the way up to the top but the view was an incredible reward and totally worth it!
(26) The sunset was pretty beautiful, not much to see there except for walking along the beach and the temple. I would not have came here except that my family wanted to as I thought it was slightly overrated. \n\nOur experience was also marred by a scam at a fruit juice shop in the complex. It was a Chinese fruit juice stall (you'll see Chinese words advertising advocado ice cream and smoothies). The Chinese owner was proactive in getting us to go in and was fervent in recommending the menu. However, she intentionally failed to tell us that her menu charges in Chinese Yuan instead of the local currency IDR. Imagine our shock when our bill turned out to be almost three times the normal rate in Bali. We informed her that it was very expensive and we didn't know her currency was not local, and she plaintively ignored our comments. We felt deliberately misled by her. None of her local staff dared to bring us the bill, and she was the only one collecting orders and payments. \n\nWe could have been more cautious with the menu, but we definitely did not expected to be charged a different currency from IDR. Please beware of this shop!
(27) You should at least arrive to this place to start the trekking route at 4AM and approximately it will take around 2-3 hours depend on how many times you stop to take a break. Sunrise will show up at around 6AM-6:30AM. My trip was on August 2018 during rainy season and the summit was foggy and showering but it was still worth the trip as the sunrise came even though for a split seconds. Also bring your own raincoat if you plan to visit this place during rainy season. Prepare your own snack and water as the seller at the summit will charge double to triple price. Bring flashlight or head lamp, use clothes to make you warm, comfy shoes or hiking sandals.
(28) van Bemmelen, the first geologist to write an extensive book on geology of Indonesia, once said that Batur Caldera is the best caldera in the world. He's probably right.\n\nMt. Batur in an active baby volcano, which was only born about 5000 years ago, in the center of Ancient Batur caldera (huge crater). It's still shorter than the highest point of the caldera rim. View from Penelokan area is stunning! The highest peak of Mount Batur is the oldest, and a couple of siblings has emerge towards the South-South East flank.\n\nHiking Mt. Batur is very nice and rewarding. 1.5 to 2 hours would get you to top, some even do it in 45 mins. Most visitor gets up really early to chase sunrise. your guide will tell you stories of past and recent eruptions, show you where the lava had flown. Ask them to do some volcano egg cooking!\n\nCheck out the Batur Volcanology Museum while you're there. Or maybe a good idea to go there before take the hike, then you'll already have an idea about it..
(29) The sunrise trek is a must do. We booked through getyourguide and their staff were amazing!\n\nTheir tour took us up a different route away from the motorbikes that some people complain about and included a stop at some hot springs and a coffee plantation on the way back to our hotel too.\n\nThe trek itself is fairly intense and requires at least a moderate level of fitness. The sunrise at the top is beautiful.
(30) It was terrible, to be honest. We decided to climb a mountain on our own. The ticket costs 10000rp, but the locals stopped and attacked us requiring us to take a mandatory guide. We do not mind any local rules, but not when somebody is awfully rude, frightening you with the stick! We had a child with us by the way. Please do not spend your money there, you support the local mafia!
(31) When we booked this little adventure I asked what the terrain was like. The answer I got was mostly sealed road, with some rocky parts. Reason I asked is that I had no shoes. So I took his advice and just wore my flip flops.... Bad move!!\nOur guide wanted to stay away from the heard of people taking the sealed rd and take us on a more extreme trek... I was barefoot for some of it because of a heap of sand and rock! Ouch!!\nI was most impressed with my 8yo and 12yo boys. I was a bit hesitant at first with going the 'other' route because of them but they battled and pushed their way to the top and were rewarded with a hot chocolate at the summit. It was quite cloudy and only cleared for seconds at a time to get a view of the sunrise. Overall this was a great experience we completed as a family and would highly recommended!!
