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Sunrise on the Mount Batur Morning call wakes you up at 3.30 am. The journey up Bali's Mount Batur volcano begins in a silent cornfield under the moonlight. |
In the silence, the crowing of roosters, the bell-like sounds of gamelans and even the voices of villagers can be heard clearly at 1,717 metres above sea level. As you reach one of the three spectaular peaks, dawn breaks, laying out an ethereal panorama of pink | and purple skylight above a green valley, black lava beds, and glittering Lake Batur below. The strenuousness of the 700-metre climb to the tallest peak and the pre-dawn start time keeps crowds fairly small; the trash-and graffiti-free slopes seem to validate that. | The journey up the tallest crater takes anywhere from one-and-a-half to six hours, and can be completed easily by anyone in good physical condition. Entire Balinese villages ascend the peak for religious rites, so it seems willpower is more important than physical strength. |