Danau Batur Lake

Address: Danau Batur (Lake Batur), Kintamani, Bangli Regency, Bali, Indonesia

Hours: Daily dawn-dusk

Admission: Free (donations accepted)

Overview - Danau Batur (Lake Batur) is a crater lake on the island of Bali, Indonesia, occupying the caldera of the active Mount Batur volcano. The lake and volcano form a prominent highland landscape in central-northeastern Bali.

What visitors find - The lake is used locally for freshwater fishing and irrigation while the caldera rim and Mount Batur summit attract hikers and photographers, especially for sunrise treks. Nearby hot springs and panoramic viewpoints are common stops on sightseeing routes around the Kintamani area.

History - The lake and its caldera were formed by major volcanic activity; Mount Batur has had multiple historic eruptions and remains an active volcano monitored by Indonesian geological agencies. Local settlements have farmed the fertile volcanic soils for generations.

Location - The lake sits in the Kintamani region of northeast Bali, Indonesia, within the caldera of Mount Batur. The nearest major urban area is Denpasar, to the south by road; the lake and volcano occupy a highland zone visible across central Bali.

• Elevation and setting: Sits inside Mount Batur’s volcanic caldera at an elevation of roughly 1,000 to 1,100 metres above sea level and is part of Bali’s central volcanic zone.
• Visitor activities: The volcano is active and the surrounding area is popular for sunrise treks, hot springs, and observation of local farming and fishing on the lake.

What to See#

• Mount Batur caldera: The lake occupies a caldera formed by Mount Batur; the volcano’s summit rises above the caldera and is an active feature in the local landscape, commonly climbed by visitors for sunrise views.

Covering roughly 16 square kilometres, Danau Batur is the largest of Bali’s four mountain lakes, filling the south-eastern part of the vast Batur caldera that also holds Mount Batur, the island’s most active volcano. The lake is revered at Pura Ulun Danu Batur, Bali’s second most significant temple, which sits on the crater rim and honours the lake goddess Dewi Danu. The original temple stood at the lakeside but was moved, along with the village of Batur, after the 1926 eruption.

The lake lies some 500 metres below the crater edge and is fed by eleven springs, and the villages around it are known as bintang danu, or stars of the lake. The lakeside is reached from the rim via Penelokan on a scenic, winding descent. At the bottom the road splits toward Kedisan and Buahan, while the main trekking base of Toya Bungkah lies a few kilometres further to the north-east.

Lake Batur (Danau Batur) sits in the Kintamani caldera northeast of Ubud on Bali. The usual route is by road: from Ubud the drive to Kintamani and the lake takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour on Jalan Kintamani (Jl. Raya Kintamani); from Denpasar it is roughly 1-1.5 hours by car depending on traffic (around 45-60 km).

Most visitors hire a car/driver from Ubud or take an organised day tour; parking and short paved paths lead to viewpoints around the lake and the Pura Ulun Danu Batur area.

• Sunrise trek up Mount Batur: The classic outing here is a pre-dawn climb of the active volcano from Toya Bungkah, reaching the summit for sunrise over the caldera and, on clear mornings, Mount Agung beyond.
• Hot springs: Toya Bungkah is known for its natural volcanic hot springs, a soothing soak after the descent.
• Lakeside villages: Kedisan and Buahan sit on the shore and are the launching point for boat rides across the lake.
• Trunyan: An ancient Bali Aga village reached by boat, famed for its unusual open-air burial customs.

• Go at sunrise for the clearest views of Mount Batur across the lake-Penelokan viewpoint and the lakeside area around Toya Bungkah offer especially photogenic vantage points early in the day.
• Use Toya Bungkah as your lakeside base if you want hot-spring access and easy boat connections; staying overnight on the lake's north shore avoids the day-trip crowds that arrive from Kintamani in the afternoon.
• Take time for a short boat crossing toward Trunyan village (from the north shore) if you want a quieter, culturally distinct lakeside experience most day visitors skip.