Gunung Batukau Mountain

Address: Gunung Batukaru (Mount Batukaru), Tabanan Regency / central Bali, Indonesia

Gunung Batukaru (Batukaru) is a forested volcanic mountain in western-central Bali and is the island’s second-highest peak. The mountain is largely cloaked in montane forest and is an important site for traditional Balinese ritual activity.

Trails lead into upland forest and the area around the mountain is used for pilgrimage and ceremonial visits, notably to the temple complex on its slopes. The mountain’s elevation and cloud forest create cool, wet conditions and a habitat for native flora and fauna.

The mountain sits in Tabanan regency in western Bali and forms part of the central-western highland spine of the island.

• Elevation and forest: The mountain rises to roughly 2,276 metres and is the island’s second-highest peak, with dense montane forest and frequent mist and rainfall.
• Religious significance: Home to a major Balinese temple on its slopes that remains an active ritual site for local communities.

What to See#

• Pura Luhur Batukaru: A Hindu temple complex on the mountain slope that is one of Bali’s key sacred sites, used for ceremonies and annual offerings.

Cloaked in primeval rainforest, Gunung Batukau is Bali’s second-highest mountain at roughly 2,275 metres, dominating the Tabanan region. The dense forest hides most of the vistas, so it draws few climbers. The extinct volcano holds the largest crater on the island, open at its southern tip to let the Mawa river escape; the name Batukau derives from the crater’s shape and means coconut-shell rock in Balinese.

Driving up the southern slopes past tall trees, quiet grottoes and bubbling hot springs leads to the village of Jatiluwih, where the Jatiluwih rice terraces unfold in an awe-inspiring panorama that follows the mountain’s contours down toward the sea. Higher up sits Pura Luhur Batukau, founded in the 11th century and one of Bali’s most important yet least-visited temples, surrounded by tropical forest and set beside a spring and a lake with a shrine at its centre.

Gunung Batukau (Mount Batukaru) is in western Bali’s Tabanan Regency near the Bedugul highlands. The mountain and Pura Luhur Batukaru are best reached by car or hired driver from Denpasar or Ubud - the drive from Denpasar/Ubud typically takes around 1-1.5 hours depending on traffic (several dozen kilometres). Public transport is limited; drive along the Denpasar-Bedugul/Singaraja roads toward Bedugul and follow local signs to the Batukaru temple and trailheads, where short walks lead to the summit approach and temple areas.

• Start pre-dawn if you plan a summit hike or viewpoint visit-morning light is best and afternoons often bring clouds and rain during Bali's wet months.
• Hire a local guide and check with village or temple authorities before trekking-Gunung Batukau is culturally important and local guidance or permission is customary.
• Combine the Batukau visit with nearby attractions (for example the Jatiluwih rice terraces and local temples) to make travel from Tabanan or central Bali more efficient and reduce repeated long transfers.