Danau (lake) Batur is the largest of Bali’s 4 mountain lakes, with a length of 8km and a width of 3km. Danau Batur sits inside the massive 13km long caldera (crater) which also contains Gunung (mount) Batur (1717m).
As the largest lake in Bali, Danau Batur is sacred to the Balinese, with the Goddess of the Lakes, Ida Batara Dewi Ulun Danu, honored at Pura Ulun Danu Batur which is on the crater rim. The original temple was at lakeside, but was moved, together with the village of Batur in 1926 after an earthquake. Around the lake, which are fed by 11 springs which the Balinese believe supply many other springs in Bali.
Danau Batur lies 500m below the crater rim. Villages that circle the lake are called ‘bintang danu’ which means ‘stars of the lake’. Access to the lakeside from the crater rim is via Penelokan. The winding road drops and gives some nice views of the lake and the surrounding areas. At first it seems surreal to be inside a massive volcanic crater, next to a freshwater lake and seeing people farming crops at the edge. The 3km drive takes no time at all and arriving at lakeside you have 2 immediate options for accommodation, go right to Buahan and the Hotel Baruna, or turn left towards guest houses close to Kedisan. Toya Bungkah, the main trekking point has more accommodation options and is around 4-5km past the junction to the NE.
It is possible to take a public bemo bus from Penelokan to lakeside. These bemos will go as far as Songan, though not frequently. Better to aim for Toya Bungkah. Bemos will also take you as far as Abang on the SE edge of the lake. For people wishing to get to the Bali Agavillage of Trunyan, accessible only by boat, you can get the best deals from Abang, rather than the main boat area at strong>Kedisan. Driving around inside the Batur crater it is easy to get disoriented for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if you are reading from a guide book you will read about things on the edge of the crater rim, edge of the lake, inside the crater and around the mountain. Important to remember which object the book is referring to. Secondly, its not until to start exploring the inside of the crater that you realize there are 2 crater rims, one inside the other, on the western and northern sides.
•Kedisan:
Kedisan offers a few places to stay including:
– Hotel Segara
(0366)51136
Budget to medium place with a choice of rooms, some with hot water and TV. Other rooms have cold water. The altitude means nights are cool so you don’t really need AC.
– Hotel Surya
(0366)51139
Slightly cheaper than the Segara, and there are hot water rooms available, though nothing fancy.
The deal with all the places located on the main road at lakeside is the peace and tranquility, which would otherwise be wonderful, are shattered about once every 2 minutes for 18 hours a day. A quarry on the western side of the lake has yellow dump trucks driving in an out and there is no let up during the day / evening.
Both the Segara and the Surya offer transportation from Kuta, Ubud, Lovina and other places for around 150,000rp. You’ll have to call and check on the latest prices. In my opinion it would be way better to hire a car and driver, since the rental for a day might be 150,000rp and you’ll have local transport once there.
•Toya Bungkah:
Toya Bungkah is located on the NW side of the lake and is the main staging area for mountain trekking. It is 8km from Penelokan and 5km from Kedisan. At lakeside between Kedisan and Toya Bungkah is Pura Jati, which honors the god Wisnu. Every 5 years a huge ceremony happens called the Bakti Pekelem, in which many animals are drowned in the lake to honor Dewi Danu (Ida Batara Dewi Ulun Danu).
Toya Bungkah has natural hot springs (open daily 8am-5pm), which require an entrance fee of $5. There is a belief that these holy spring are part of a trinity with 2 other spring. Balinese people believe the gods occupy the mountains, the people occupy the valleys and the demons occupy the ocean. The 3 springs, Tirta Bungkah (Holy waters from the mountain), Tirta Empul (Holy waters from the valley) and Tirta Selukat (Holy waters from the ocean) provide a healing bath for the sick, who will visit each one. Toya Bungkah has affordable accommodation, a wartel and some internet access, but don’t expect too much. There are several guest houses and a few places to eat.
