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Mount Batur and Danau Batur,
Kintamani
From the briny seas, your whimsical
journey continues inland to the edges
of the once fiery depths of a volcanic
caldera on which sits the still active
Mount Batur volcano and Danau Batur,
the largest crater-lake on the island. The
Batur caldera lies about 1,500m above the
surface of the sea and is encompassed by
several villages, notably Batur, Penelokan,
Kintamani, Toya Bungkah and several
others which are collectively referred
to as Kintamani. Because of its altitude,
temperatures are generally cooler.
Adventure-seekers can also arrange
pre-dawn climbs to the peak of Mount
Batur or around the edges of the caldera
with local guides. Treks ranging from
two to ten hours reward travellers with
the sight of ancient lava fields, ashen
slopes and even steam spewing cones
and, needless to say, a beautiful sunrise.
Whatever your tastes, be sure to arrive
early as clouds are known to obscure
your view of the volcano mouth by
midmorning.
to avoid the crowds and look for a stair
path that descends onto the terraces for
a more personal experience. Witness
first-hand the arduous tasks of manual
paddy planting and harvesting and you
may never view the simple task of eating
rice the same way again.
Barong Cultural Dance at
Suwung Village
The Barong Cultural Dance is one of the
most popular depictions of the unending
battle between good and evil. In Balinese
mythology, the Barong (manned by two
performers) is a lion-like creature – a
protector spirit – that fights off the evil
Rangda monster. During the performance,
the Barong also shows its playful nature,
rolling over on the ground and licking its
own feet like a house pet. Of course, as
with most legends, good triumphs over
evil in an ensuing clash and the celestial
order is finally restored.
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
What was once subsistence farming has
gained greater popularity as a tourist
draw. Visits to picturesque rice terraces
around mountainous Ubud are almost
as ubiquitous as the many temples that
dot the region. Tegalalang is a traditional
Balinese village where most of its
inhabitants worked on rice terraces for a
living. It has since turned into somewhat
of a beacon for agricultural tourism, with
teashops sprouting along the edges of the
terraces and stalls proffering beautiful
paintings of the surroundings.
Go early with decent walking shoes