(32) My husband and I decided to take a hike to Mt. Batur after reading about it on TripAdvisor. We booked the hike through our hotel and it costed us around $40 per person. I would recommend booking a trip through seasoned tour guides since you would need a good guide for this particular hike. Our tour guide picked us up at 2 am and we reached the base station around 3am. We were offered a small snack to eat before the hike (I would recommend that you eat a bit before this hike) and each of us were given a small breakfast pack to carry. The hike began around 3:30am. Each group consisted of 5-6 tourists with 2 guides. The first part of the hike (first hour) is similar to walking on a treadmill with an incline, however the latter half of the hike is more strenuous consisting of a very rocky, narrow and slightly slippery trail which takes you to the first sunrise viewing point. The tour guides provided us with hand held flash lights, however, we would advise carrying head lamp since you may need to use both hands to climb uphill in the second part of the hike. After two hours we reached the first viewing point, and frankly, were too tired to climb another half hour to the summit of the mountain (more slippery and consists of loose lava rock). The hike was worth the effort, the view from Mt. Batur is spectacular. After sunrise, the guide took us along the edge of the crater. The hike downhill was simpler and part of it courses through the forest and offers spectacular views of a lake and surrounding village. I would recommend carrying a light load on this hike (we were carrying a heavy camera bag and tripod). Also, don't forget to carry a light jacket since it gets cold near the viewing point which is 1.7m above sea level.
(33) Me and my partner went for holiday in December last year. We spent the whole festive season at Sanur and Kuta. The beach and the tourist attractions are really nice, but be careful with people who try to take your money...\n\nWe tried to exchange some currency at the place where they offered the best rate. We gave the money for them, and they started to count it two three times. We found it weird - why does he counts it again and again, it was evidence how much we gave him...Than we noticed that the guy pulled some notes out tricky of the packet of our money, and than he slid the note under the table. We stopped him, and we took the pounds back. We found another currency exchange - which was another shadier place to exchange money. Than we were right! They tried to do the same trick! It was disappointing, that these kind of people are continuously trying to ruin couples and family's holidays. We gave another try - we went to another money exchange on the high street. He offered lower rates, but he was an elder guy, with qualifications on the wall. He took the money, counted it loudly for us, than he gave us the right amount in Rupiah. We asked him, is it common in Bali that money changers steal your money? He said yes, be careful with shady, hidden places where they offer you good rates, please check how they count the money. He was really nice to us - \I have been doing this business since 1992, it does not worth to blame customers.\" - he said.\n\nLater, we went to Sanur by motorcycle. There was a lot of bikes parked by the shore. There was a guy - without any uniform etc. who stopped us, and ask for money to park. We gave him some, thought it is not free to park. At the end of the day we packed up, and tried to left the place. The guy was still there, and showing the we need to pay again... I was just waving back nicely, but I was really angry at the same time...No ticket, no uniform, no signs that this is not a free beach... Be careful with these people too.\n\nFinally, two days before our checkout we decided to use the hotel's laundry services in Kuta. We only had a large towel and my partner's shorts. It became really dirty after a Beach-New Year's party. I left the stuff at the reception, and lady told us it is going to be ready to collect tomorrow evening - the latest. There was nothing ready the other day. We went back to the reception, asking them to give our clothes back, even if it is still unwashed. They did not find our stuff in some reason. I waited about half an hour at the reception, when they finally brought our things packed in a plastic bag, saying they are clean, and please pay the cost of washing. I opened the package and I noticed that the towel and the shorts were untouched. I told them,sorry, I am not going to pay for a hassle. Early morning, during our check out they showed a bill for us again, showing the price we need to pay for the laundry service. I said clearly -NO! I am not going to pay for nothing. Than we left a Bali a bit disappointed :(("
(34) I did the sunrise trek with a group of   and we took about 2 hours to reach the peak. You will start off the trek in complete darkness, and having to trust your little torchlight and the person in front of you. However, it gets better as the sun slowly rises and sprinkle sunshine all over you and your surroundings. The scenery is absolutely spectacular, despite the tiring hike. It was absolutely worth it! Oh, don't forget to have some volcano-steam-cooked eggs for breakfast at the top of the volcano! :)
(35) Perfect. I enjoyed the hike down took about 45 min it can be less if you fast. And coming back up took 20, the view is majestically. Really loved it very advisable just wear good shoes for good grip coz it’s steep and a Lil slippery
(36) As reported about Danau Batur, this is an amazing piece of nature. Where else can you visit a volcano and stand or eat on its rim in total comfort. It's amazing to think the original inhabitants of Bali, predating the Bali Aga, live just across the lake in Trunyan and live a very different life and culture to the rest of the people in Bali. We will hire a boat and visit Trunyan next visit.
