7 gorgeous hikes in Bali you can't miss
In West Bali National Park and on the most challenging peaks and volcanoes, you’ll need a guide, but in most cases, you can access and explore even the remotest areas under your own steam. Apart from the interior of the “Wild West,” most of Bali is fairly well populated with invariably welcoming and hospitable villages, so finding provisions is rarely a problem.
These are the best hikes in Bali.
Mt Batur Sunrise
Best hike for photos
7km (4.4 miles) round trip, 4 hours, moderate
Mt Batur is Bali’s most popular trek – and for good reason. You’ll understand the attraction when you find yourself among 100 other people gasping at the sunrise view from the 1717m (5630ft) summit across the caldera lake and past Mt Agung, the island’s highest peak, to Mt Rinjani on distant Lombok.
If you start hiking around 3am, you should be on the summit by sunrise. Most visitors organize this as a tour from Ubud for easy access despite the early departure (usually around 1am to 2am depending on the location of your accommodations), and competition among tour operators keeps prices affordable. Balinese Sunrise Trekking and Tour and Indoglobal Adventure are both reliable and well-established operators who run daily treks up Batur. Mason Adventures even offers an opportunity to take in the view over Batur from a helicopter.
It is possible to do this trek independently (it’s hard to get lost, after all), but before you decide to skimp on the outlay, remember that the revenue represents crucial income for guides from rural communities. Tours are usually over by 9am, and you’ll certainly be in the mood for a hearty and healthy Bali breakfast. Take water and an extra layer – it will probably be the coolest spot you’ll see in Bali!
West Bali National Park
Best hike for spotting wildlife
32km (20 miles), 2 days, challenging – but shorter, easy strolls are options, too
This wilderness area in Bali’s far west is likely to make you rethink everything you ever heard about “overcrowded” and “overdeveloped” Bali. In Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park), you can plan anything from a two-hour saunter to a full-blown jungle expedition in a wilderness that was once home to tigers (and rumors of them still abound).
On Prapat Agung Peninsula, you are likely to be outnumbered by herds of Sunda deer, along with common macaques and rare ebony leaf monkeys. There’s relatively little risk of getting lost on the Prapat Agung Peninsula (the most popular part of the park), but you need a permit and a guide to access the trails of West Bali National Park. The most convenient park office, right at the entrance to the park on Prapat Agung, is near a village called Sumber Kelompok, north of Gilimanuk. Arrive the afternoon before to make arrangements so that you can depart at first light the next morning to take advantage of cooler conditions and more visible wildlife.
Guide charges vary (sometimes wildly), and you should expect to haggle. A good guide can help you to spot giant squirrels (larger than domestic cats), giant monitor lizards and many of Bali’s estimated 280-odd bird species. In the park (along with the most challenging peaks and volcanoes) an experienced and knowledgeable guide is not only a worthwhile investment in safety terms, but can also often turn a simple trek into a truly unforgettable experience.
Sekumpul Waterfall
Best hike for a waterfall swim
2.4km (1.5 miles) round trip, 1 hour, easy
The spectacular Sekumpul Waterfall is just far enough off the beaten track to dodge the high visitor numbers of more accessible spots, such as Gitgit Waterfall, Banyumala Waterfalls and Jembong Waterfall. Dropping a total of about 80m (262ft) into the fern-shrouded pool, Sekumpul is actually a group of up to seven falls that converge – the name means “coming together” – at this spot. This experience is less of a trek than the perfect reason for a wonderful cool-off swim in one of Bali’s most idyllic beauty spots. Other, even less well-known waterfalls (known as Hidden and Fiji Falls) lie within easy access of the Sekumpul trail.
You’ll find a ticket office in the parking lot where you can pay the admission fee. A three-tier pricing structure is in place. There’s an entrance fee of IDR20,000 per person (about US$1.40), which allows you “view only” access to see Sekumpul Waterfall from a distance. “Medium trekking” access for US$9 gets you a guide and provides a donation to the local village and the opportunity to swim at the foot of the falls, plus entry to nearby Hidden Falls. The “Long Trekking” (US$14) ticket is essentially the same, plus it also gives access to Fiji Falls, though it’s less spectacular than the other waterfalls.
Batukaru overnight summit
Best hike for Bali bragging rights
19km (12 miles) round trip, 2 days, challenging
At 2276m (7467ft), Batukaru is Bali’s second highest peak, yet one of the least trodden mountains on the island. Two paths head to the top, but neither sees a lot of footsteps, and both can become overgrown in the wet season (from October to February). Most hikers start from Pura Luhur Batukaru on the southern flank, but the northwestern trailhead at Pura Malen, sitting at around 1000m (3280ft) altitude, is even more isolated.
With a good level of fitness, you can reach the summit in less than four hours, so if you start at dawn, you could make the climb up and down in a single day. But for more of an adventure, plan to camp on the summit. It can be cold at the top, so take a tent and sleeping bag, and be sure to carry plenty of water because you can’t always rely on streams. Batukaru is unspoiled Bali at its best. Read More…
