Gunung Batur is one of the most famous volcanoes on Bali and a popular attraction on the island. It is considered the second-most sacred mountain on the island and is often referred to as the most active volcano on Bali. What makes Batur so worth seeing and what special landscape you can expect is explained in more detail below.
Where is Batur volcano located?
Gunung Batur is located in the northeast of Bali in the middle of a large caldera. Batur is just under 20 kilometres from Bali’s highest point, the summit of Gunung Agung. It is located northwest of Agung. The distance to Ubud, south of Batur, is about 32 kilometres as the crow flies. Amed is about the same distance away, but to the east.
From Ubud, you should plan about an hour by car, and from Canggu about twice as long. From Amed and Singaraja, the journey also takes about 2 hours.
The landscape at Mount Batur
The summit of Gunung Batur is 1,717 metres above sea level. This makes the volcano only a little more than half as high as Gunung Agung. Nevertheless, from the summit you have a breathtaking view of the diverse landscape around the volcano.
Around Mount Batur
In a southeasterly direction, you can see Gunung Abang, the third highest mountain on Bali. This towers up directly behind Lake Danau Batur and is part of the large caldera in the middle of which lies Gunung Batur. Behind the 2,152-metre-high Abang, you can see Gunung Agung. This view is particularly popular at sunrise and is part of many volcano tours.
Mount Batur itself has a rather barren landscape full of scree and sand. There is some vegetation up to the summit, but it burns in places because the volcanic soil is extremely hot in some places. Anyone hiking up the volcano will therefore see the odd charred tree or bush.
Lava fields on Batur
To the southwest, directly adjacent to the volcano, is a large area of lava rock. This is a remnant of the last eruptions and creates an extraordinary landscape. The dark lava rock forms a stark contrast to the otherwise rather green and vibrant landscape at the foot of Batur.
Economic importance
Gunung Batur is also of great importance from a tourist perspective. The trekking tours up the mountain, which usually start at night, are offered and organised almost everywhere on Bali. Depending on the distance between the accommodation and Batur, tourists are driven to the starting point in the middle of the night or early in the morning. Once there, they are met by their tour guides and led up the mountain.
During the peak season, around 200 people a day take part in these sunrise tours alone. For the guides and the accommodation providers, Mount Batur is therefore a profitable business.
Conclusion: Mount Batur should not be missed
Mount Batur is a truly impressive attraction in Bali and should be included in your travel plans if possible. The impressive, varied landscape in the middle of the large caldera makes Batur a special destination. The barren lava field, the large lake Danau Batur and the greenery around the conical volcano create a very extraordinary atmosphere.
If you are not afraid of setting out on a hike through the darkness in the middle of the night, you should climb the mountain. The sunrise that you will be rewarded with is magnificent! And a particularly high level of fitness is not necessarily required for the ascent, as it is a comparatively easy hike.
