Life in the Caldera of Gunung Batur

Since they first started coming to Bali in 1924, the Kintamani area, and specifically Penelokan, has been an important part of the travel agenda for adventure-loving tourists. From here they can gaze at the beauty of the caldera of Gunung Batur, which was formed by a massive volcanic eruption around 30,000 years ago.

Based on what I'd heard about the beauty of Batur's crater, I was interested in exploring the area from a different perspective, by going directly down to the mountain and observing the daily activities of the villagers living near the caldera.

Gunung (Mount) Batur is actually a fairly small volcano in the middle of a crater 13 km in diameter. The mountain stands next to Danau (Lake) Batur, which is hemmed in by the caldera's high walls. Gunung Batur lies within Kintamani District, Bangli Regency.

Leaving Denpasar in the early morning, I headed north by motor vehicle on the main route through Payangan, Gianyar. It took around an hour and a half to get to Kintamani, which is at 1300 meters above sea level. From the Kertabuana Batur intersection, I headed east along the edge of the caldera until I came to Penelokan (whose name means "lookout point").

The eruption of Gunung Batur many thousands of years ago created the crater, with a small volcano and the lake within it. Gunung Batur is still active, and has had two major eruptions, in 1917 and 1926.

From Penelokan, I continued down into the caldera toward Kedisan village on the south shores of Danau Batur. The road was in reasonably good condition, despite the sharp curves and steep slopes.

It was rather chilly in Kedisan, and must be even colder at certain times of year. There's a small wooden dock, with motorboats the local people rent out to tourists; for Rp 350,000 per boat, you can go around the lake or cross over to Trunyan village. Each motorboat can carry up to seven passengers. There are also some extremely persistent souvenir hawkers, who won't give up till they've made a sale.

This time, I passed on the adventure of a spin around the lake in a motorboat; instead, I continued five minutes west from Kedisan to Buahan village, also on the shores of Lake Batur. The lake lies to the east of the volcano, stretching in a crescent from north to south. In Buahan, we can observe the lives of a very calm village community.

Every morning, the local people work their fields by the edge of the lake, where they grow red shallots, corn, and other vegetables. The somewhat sandy soil is ideal for these crops. Interestingly, the farmers have to pump water from the lake to irrigate or water their fields, because the fields are at a higher elevation than the only water source, the lake.

Danau Batur plays an essential role in the lives of the villages in the caldera. They take water from the lake, or use the lake itself, for nearly all activities that require water – cooking, bathing, washing clothes, and irrigation. The lake provides another source of livelihood as well: they catch fish from the lake, and raise fresh water fish in floating cages.

The fishermen of Danau Batur catch fish using small, unusual boats; each boat is made from an entire hollowed-out log.

Entering the Gunung Batur area from the east, you feel as if you are in an alien zone, surrounded by weird, twisted rocks of molten lava. These make the panorama from Gunung Batur, at 1712 meters, extremely impressive, and the swiftly changing weather at this elevation adds to the drama of the views.

I then headed north along the eastern base of Gunung Batur, on a steep and twisty but well-maintained road with stunning views. To the north, just before you enter the Toyabungkah area, is Pura Jati, a starting point for those planning to climb to the peak of Gunung Batur.
Climbers normally set out at around two in the morning, in order to reach the summit before sunrise. There are several hotels in Toyabungkah, and many local guides who are eager to help if you're interested in attempting the climb.

Toyabungkah is one spot with tourism facilities and infrastructure in the Gunung Batur area. It has homes, bungalows, and small hotels, as well as a swimming pool of natural hot water from Gunung Batur. From here, you can climb Gunung Batur or catch a motorboat over to Trunyan.

Passing through Toyabungkah, I continued north to Songan B village at the northernmost tip of Lake Batur. There's a temple here called Pura Ulun Danau Batur, right below the north wall of the caldera. The local community makes good use of the fertile soil here for farming.
On the way back, it occurred to me that I had just made a trip "inside a volcano." Seeing the natural panorama and the communities living within it was a delightful, marvelous new experience.