One-Day Tour in Bali: We have a route planned to the Great Caldera of the ancient volcano. Along the way, you will visit an ancient temple and the holiest spring in Bali. You will also try luwak coffee at a coffee plantation. Lunch with a view of the volcano awaits you, as well as a walk on the hardened lava and a dip in the hot springs at the foot of Mount Batur.
Please note that due to weather conditions, mountain roads, and distances, we recommend driving on this route by car. You can rent a car here.
Gunung Kawi Cave Temple
People who come to Bali for a couple of weeks have heard a lot about the thousands of temples on the island. And often they are disappointed that most of the Balinese temples are almost identical to each other.
And it’s true, my friends. Temples are built according to the same canon for centuries. But there is a miraculously preserved ancient temple complex on Bali, Pura Gunung Kawi, which is over 1000 years old.
It is better to visit this temple complex early in the morning to avoid crowds of Chinese tourists. Drive to the temple parking lot on the Kuil Gunung Kawi Parking Lot map, and descend into the canyon. On the street, they will kindly offer to buy a sarong. If you don’t have your own sarong, one will be given to you at the entrance to the temple.
You will feel the ancient walls, walk through the Balinese version of the “Valley of the Dead”, and see caves where monks and hermits meditated for a long time. You can shoot a sequel to “Indiana Jones” or another adventure movie here. Make sure to explore the other side of the river by walking in all directions from the bridge.
Holy springs Tirta Empul
After climbing 300 steps to the first stop of Gunung Kawi, it’s time to refresh yourself! Just one kilometer to the north, there is a 1000-year-old temple (Pura Tirta Empul) that is definitely worth a visit!
According to legend, the local king did not recognize the divine power of the Hindu god Indra, who sent his subjects to pacify the prince. However, the messengers of Indra were killed by the local ruler. Indra then descended to earth and struck his staff, and living water flowed from that spot.
Indra’s helpers were revived, after which the king recognized the divine power of Indra. This happened more than 1000 years ago.
A temple, Tirta Empul (holy spring), was built on the site of the spring. People from all over Bali come here to bathe and collect the living water.
First, it is recommended to visit the temple and see the holy spring. You will see a pond surrounded by a stone fence, and a water source that flows out from underground. Then, go to the changing room, put on a sarong, and go for a cleansing.
Traditionally, you need to pass through all the fountains, except for two with dragon heads. Approaching the fountain, you need to drink the water from your hands three times, wash your face three times, and put your head under the stream of holy water three times.
Then, pray and go to the next spring. For those who come to Bali to get acquainted with the island and connect with its energy, we strongly recommend taking a cleansing at Tirta Empul. If there are many people or you do not want to bathe, go to the spring with the inscription Tirta Empul, which is the most important one.
Coffee plantation – try Luwak coffee
After purification in the holy springs from the god Indra, we continue towards the big caldera. On the way, we visit a coffee plantation. The location of the coffee plantation can be found on Google Maps by searching for (Alam Bali Agrowisata – Bali Kopi Luwak) to see the cute animal called a Luwak, feed it with coffee berries, and try the most expensive coffee in the world.
At the plantation, you can see how Arabica and Robusta coffee grow, how Balinese people have been roasting coffee for centuries, and how local spices and fruits are grown. You can taste a free set of tea and coffee. On the way out of the plantation, there is a shop where you can buy coffee, tea, and other souvenir products.
Although the plantation is a tourist attraction, it has a pleasant atmosphere, located in the jungle over the cliff, and you can catch a good mood over a cup of coffee.
Restaurant with a view of Batur
Continuing the journey, we reach the climax of beauty that is worth coming to Bali for. It is the large caldera of an ancient volcano, inside which is the active volcano of Batur and the eponymous largest freshwater mountain lake on Bali.
And on the edge of the Great Caldera, overlooking the lake and the volcanoes Batur and Abang, and if lucky with good visibility, the Agung volcano, you can have lunch. Now there are quite a few restaurant choices on the edge of the caldera, we recommend Eco-Bike (the very first coffee shop on the caldera) or Paperhills (a huge selection of baked goods and desserts).
We also recommend the Resto Apung restaurant on rafts on Lake Batur. For dishes, we recommend ordering “Ikan Bakar” – fresh lake fish with grilled smoky flavor and local fruit juice. Fish lovers will appreciate it. Simply leave a tour request!
Walking on solid lava of volcano Batur
If you’ve driven down to the lake, it’s worth stopping by to walk on the solidified lava, bathe in the hot springs right at the foot of the volcano, and admire the vast fields of solidified lava.
Only in the 20th century did the Batur volcano erupt with lava five times. These were truly massive eruptions, accompanied by casualties, local earthquakes, and lava flows. On the way to the hot springs, you’ll see an abandoned village with buildings without roofs and windows. During the Batur volcano eruption, this village was buried under lava, and only the foundations remained. Now, every year, the Batur volcano festival is held here.
On the winding road, you can park your car and walk on the solidified lava, take cool photos against the backdrop of Mount Batur and Mount Abang, and take a piece of it as a memory (at GEOSITE TUMULI TOYA BUNGKAH in Google Maps).
Finally, everyone’s favorite place – natural hot springs under the volcano Batur. The hot springs (at ARLINA’S GUEST HOUSE in Google Maps) are not chosen randomly for this route.
Here it’s quiet and private, you can be alone with yourself and nature – 4 hot water pools and a large pool are at our disposal. We recommend ordering a cup of hot orange juice (jeruk panas) or a cup of ginger tea at the cafe. They will bring it right to the pool.
To obtain detailed information Leave a tour request here! or contact our manager.
We are always happy to share the magic of Bali Island with positive people!
Sincerely, Bali Open Group, authors of the blog baliopen.org