(37) I'm not a mountain-climber. I rarely do it. I prefer the lowlands and the beach. But when the opportunity presented itself to me to climb Mount Batur while I was in Bali, I couldn't resist the challenge. Thus I contacted a tour organizer, keeping my fingers crossed that there would be a sufficient number of participants in the adventure so that it could push through.\n\nMount Batur is located in the district of Kintamani in Bali, Indonesia. It is 1,717 meters above the sea-level and it took us around two hours to reach the peak. The organizers had to pick me up from the hotel at around 1:30AM and before 4:00AM we already had our flashlights in hand as we began our arduous climb. Only four to five participants were allowed in each group. The skies were clear and I could see clusters of stars above us. I didn't know the Milky Way could be so visible and colorful in that area at such an hour!\n\nThe climb went quite fast in the beginning since the inclination of the road was not yet that steep. But as we continued, it became more and more steep, and on many occasions I had to request for a pause to catch my breath. In the end all my companions (much younger than I was) decided to go ahead, leaving me all alone by myself with our guide, who was kind enough to assist me and to carry my backpack for me.\n\nWe reached the top shortly before sunrise. They served us a light breakfast, and soon everybody was looking at the horizon, waiting for the sunrise. The view was simply spectacular! We had pictures taken before we decided to start our descent.\n\nFrom the top, I could see some dried lava flows. There were also smokes coming from the volcano crater and lots of monkeys even at that altitude! The way down was as challenging as the climb because of some loose stones and the risk of slipping down. But in the end, it was all worth it. There were wash rooms at the parking lot where we changed clothes before we got on our van to head back to Denpasar.\n\nOn our way back, we stopped by a coffee plantation and had a chance to taste different types of local hot drinks ... at least half a dozen of them (including the famous \luwak\" coffee made from coffee beans gathered from civet cat's [musang] excrement). Over-all, it was a very good and thrilling experience, but it takes a lot of stamina and physical fitness to climb Mount Batur!"
(38) I was so eager to reach this place, & it was more than what I expected :) .. The view is more than breath-taking, the breeze/wind is refreshing & the whole feeling is overwhelming when you realize this is an ACTIVE volcano! There are some restaurants that have direct view over the volcano, but the best one was just across the street .. You'll also find some souvenirs shops here & there ..\n\nThe only downside was that we had to pay 15,000 IDR each as an entrance fee! I'm not how is that logic! We were not entering any fenced place! It could've been a scam, so better watch out ..
(39) We drove there on motorcycle from Ubud. The drive there is quite good, but the cruise around Ubud itself is nicer in my opinion. If you decide to go on the motorcycle/scooter, then be prepared for the police to stop you and ask for a \payment\" (if you dont have international drivers licence). Also, the entry to the mountain area on motorcycle/scooter is 65.000 in for two persons. The mountain area is a HUGE tourist trap (understatement). The landscape is quite beautiful, but if you have just travelled a little around the world and seen mountains before, then this will definetly not blow your mind and is not worth the time spent.\n\nWe were considering a guided tour to the mountain area, but after doing the trip on motorcycle ourselves, we were very happy that we did not go for that option and end 400.000 per person (around 130.000 per person on motorcycle incl. gas, \"payment\", entry fees, rent of motorcycle).\n\nI would recommend everyone to spend time in the Ubud area, rather than going to the mountain."
(40) We were unsure about the climb given the early morning start and the immiment eruption of Mt Agung but it was all definitely worth it. Our driver Wayan was amazing giving us all sorts of information about Balinese culture and our surrounds along the way and then our guide up the mountain was even more amazing. The trek was more difficult than I expected and for those that may find it too difficult there are two summits, so you can stop at the first and still get a great sunrise but if you can, continue on for another 30-40 mintues because it is certainly worth it. The view of the sunrise, the valley below, the crater on either side, lake Batur and Mt Agung were magnificent. It was the highlight of our Bali trip. The trek is about 2 hours up to the summit and about 1.5 hours going down.
