There are two routes to reach the summit of the holy volcano Gunung Batur that is accessible to anyone in generally good shape and without any climbing experience.  The first and slightly longer trek is via Toyabungkah (also site of an important holy spring pura) with a route over half its length that traverses through shaded forest as compared to the second path from Pura Jati that goes over unshaded lave fields.  For the two-four hour hike to the top of the 1,717meter volcano it is best to start your journey at 2:30am in order to view sunrise from inside the rim of the crater.  Bordering the base of Gunung Batur, spanning almost 7.5 x 2.5km and with a depth of around 70m, the crescent-shaped, holy Lake Batur is most vital as the origin of several underground springs that regulate the irrigation of the farmlands and flow of water to the sacred pools for most of the island.  While here you may also pay a visit to Bali’s best-known Bali Aga village Trunyan that is accessible by foot via Buahan or by boat across the lake from Toya Bungkah. 

The area of north-eastern Bali at the Mount Batur caldera, and which encompasses Penelokan, Toya Bungkah, Batur, Kedisan, Abung, Songan and Kintamani villages, is known widely as just Kintamani. Kintamani, Batur and Penelokan villages sit on the rim of the huge Batur 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. As well as the lake and the volcano, Kintamani is home to Pura Ulun Danu Batur, one of Bali's key nine directional temples.

The people of this area are very traditional Balinese, so one needs to show great respect to the people by not walking on their farm lands, entering their temples (unless you wish to pray). Woman should cover their legs to the knees. The people of this area are warm and friendly. The temperature is usually about 15 degrees cooler than down on the coast, and even more so at night. That, coupled with the often cloudy and drizzly weather, makes a sweater or jacket advisable in the daytime and vital after sunset.