Kintamani. A chilly escape from the tropical heat of your normal coastal destinations on the island. The view from the top is the objective: the casual hiker-friendly, 1.717 meters-tall Mount Batur. It’s still a challenging hike, especially in the dark, but from down below you can see previous hikers’ flashlights snaking to the summit. You will not get lost.
Once at the top, it is beautiful.
The sun rises emanating its healthy rays, opening the surrounding verdant vistas (and you may be greeted by monkeys), plus view of the other mountains—the taller Mount Abang, and if the sky’s clear, Gunung Agung in Karangasem to the east—and the stunning, crescent-shaped Batur lake. Morning well spent.
It’s a mesmerizing sight, but beware that Batur and Abang are active volcanoes, once erupted in the 1800s that formed the caldera Lake Batur. These days, people visit Kintamani more for the coffeeshops. The minimalist, glass structures from which terraces customers can soak in—and take selfies with—the mountains and lake.
It’s also very egregious that in the future mountain climbing might be banned by the government altogether due to questionable behaviors by foreign tourists who feels the urge to expose themselves in a place where the Balinese considers sacred.
Again, we must always be mindful and aware of local customs and culture prior to visiting a foreign place. And that includes climbing the mountains of Bali. But what special significance does it hold for the Balinese Hindu?
High & Mighty
Mountains are sacred sites in Bali.
The elevated terrain represents home for the ancestral gods, and the supreme God himself, Ida Sanghyang Widhi Wasa.
The most famous mountain temple in Bali is the Besakih Temple at the foot of Agung Mountain. But Kintamani also holds a historically important mountain temple: Pura Puncak Penulisan, at the Penulisan hill. The temple, to the west of Batur, was built during Bali’s bronze age (600 BCE – 800 CE) and functions not only for ceremonial purposes but also as a meditation site for priests.
It’s a 300-steps upward journey that leads to seven terraces on which lies different temples with the highest temple (Pura Puncak Penulisan) adorned with megalithic artefacts and statues. The structure of the temple, also known as Pura Tegeh Kahuripan, was meant to symbolize a mountain. Representing human’s ascension to the heavens.
If you wish to visit, it’s advisable to hire of a tour guide who can tell you the proper way to conduct and how to dress accordingly while visiting a temple.
It Takes a Village
Trunyan Village
The village that lies at the eastern shore of lake Batur inhabited by the Bali Mula (or also often referred to Bali Aga) people, the original indigenous people in Bali. Like the people in Toraja in South Sulawesi, here the tribe puts the dead out in open space underneath the mystical Trunyan tree. It is advised to go with a guide to Trunyan so you know the proper ins and outs.
Penglipuran Village
Though not in the vicinity of the Batur area, but Panglipuran village is a must-see when you’re in Kintamani-Bangli region. The village has been voted as one of the top three cleanest villages in the world and it’s quite picturesque with beautiful tropical gardens and bamboo-supported houses. You can stop by at one of the houses to grab a bite of their local dishes (such as the steamed veggies with peanut sauce tipat cantok or the refreshing herbal drink loloh cem cem).
And, as a perfect way to immerse yourself in the authentic way of living in Bali, you can book a stay at one of the houses.