(41) Our driver recommended Mt. Batur as a stop as we were driving through Bali and the temples one afternoon. Looking back, I don't think we needed to make this drive up to the mountain. It's nice to see, but that's really it. It's about 45 minutes from Ubud, there is a fee to enter and then we had lunch at a restaurant (that really was so very unimpressive) while we looked on to the volcano. When we left we were swarmed by 6-year-old girls trying to sell trinkets. I felt like that part of the day was a waste of time. We stopped on our way down the mountain to get mandarian oranges. The women at the stand were lovely.
(42) To see the sunrise from Mount Batur means getting up at 1 am/not going to bed at all. We were picked up from our hotel in Sanur and drove two hours north. Starting hiking in the dark at 3 am I was excited! It's a walk fully accomplishable in regular trainers and shorts. A sweater is a good idea and so is a couple of changes of shirts if you like to stay dry. The hike up to approximately 1700 meters took us two hours but I believe even companies that really took their time were up before sunrise.\nOnce on top our guide Reiki showed us how he made breakfast for us, cooked banana and boiled eggs, using hot steam coming from the volcano. Delicious breakfast for any hungry stomach.\nOnce the sunrise came the views slowly turned out to be spectacular. Especially over neighbour volcano Agun.\nOnce back down we jumped into the warm springs of Lake Batur recovering our hiking muscles.\nWell worth the effort!
(43) Sunrise provided a beautiful way to view craters within a larger crater. Pretty cold and windy up top. Gorgeous walk down once visible.
(44) Good tour,our guide Jerry was very helpful especially when the climb got slippery. It was very cold at the top but we had extra jumpers provided at the bottom which were necessary and for $15 for two ok. Climb down was good and even though it wa cloudy the views of Agung were fabulous. Good trek not too hard and would recommend
(45) Fantastic adventures, very challenging. Very hard trek to the top, but more than worth it. Down is beautiful above the clouds. Take warm clothes I booked with the link above .thanks for organizing the most hard trek I ever done. Definitely I will use them again
(46) Started the hike around 4am to catch the sunrise at around 6.30am - an early start, but the sunrise view is totally worth the forgone sleep. Overall the hike is not too difficult though it gets harder nearing the peak. I'm really thankful that the guides are very friendly and patient to make sure we will keep going at a comfortable pace.\n\nWhile Mt Batur is famous for it's sunrise view, it is actually worthwhile to note that it is a volcano. Near the first pitstop, we can see the crater as well as steam from volcano (can even smell the sulphur!), and our way down, can also see a ring of lava marking the radius of impacted area by previous volcano eruptions.\n\nThe entire hike took about 4-5hour. Any advice? Make sure you bring a wind breaker, can be quite chilly before starting the hike or when you stop. And yes, I would totally recommend the tour agency I signed up for - look for Bali Eco Tour, the guides are fun, patient, and encouraging.
(47) Great experience ( though after Rinjani trek this is a childrens play... ), the sunrise looks good. Obviously plenty of tourists.\nNEVER book expensive tours online. The only thing you might get is a guide that speaks better english - but in the end, you dont even need a guide. In UBUD you can book for 250.000 in a couple of places ( one of which is Sri's hostel, even if I didnt stay there) and Pineh Tours. This is a price that reflects what you get - a pancakes as breakfast, a 2h trek up mountain, a banana and sandwich bread, and an egg.\nDon't pay more, I saw every single tour having exactly the same food! There is nothing really extra any tour offers - just making use of your absence of knowledge.
(48) My   and I arrived in Kintamani late afternoon. There was a good vibe to this bustling mountain village. Quite a bit of garbage around but that's beside the point. We made our way into the caldera of Mt Batur. The landscape was fascinating. We stayed in budget accomadation which was adequate. There are more lavish places available but we decided to do this on a budget which was cool. The guides woke us at 3am for the walk. The belly full of Bintang that night didn't help the long climb. 3/4 of the way up the sun peeked through the clouds next to Mt Agung and this made it all worthwhile. WOW. Boiled eggs and poache bananas cooked in thermal vents at the summit was a hit and the journey down was a little less difficult both mentally and physically. I highly recommend climbing a volcanoe. Even if you only do it once.
