Mount Batur, Bali, Indonesia

4Tate S 5:00 PM Oct 16, 2022

Beautiful but not for faint hearted
Super good value for a half day experience which you won’t forget! The views are out of this world although definitely weather dependent as if cloudy or rainy no sunrise will be able to be seen! It was very busy with many tourists and we went slightly out of season so can imagine it would be even more packed in the summer. Our tour guide was amazing can’t thank him enough, so helpful and informative but really friendly, his name was Kan if you get lucky enough to walk with him! All the guides are registered and will pick you up from the car park all wearing ID, which made me feel more at ease. HOWEVER do not even consider this if you are scared of heights, danger or are unfit. Me and my partner are both physically fit so didn’t struggle with the walking although I was not aware of over half the hike consisted of basically rock climbing on loose rocks and slippery sand in the dark next to cliff edges with sheer drops. Multiple deaths and serious injuries have happened during these walks although there are thousands of hikers daily. The walk down was a lot more enjoyable as an easier route was taken used by mopeds.

4Abana87 5:00 PM Sep 5, 2020

Sunrise Hike with Discova
Although having arranged and organised our Mount Batur Sunrise hike with Discova, the 3am pick up still found us groggy and slightly under-prepared. Nevertheless, on the 2 hour drive from Ubud our Discova guide talked us through what to expect from the climb. Upon arriving at the start of the hike we met our local guide and were offered head torches and extra layers, and began the two hour hike to the summit. The climb itself is not over strenuous (I swear I saw one girl do it in flip flops); our guide gave us the opportunity for multiple breaks and having come prepared with hiking boots the terrain wasn't overly difficult. In the last 45 minutes a lot of the climb is on a sandy layer, which can definitely take it out of you! On arriving at the summit with good time until sunrise, we settled in at a suitable spot as our guide brought over a snack of eggs and bread - there is the option to get hot chocolates but these need to be paid for and as we'd brought no cash, we passed. Although the inevitable clouds did roll in as the sun was coming up, the majesty of the setting was definitely not lost. We spend a good hour at the summit before wandering back to the base and our Discova rep, ready for the drive back and a big breakfast to celebrate the hike completion. Honestly, the factor that brought this review down was the amount of idiotic tourists that were either tormenting the monkeys (although it was incredibly amusing seeing hungover tourists lose their food, and often much more, to those more opportunistic monkeys), flying drones over everyone or just generally not being respectful of those around them. Thankfully, they were in the minority.