It is true that Mount Batur is not near Ubud, but it doesn’t mean that the journey to Mount Batur is impossible to achieve in one day. To reach the nearby village on Mount Batur, you need to dive at least for two hours as long as you as there is no traffic jam, because it is quite common during the day since the location is said to be one of the main attraction in Bali.
If you drive during the day, it may take longer hour to reach the nearby village, maybe around 3 to 4 hours depend on the congestion along the way.
Here is what it looks like to travel to Mount Batur.
- If you want sun rise tour to Mount Batur, you might need to prepare the journey one day before the hiking. You may need to book a tour agent or just a rental car that will drive you from your hotel to Mount Batur feet. The journey will star at midnight, maybe at 12am; and if you are joining a group trip than you might need to prepare earlier than 12am as the agent may have to pick up other participants which takes time sometimes.
- From your hotel in Ubud, the journey will take 2 hours from your hotel to the nearby village where you will be guided by local people to hike the mountain. The trekking itself is quite shot as it takes around 2 hours to 2 and half hours to the summit depend on your walking pace. Some professional might complete the track in one ours, but for beginners it might need at least two and half hours. It is the reason why the agent will start the trekking as early as possible, so all people can reach the top of the mountain before the sun rise.
- You will probably arrive at the top of the mountain at 4 o’clock, then you only have to wait for the sun rise at 6.30 and often earlier than that. While waiting for the sun rise, you can enjoy the night view where you can see the sky full of stars.
- As the sun rise, you can clearly see the beauty of the pristine land around the mountain, thick dew will cover half of the mountain before it unveil the vicinity while the temperature become warmer.
The tour might end at 8am as the weather become warmer, as you need to reach the food of the mountain before midday because the weather on the summit will be exceptionally hot. Since it takes at least 12 hours for a single tour to Mount Batur, you need to prepare everything before the trekking. Bringing your own breakfast is a must, because there is no restaurant and café at the top of the mountain. Light meal is better, because you need to consider that you have to climb down the mountain after having a breakfast. It is actually a good alternative for those who want to do exercise and enjoying the other side of Bali at the same time.