(49) Overall experience is amazing and don't think it's easy to trek. Will share few tips rather writing stories .\n1) don't book online . I paid 51SGD but other team members in group paid just 250k IDR which is just 25$ so book in ubud area to Dave money .\n2) here organisers don't have option to select guide . They will have to pick local people based on availability . My group trainor KETUT is not professional and not helpful at all. She just left others behind and go alone . She is not worthy at all. There are great Trainor out there so choose Trainor if you have option . My Trainor focus one person even while others struggling which is very bad so don't book her if you have option!!\n3)try to come with less weight bag otherwise it will dorocikt to carry while going up.\n\nFinally it's not that easy to trek so prepare for that but it's amazing experience so everyone should try before die 😉
(50) I am not the most fit person in the world but I am also not unfit. I read a lot of information about how some found it difficult while others with kids just breezed all the way up with no problems. For someone like me who can walk a lot on flat ground but find steep climbs challenging, this was hard!\n\nThe first 30min was ok, gentle climb up. But then in the dark (we started at 4am to get up there for sunrise) with loose rocks and step climb it got difficult. It was like climbing deep steps. The guide had to hold my hand because I was finding it difficult to get a grip on the rocks.\n\nHaving said that my husband thought it was a piece of cake. Once we got up there the view was epic! We were given eggs and banana sandwiches (literally slices bananas between two slices of bread). It wasn't great but then again you didn't go up there for a gourmet meal. We did have some lovely coffee before we started out climb.\n\nThe walk down was easy, but you have to be careful because of the loose rocks. Easy to slip.
(51) As I have been saying in all my posts that Bali was a total surprise. Completely different from what I have heard from people. It is beyond beaches and pubs.\n\nOne such place I visited was Kintamani Volcano. For people who want to explore and adventure early morning trekking could be another option which can be arranged locally.\n\nThe view from the restaurants opposite to the Volcano is mesmerising. The restaurant serves vegetarian and non- veg buffet for 220,000($22) rupiah.\n\nFor those fearless people !! There are couple of swings in the restaurant feel free to use them if you want some good pictures.
(52) The Money Changers here scam you with posting high rates outside their doors. When you give them a $100 Bill they will keep it on top of the counter and pile up the Indonesian Rupiah bills on the counter. The conversion is approximately 1.4 million and change. This they will convert in 50000 Rupiah notes which will amount to between 28 to 30 notes per $100. They will then pick up the notes to hand you the pile and will CRAFTILY PULL OUT a large chunk of the notes. The bigger the amount the easier it is for them to pull out more notes. An unsuspecting traveler will put the money in their purse or pocket and later realise that they were scammed. In our case we changed $500 and our due amount was 7.35 million. They handed us a shade over 5 million. We realised this when we arrived at the hotel. The hotel staff went with security and he immediately took the local currency back without even counting and handed us back $500. WHAT A SCAM. 😡
(53) No words to describe Mt. Agung. You must go there to feel the place. Most people use the trek from Besakih temple, or the Mother temple, as balinese call it. Start late night - around 23pm and you'll be on the top right for the sunrise. And if the weather is clear, you can see even Mt. Rinjani. There's two main treks - from Pura Besakih and from Pura Pasar Agung. The first one goes right to the top, while the second one goes to the small shrine built on the crater rim. From there you can also reach the summit, but it's extremely steep and slippery. So, if you're not well equipped and very well prepared, don't try to reach the summit from Pura Pasar Agung. The view is still magnificent and astonishing. Keep in mind, that the entire mountain is considered as a sacred place from the locals, so threat it with respect. Bring enough water with you, as there's no any water sources during the trek. Dress yourself properly, because of the cold, especially right before the sunrise.
