Volcanic Bali Sightseeing route - Round trip Ubud via Kintamani

Our next favorite route is the volcanic Bali sightseeing route which takes you from Ubud to the scenic temples of Goa Gajah, Gunung Kawi and Tirta Empul all the way to the crater rim at Kintamani.

From there it is onwards to the valleys of Rendang, Selat, Sideman and onwards to the royal cities of Klungkung, Gianyar and back to Ubud.

Ubud
Ubud is the starting point of the volcanic Bali sightseeing route but Sanur, Nusa Dua or Kuta are good starting points as well except that you have to get up a bit earlier.

As always we love to leave early on our motorbikes when there isn't much traffic on the road and most importantly when most tourist buses haven't arrived yet at the following three important sites: Goa Gajah, Gunung Kawi and Tirta Empul.

 

Ricefields just outside Ubud

 

If you do the volcanic Bali sightseeing route I recommend you make a choice out of the three sites so you avoid getting an overdose of Bali temples and hawkers.

My personal favorite among these three is Gunung Kawi but then again taste differs...;-)

To enter the temples you need to dress accordingly. Bali sarongs can be hired at the entrance.

Goa Gajah
Goa Gaja is located just outside of Ubud on the way to Bedulu. Goa Gajah means "Elephant Cave" and Dutch archeologists discovered the place in 1923 after hearing locals describing a cave with a huge monstrous elephant head. Until today the origins of the cave are still a mystery.

When we arrived we were lucky to see Balinese men and woman preparing several offerings for a huge ceremony in the following days. The area is unspoiled and besides visiting the elephant cave there are ancient bathing places with nymph statues spewing water.

 

The ancient bathing area

 

After visiting Goa Gajah we jump on the motorbike again and continue the volcanic Bali sightseeing route by traveling along traditional Balinese villages such as Pejeng, Tarukan, Sanding, Bukit until we arrive in Tampaksiring for the two following sites.

Gunung Kawi-Mountain of Poetry
Once you arrive at the parking lot of Gunung Kawi the first thing you bump into is the line of tourist shops and you'll probably ask yourself 'What kind of joke it this?'.

Gunung Kawi means "Mountain of Poetry" and once you have passed the chaos of tourist shops a smile will finally appear on your face as you soon see why the Balinese have called it this way.

 

The tombs of the royal family

 

Before you lie the huge carved tombs of the royal family from the 11th century set against swaying palm trees, stunning rice fields and the river Pakrisan. The entire area is sacred to the Balinese and that's the reason why they've put so much effort in making it like a movie set.

After this sight it's time to continue our volcanic Bali sightseeing route to the next sight which is only a 5-minute drive, Tirta Empul.

Tirta Empul
On the left side of the main road you'll find Tirta Empul, one of Bali's six important temples. The Balinese believe that the water spring has been created by God Indra himself and that it holds magical healing powers and even the secret to eternal youth.

The sight is definitely worth a visit, so walk around and see Balinese pilgrims taking a bath among pink flowers. Don't forget to wear a sarong and selandang here too.

 

bathing at Tirta Empul

 

When you leave the sight try to leave the same way as you came, otherwise you end up in the choir of 'come look, cheap price, special for you'.

Kintamani-Batur Volcano
After the visits to one or all three of the sacred sights we continue our trip along traditional Balinese villages such as Seribatu where the road gets steeper towards our next stop Kintamani.

Here the rice fields, coconut palms and rattan plants make way for coffee, nutmeg and lemon plantations.

When the road winds even higher around the slopes of Gunung Batur you'll find old oak trees, huge fern and plenty of moss all the way to the crater rim of the neighboring villages Penelokan and Kintamani.

 

One of the highlighs of the Volcanic Bali sightseeing Route

 

During the volcanic Bali sightseeing route this is the perfect spot to have some lunch and enjoy the spectacular view on one of the worlds' biggest craters (10 km by 14 km), the result of a collapsed volcano during the pre historical era. Its deepest point is now Lake Batur which is 8 kilometers long by 3 kilometers wide.

On the left side of Lake Batur, volcano Gunung Batur has formed and its top is set on 1707 meters. During 1917 and 1923 this volcano erupted leaving several villages destroyed and many Balinese dead.

The villages of Kintamani and Batur used to be located down into the crater as well but after the eruptions they were relocated to the rim of the crater.

 

When it's not cloudy you have terrific views...

 

While arriving in this area expect hordes of Balinese trying to sell you something but just stay polite, smile and pick out one of the restaurants along the road that don't seem too busy. Take a seat on the terrace at the back where they serve unlimited buffet lunches.

After lunch we continue our volcanic Bali sighseeing journey again to the neighboring village of Kedisan where the scenic road will lead us slowly down to the mountain villages of Rendang, Iseh and Sidemen.

 

the latest Kawasaki motorbike...

 

In Rendang there are no sights of importance except for the route along forgotten villages, waving farmers with motor bike helmets and woman packed in pick-up trucks ready to bring offerings at Besakih temple.

Iseh to Sidemen
There is not much to do in Iseh either and you will probably drive through it before you realize it. Nevertheless the attractive landscape on this part of the Volcanic Bali sightseeing route is definitely their unique selling point.

From Iseh all the way down to Sidemen you will be treated with gorgeous views on the valley and the river below. The country side is absolutely stunning with Gunung Again occasionally reappearing in the background...

 

Fresh green landscapes around Sidemen

 

Just like us, the German painter Walter Spies loved this part of Bali. He stayed here in the 1930's to avoid the busy life of Ubud and to get inspiration for his exceptional painting 'Iseh im Morgenlicht 1938'.

You will also pass small villages which have their own unique temple complexes and you'll surely see groups of women walking along the streets with colorful baskets on their heads.

It looks like they've spotted you coming down the mountain and agreed to catwalk along your route. Ahhh always a welcome sight...

 

It looks so easy...

 

Klungkung
At the end of this road you will enter the historical provincial capital Klungkung (See Bali Travel tip #24) which is a pretty busy city. Here you can stop to check out the Taman Gili palace which was built in 1710 by the king at that time.

From Klungkung the busy main road leads back to back to Gianyar and from here the last stretch of the Volcanic Bali sightseeing route to idyllic Ubud.