Bali is known for the beaches, less people know that Bali also have a fantastic volcano which you can visit while traveling to this island. The volcano mountains in Bali are still active, and just recently one of them erupt and cause massive destruction to some villages near the area.
These volcanos are seen as the sacred places among the local people, because they believe to give bless and disaster at the same times. It is the reason why the local people are still praying to the mountain, sometimes religious rituals are also held in order to clean up the mountain spirits.
There are two vulcanic mountains that you can visit while staying in Bali.
- Mount Batur. It is the most famous vulcanic mountain that is visited by both local and international visitors. People usually travel to mount Batur to enjoy the view of sun rise, so the trekking usually start at midnight because visitors would arrive at the summit before the sun rise. Mount Batur is said as the most visited vulcanic mountain in Indonesia, sometimes you can see sea of people enjoying the sunrise during weekend, and it si quite usual.
The reason why mount Batur is famous is because the hiking distance from the near village to the summit is quite short, it took around two hours to reach the top of the mountain and another two hours the climb down the mountain. Although some people said that the trek trail is quite difficult, it is still suitable for those who is a beginner and those who enjoy trekking for recreation only. As the result, many people visit mount Batur with their entire family, because the distance is not so far from their hotels.
- Mount Agung. It is considered as the highest vulcanic mountain in Bali island, so the time to climb this mountain is more than mount Batur. At least it takes 12 to 14 hours to complete the trail where the hiker mist climb the mountain which has thick bushes and trees. You should pay attention to the humidity while hiking this mountain, because often it is more than 90%. Mount Agung is only appropriate for professional hikers, those who are not physically fit are not encouraged to climb this mountain. You also need to be well prepared to hike this mountain including meals, proper cloth, hiking gear, tend and many others. It is completely different with mount Batur where you don’t really have to prepare at all, since all facilities are available in nearby village.
Hiking a vulcanic trekking is one of extreme activities that you can do in Bali, for beginner we recommend you to visit mount Batur where you can enjoy both the sunrise and the lake. If you want more challenge, visiting Mount Agung is the best choice as the distance is 3 times longer than mount Batur. Remember, when you visit both mount Batur and Mount Agung you need to hire professional guide because the trekking trail might confuse you.