My alarm went off right at 2 am, which I quickly turned off trying not to disturb others who were sleeping in my dormitory. It was a crisp and chilly morning in Ubud, Bali; my 3^rd day in the Island of Gods for the very first time.

When I did my research before arriving at Bali, there was no other attraction or an activity in all of Bali that captured my attention like the early morning trek to Mount Batur. I was mesmerized by all the amazing pictures I saw that I was even dreaming of the heavenly clouds and watching the sun rise over Mount Agung in the distance while I sip a cup of tea sitting on the top of Mount Batur.

I usually try not to book organized tours when I travel, since half the joy in exploring a new country is in doing it on your own. However, with the Mount Batur trek, I did not want to risk any mistakes or delays; so I booked a trip online. The package included the following, which felt quite reasonable for the price I paid which was less than $50.

-          Picking up at my hostel in Ubud

-          Transfer to the starting point of the trek which is halfway up the Mount Batur volcano where I join a group of fellow trekkers along with an experienced local guide

-          Arriving at the summit by 05.30am (before sunrise)

-          Enjoying a quick breakfast of eggs boiled in volcanic steam, bananas and a cup of tea

-          Witnessing the sunrise

-          Hiking back to the starting point

-          Transfer back to my hostel

My transfer cab arrived right when I dressed up and got to the lobby of my hostel. The driver was very friendly, and I joined a few sleepy trekkers in the van who were dosing off. My excitement for seeing the sun rise up in Mount Batur was keeping me up and warm. It was my first time seeing a volcano in real life!

The trip to Mount Batur from Ubud was around 2 hours. The roads were silent, chilly and dark. The drive was smooth, and I managed to make a few friends in the van who were joining me on the trek.

We arrived at a pleasant small guest house half way up Mount Batur near the starting point of the trek. Warm beverages including tea and coffee were served, which was a pleasant start to the little adventure of making our way to the summit of Mount Batur before the sunrise.

The cold was creeping up due to the elevation and also the mist that was lingering over the volcano. I wore my jacket to be a little warmer and more comfortable, put a water bottle in my backpack, took a flashlight in hand and followed our guide.

We had about 1.5 hours to make it to the top in order not to miss the stunning sunrise. The guide told that the day is a little cloudy, but the sunrise would be beautiful just the same.

The first 15-20 minutes of the trek was quite easy, going around the mountain rather than going up. I was hyped up and speeding, humming a song and chatting with my fellow trekkers, making jokes and just having quite a bit of fun.

Then we came to the tougher part of the climb. The elevation was getting increasingly steep. Since I have done quite a few multi-day treks before, I underestimated this 2-hour hike thinking it would be a walk in the park. It wasn’t! I was cold but was sweating under my jacket so much while panting. I did not do any warm-ups or stretching before, and I knew that the strain would get to my muscles after.

Our guide, Kedar, was very attentive and supportive of each and every trekker. Hyping us up, making jokes to keep things fun, making sure everybody is fine and getting to the summit by the sunrise. He would show us different milestones and encourage us to reach them without focusing too much on the complete distance. He even offered to carry the backpacks to make the climb easier for some of us.

All of us were panting and counting steps to the steps and suddenly, out of nowhere, we were there!

There were the lights of the Kintamani area glimmering like fireflies below us, and the first smooth rays of sunrise dimly lighting up the Batur lake at the distance. Clouds were spread so low as if we were watching the sunrise from the heavens itself.

I did my Mount Batur Sunrise trek on November 2017. This was when Mount Agung volcano was very much active. It was a once in a lifetime experience for me to see the sunrise with the backdrop of an active volcano while sitting on top of another volcano.

As we waited for the sunrise taking our Instagram photos and resting after the steep climb, the local guides prepared our breakfast. We had boiled eggs, bananas and warm delicious cups of tea. While I was sitting there munching on the eggs and sipping tea sitting on a rock with my feet on the warm black soil of Mount Batur volcano, I knew that it would be one of the most memorable mornings of my life!

Climbing down was a lot easier since we were all overjoyed from the amazing experience we just had. It felt like in no time we were back at the starting point. We were dropped back in our hostels just at the right time for a second breakfast, and I managed to make a few lasting friendships with a few fellow trekkers that I shared this experience with.

If you are visiting Bali, trekking up the Mount Batur Volcano during sunrise is an experience that you should never miss!

Learning from my mistakes, just make sure that you are well warmed up before the trek, and do not rush too much in the first 30 minutes of the trek and keep a comfortable pace from the beginning to the end.

Enjoy!

All photo credits: Vindya Vithana