Kintamani is great for day trips, trekking or simply for getting away from it all for a few days. At Penelokan you can view the panorama of Mount Batur set in a huge volcanic crater basin. Stop here on the way to Singaraja to climb to peaceful Pura Tegeh Kuripan. Try to arrive at Kintamani in the morning, as it’s often overcast in the afternoon, especially during the rainy season.
There are two possible options for staying near Lake Batur up on the ridge or down inside the crater. The villages within the crater tend to have a rather unpleasant atmosphere with a lot of people hassling you. The views, however, are stunning. The main reason to spend the night in the crater is to climb Mt. Batur at dawn.
There are several attractions from Penelokan, starting with the view from the crater rim toward Lake Batur. Rim temples include Pura Ulun Danu Batur and Pura Tegeh Kuripan, both on the main road. A visit to the crater might include a boat trip to the traditional village of Trunyan, the lava fields, the hot spring at Toya Bungkah, or climbing Mt. Batur.
The best way to visit the crater is with your own transportation or chartered minibus. Walking is possible, but distances are long and the descent into the crater is very steep. You might want to finish your visit with a dip in the lake.
Penelokan and the crater villages are rather “un-Balinese” with vendors hassling you and people approaching you in the street to book accommodations.
Kintamani is the end-point of several tour itineraries heading up from the lower rice plain in the south. Most buses come up the good, scenic road via Tampaksiring, with stops on the way at Goa Gajah, Gunung Kawi and Tirta Empul, then going back down through Bangli and Pura Kehen. But there are other interesting routes. One leads from Peliatan in the Ubud area through the wood-carvers’ villages of Tegallalang, Pujung and Sebatu. The views along the way are superb. Other roads from Ubud to Kintamani run through Payangan or from Denpasar through the Sangeh monkey forest, Plaga and Lampu, arriving to the north of Kintamani.
To Trunyan from Kedisan
Down inside the caldera you can cross to the lake village of Trunyan either from Kedisan or from Toya Bungkah. Be warned that the people here can be quite aggressive. better if you go here with your tour guide.
Kintamani Activities
If you’ve always wanted to walk around inside the crater of an active volcano, here’s your chance. Mt. Batur is 1,717 m high, but the upper cone itself is only several hundred meters above the level of the lake and can be climbed and descended in a few hours. At the top, there’s a warm crust of ground over the cauldron. Be sure to hire a guide, as it can be dangerous.
There are several well-marked approaches to Batur. From Pura Jati, near Kedisan (where a large sign announces “Klim Prom Here-Please Polow, Wite Plag”), and from Toya Bungkah where the climb up and back takes about three hours. The latter route is notably easier.
Wear high-top shoes: the slopes are covered with fine dust. Other necessary supplies are drinking water and a snack or two. On reaching the summit your guide will boil some eggs (in the sand) and make coffee. If you’re fortunate, a great view stretching all the way to Lombok will be revealed as the sun rises.
Going down is much easier than climbing up and it’s possible to take another route down, via the hot spring at Toya Bungkah. Ask your guide to have a car ready to bring you back to the original starting point once you get down. The spring, set in a concrete pool, is not overly spectacular. This trip is not recommended during the rainy season (November-April).
Bookmark:
0 Responses to “Kintamani Bali”
Leave a Reply