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Kintamani
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Kintamani is a highland area in the north of East Bali.
[edit] Understand
The general area which encompasses Penelokan, Toya Bungkah, Batur and Kintamani villages is known widely as just Kintamani. Kintamani, Batur and Penelokan villages sit on the rim of a huge caldera about 1,500m above sea level and offer dramatic views of the active volcano Mount Batur and serene Lake Batur. Toyo Bungkah village is down at the lake edge.
[edit] Get in
Kintamani is usually approached from the south with 2 routes from Ubud (45 minutes) and one each from Besakih (1 hour) and Bangli (30 minutes). There is also an easy way in from the north via a turning off the coast road east of Singaraja (1 hour).
There are daily shuttle bus services from Ubud which are widely advertised locally there. Book 24 hours in advance.
From the popular tourist destinations in South Bali, a trip to Kintamani by car will take 90 minutes plus.
Organised tours to this area are widely offered in all major centres of Bali.
[edit] Get around
Not too many visitors choose to stay in this area but instead view the local sites by car or motorbike in the course of a day.
[edit][add listing] See
The main attraction for visitors is located around Lake Batur where Penelokan village provides spectacular views of this crater lake and Mount Batur, set in a vast volcano caldera. Photo opportunities abound but try to be there as early in the morning as you can before the cloud inevitably starts to gather.
Further northwest along the rim of the caldera is Pura Ulun Danau Batur, the second most important temple in Bali. Entry is by donation here - Rp 10,000 is about right. The temple was rebuilt up on the cladera ridge in 1926 after an eruption of Mount Batur destroyed the old one which was down in the crater. There are a large number of shirmnes here but most visitors are drawn to the huge eleven roofed meru. This is dedicated to the goddess of Lake Batur Ida Batara Dewi Ulan Danau.
The Museum Gunungapi Batur in Penelokan has some well presented exhibits on the vulcanology of the area and also in Penolakan is a small tourist information office. Both are very close to the junction where the road from Bangli meets the main road around the caldera in Penelokan.
Visit the Bali Aga village at Trunyan across the lake from Toyo Bungkah. This is recommended in some guides but first hand reports are almost always negative and speak of some problems. If you want to visit a Bali Aga village then Tenganan near Candidasa is a far better option.
[edit][add listing] Do
[edit] Climbing Mount Batur
A climb to the summit of Mount Batur, 1,700 metres and still an active volcano, to watch the sunrise is an unforgetable experience for more energetic travellers. This is an easy climb of about 2 hours and local guides abound. You do not need to be in peak physical shape to complete this trek. Which parts of the mountain are safely accessible change according to volcanic activity.
Guides should all be members of the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides who have an office in Toyo Bungkah village from where the trek commences. Book at the office or ask to see proof of membership and expect to pay around Rp 250,000.
Use your common sense with the weather but bear in mind that the paths become very slippery when it is raining and should be avoided altogether in the wet season.
Pre-dawn climbs timed to reach the peak at sunrise are popular and also give you the best chance of avoiding cloud which often envelopes the mountain from mid-morning onwards. A popular little gimmick during the climb of Mount Batur is to cook an egg on lava-heated rock. Fun, but also a stark reminder of just how active this volcano is.
[edit] Other things to do in this area
If (and that's a big if) it is passable, the road which circumvents the base of the crater is very much worth a drive. You get some very different perspectives of the mountain from here. From Toya Bungkah the road loops north around Mount Batur, through Yehmampeh, past another important temple called Buki Mentik and then up again rejoining the caldera ridge road between Kintamani and Batur villages. This road is often so damged as to be impassable except on foot though. You can walk the whole circuit but it is a long trek - about 18 km if you start from the caldera road.
There is also a small road which runs east of Lake Batur to Abang village (from where you could walk on to Trunyan (not recommended, but you could). From Abang you get a very different perspective of the Lake Batur from the normal close hand views from Toya Bungkah and the western shore.
Cycling tours. Downhill cycling tours from Kintamani back to Ubud are offered by several operators on the island including Bali Sobek [1], Bali Adventure Tours [2] and BikeBali [3].
Soaking in the hot springs of Toya Devasya in the village of Toya Bungkah. Very relaxing.
[edit][add listing] Buy
Kintamani is the pushy souvenir hawker capital of Bali. They will surely target you the moment you get out of your transport and try to admire the view. If you are confident handling the haggling with these vendors, Kintamani can turn out to be an interesting shopping experience.
Fruit. Kintamani is renowned for growing oranges (especially) and other fruit. You will see lots of streetside vendors in this area selling excellent quality freshly picked fruit. The local orange is called Jeruk Kintamani and is delicious.
[edit][add listing] Eat
There are a large number of identikit buffet restaurants sited on the main road in Kintamani and Penelokan. These are aimed at tour buses. Avoid like the plague and head instead for local food stands and other outlets close to Kintamani market and smaller restaurants in Penelokan.
In Toya Bungkah there are several small restaurants that specialise in locally caught fish from Lake Batur.
[edit][add listing] Drink
[edit][add listing] Sleep
Few visitors stay in the area but instead take in the sights during the day. Those that do stay do so for the purpose of climbing Mount Batur pre-dawn and therefore stay down around Lake Batur close to the ascent start point in Toya Bungkah.
- Arlinas, Toya Bungkah, ☎ +62 366 51165. Something of an institution in Toya Bungkah and popular with budget travellers. Located next door to the trekking guide association office. edit
- Lakeview Hotel, Penelokan village, Bali (on the caldera road at Penelokan), (lakeview@indo.com), [5]. Few foreign visitors ever stay on the caldera ridge road here but if you decide to this is the nicest of the bunch of hotels there. Amazing views but a strange almost fortress-like design. From US$ 34. edit
[edit] Contact
[edit] Get out
There are five routes out of Kintamani, four to the south (to Ubud and Besakih) and one to the north to Singaraja and on to Lovina.
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