The Indonesian island of Bali is known for its beautiful beaches, coral reefs and forested volcanic mountains. It’s the perfect getaway spot for anyone who has won big playing the real slots NZ has to offer, or who simply wants a break with a bit of adventure.
Bali is also a great place to relax and the pace moves very slowly here. For travellers who are looking for a more active adventurous holiday Bali has some excellent hiking trails.
Mount Batur
Gunung Batur also known as Mount Batur is a popular hike. It is still an active volcano towering 1.717 metres and offers views of Lake Batur. The best time to hike here is early morning, around 4am to view the beautiful sunrise.
Mount Batur has two main trails with the most difficult one taking between two and three hours to reach the top. The less onerous trail takes about 45 minutes. Close by are hot springs where you can relax after the hike.
Mount Agung
This is the highest mountain on the island and is considered as the most sacred volcano on the island. The locals see it as a replica of Mount Meru, which to them is the central axis of the universe.
This hike is very challenging and is a popular hike among tourists and also offers beautiful sunrises. Mount Agung is 3.031 metres and should take about 12 hours in total to finish the hike departing from Besakih temple. The shorter hike departs from Pura Pasar Agung and will take around three to four hours in total. For both hikes you will need to have a guide. Mount Agung is closed for hiking on religious holidays.
Tirtagangga
Tirtagangga is an area located in the eastern part of the island and is well known for the water palace and lush rice paddies. It is a beautiful area to walk around in or you can take a guided hike along some of the more challenging routes.
There is a trail from Tirtagangga that goes through the villages of Lempuyang, Bukit Kusami and Budakaling, which will take around six hours. After a long hike there is the option of enjoying a swim at the water palace or enjoying some of the local markets in this area. It can get very hot in this area so best to have an early start.
Secret Gardens (Sambangan)
This is another popular hiking trail located in the Sambangan jungle and begins at the waterfall. Hikers will have to buy their tickets here before embarking on the trail.
The hike will take between three and four hours and you will be able to see three picturesque waterfalls along the way as well as rice paddies, crops of cocoa, coffee, bananas and palm sugar.
Munduk
One of the best areas for hiking on the island is Munduk. There are 12 different trails to choose which include the Red Coral Waterfall hike which takes around two hours to complete and for those who are seeking more of a challenge there is the Dutch Colonial hike, which will take about six hours.
This area is filled with beautiful forests, waterfalls and temples. It is advisable to use a guide if doing any of these hikes for the first time.