•Songan:
The village of Songan contains possibly the oldest temple in Bali, Pura Ulun Danu Batur (same name as the one on the crater rim). As with Pura Jati, ritual drowning of animals occurs in honor of goddess Dewi Danu, this time once every decade. Directly behind the temple is a path leading up the side of the crater rim. The hike up is fairly easy, taking only 10 minutes. At the top are scattered small villages and view of the north coast. Pleasant hiking is found there and it is possible to hike around the crater rim clockwise passing Trunyan. You can even hike north (anti-clockwise) towards the village of Blandingan. This whole area is lovely, with orange groves and forests.
The downside are the piratical Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides who reside inside the Batur crater. If they happen to spot a tourist hiking up the trail to the rim unaccompanied (and without handing over money) a nasty scene occurs involving shouting and threats of violence. If you want to explore the rim of the crater, its best to check out the temple at Pura Ulun Danu Batur, then turn around and drive out of the crater and around to Blandingan. Basically the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides try to control every aspect of hiking inside the crater, but there’s not much they can do outside of it.
•Abang:
Abang is a pleasant little pace to visit. Located on the SE shore of the lake, its residents earn a living by faring and fishing. People are quite friendly and will chat. Some guide books say there is a path from Abang to Trunyan. My experience on a motorbike was not being able to get past the village, but local boats are cheap to hire.
•Trunyan:
Trunyan is the Bali Aga village that seems the most secretive. Maybe its the location, perched on the isolated bank of a mountain lake inside a volcanic crater. The Bali Aga (original Balinese) shunned the new Hindu culture brought to Bali in 1343 by the Majapahit empire from Java. They have their own temples and there is a lot of cross over between what they and the regular Balinese observe. People are drawn to visit Trunyan because of the aura, rather than the substance. In practice Trunyan is a rundown place, with a small temple and has become a tourist trap. As soon as your boat lands people are blocking your way asking for money. The big thing some people come to see is the graveyard, located 15 minutes north by boat. The bodies are wrapped in a cloth and left above ground. Once again locals will block your path demanding money so you may want to give this place a miss. Probably the best way to deal with Trunyan is to enjoy the boat ride there from Abang, nap some photos from the boat and not expect too much else.
•Trekking:
Trekking Gunung Batur is the big draw of the whole area. Its a natural thing to want to do as the mountain commands attention. Its stark and imposing, sitting next to the lake. Getting to the summit to watch the sunrise, before the clouds roll in is what most people want and the guides pus this also. Back in the early 1990′s the whole trekking scene was a lot more relaxed, with guises offering their services for a small fee. Nowadays the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides has taken over and operates a cartel, banning other locals from acting as guides and intimidating tourists with threats of violence if they try to hike without one. People with cars will be advised to hire someone to ‘watch their car’ while they are hiking (you can tell from that what kind of place this is).
Gunung Batur is an active volcano and the locals will put eggs in between cracks in the rock to steam them. The 2-3 hour hike up is best done in the dry season (April – November) as footing maybe be difficult in the wet season. Although the mountain air will feel chilly in the morning, 5 minutes after you start hiking you’ll be sweating. Bring a spare t-shirt, a sweater, good boots, plenty of water, a hat and sunscreen.
There are a different routes to choose from:
– Short route:
Drive to Serongga and hike and hike for 30 minutes to an hour to the summit of Batur I.
– Medium route:
Start from Toya Bungkah, hike 2-3 hours to Batur I, around the rim and come down via another route.
– Long Route:
Hike up from Toya Bungkah to Batur I, hike around the rim to the western side, then hiking to Batur II & III. Finish by hiking down to Toya Bungkah or Yehmampeh. This will take 8 hours.
Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides (0366) 52362, has 2 offices, one at Pura Jati and another in Toya Bungkah. Prices are 300,000rp per guide (max 4 people), 450,000rp for the medium route and 600,000rp for the long route. In hours of darkness it is advisable to take a guide, but on this mountain you cannot hike anywhere during the day without one. Climbing Batur is an okay experience, which would be a lot better without the heavy commercial pressure from locals.
Exploring the Batur Crater:
One of the most enjoyable parts of staying inside the Batur crater is exploring on your own during the day. With a car or motorbike you will be able to stop and chat with villagers, who are mostly friendly. In the NW part of the crater are huge lava fields and orange groves. With the lake right there its a tranquil setting.