(54) It was amazing! The trip to the volcano was an adventure, we will never forget it. Erick told us many backround information of Indonesia an the culture. That was really interesting, thanks for that! After our pick up we met Senegal our volcano guide. He took care of us all the time and we had a lot of fun together. The view on the mountain was amazing, no words can describe that wonderfull experience. After the sunrise and our nice breakfast (prepared for us vegan, just ask for it) we met Erick again. He drived us to the coffee plantation and we tried diffrent coffee and tea. That was also great there, the coconut coffee ist so yummy.\n\nI forgot my sunglasses at the coffee plantation and Ben (another guide) bring it to our homestay. That was really kind, thank you so much Ben!\n\nAll in all can I say it's worth it. It was a perfect day, with a perfect group and perfect guides.
(55) Did the sunrise trek this morning with my wife. Make no mistake, this is NOT an easy trek BUT with average fitness and a bit of willpower you can get to the top. Unfortunately we did have some clouds so although not the perfect sunrise, certainly a beautiful one worth the wake up at 1:30am and climb! Our guide was a lovely student called Kadek. She held my wife's hand for most of the trek and was amazingly helpful! Noticing some of the reviews here about the cheap option and not having a guide, I think this is OK if you don't want much info and are capable of climbing without a helping hand. Otherwise well worth the small amount of money you pay.
(56) I've climbed this mountain a few times with  , I have to get up early in the morning around 2:30 am, traveling from ubud about an hour, at about 3:30 am we started to walk to the top, about 2 hours to the top, above we could eat breakfast with bread, bananas, and a glass of Bali coffee, about 30 minutes we waited for sunrise, view from the top is very beautiful, I want to go back ....
(57) Mt. Batur and the lake are very beautiful. That's the only positive thing I could say about that place. If you want to climb the volcano crater without a guide, the locals will stop you. And they are not very friendly. There is NO official entrance fee, insurance, and any obligation to go with a paid guide. This mountain is taken over by a bunch of local criminals, rude and aggressive, who don't allow visitors to climb on their own without paying a lot of money. And probably everyone, who pays for a local guide supports that mafia. There is No such thing as \licensed guide\" there. It's surprising how that popular and really beautiful place in Bali is under control of unfriendly locals, with no any governmental regulations. Pay or go away! And as a result no chance for budget travelers who can't afford paying big amount of money, to go there. There is no fixed price, it's all about negotiating and bargaining. Is that the the official and legal way to climb the mountain?!\nOnce in the village, one will be followed and asked many personal questions, will be subject to disturbing, bothering, offered to buy something or 'help'. It's not help, it's just overpriced service. So if you decide to go there, please be well-informed and take your decision consciously and wise.\nPersonally, I would not advice people on going there, unless that unfair and illegal business is regulated by the government or legal institution."
(58) Mount Batur- the active volcano mountain stands as the crown of Bali. You may hike through it or ride over and halt at any of the restaurants since many of them offer great food and scenic views of Mount Batur. Must visit in Bali. If you have day out for Kintamani, go hiking or opt for hot springs near Lake Batur.
(59) Beautiful view..really nice landscape. Thoroughly enjoyed it, had lunch directly opposite the mountain, priceless. For nature buffs it is recommended.
(60) Hiking Mount Batur at sunrise, is a very advisable thing to do while in Bali however I would not say is a MUST.\nThe hiking starts at 4AM, and we found out that we were not alone. Hundreds of torch lights can be seen accross the hiking track. During the hiking we would be passing over many many people.\nWe were all tourists, to do the same circuit.\nAround Mount Batur there is a \mafia network\" to control the access to it. On one hand, its a good think that there is a guides service to improve the expierence, however this is not done properly. The service is extremely expensive comparing to the local cost of living. And the guides themselves are not allowing you to go alone, imposing a \"random\" service fee.\nEven having the GPS tracks, torch and so on, we were not able to do it alone. so the best thing is to hire this service from the beginning and do not waste time to discuss anything.\n\nTIPS:\ndo not stay at Batur just for the hike, and rather do it from Ubud, for instance, and plan the 1 day trip. You would avoid stazing at Batur (there is nothing to do else).\nFamous hot springs are overrated. If you are familiar with SPAs, Wellness stuff, I would not justify the visit to Batur, however after the hike is great to relax yourself in them.\nCONCLUSION:\nThe panorama is very cool, since Lombok is seeable and the skyline is great."