In Reply to: cheap mt batur trekking posted by kramyx on Thursday, 2. September 2010 at 00:54 Bali Time:
This is a relatively easy climb but you should wear good non slip shoes as you are walking on granite type rock, and a small torch. Usually you would allow 3 hours to get up, but can be done in as little as 2 hours, and there is a lovely little old lady who has a hut up the top and she can sell you coffee, soft drinks and gives you a banana and bread and shows you how to cook it in a crack in the rock with the volcanic heat. As you go past her house on the side of the mountain you say hello and then about 10 minutes later she is positively sprinting past you with her dog to get the fire and kettle going.
There are companies who organise treks, usually leave early in the morning and start climbing about 3 am to be there for the magnificent sunrise. I went with my friend who is a driver and we drove up there and he went into the Batur guiding office in the village nearby and organised a guide for me who was fantastic! Carried my small backpack for me and couldn't believe that I would buy him a soft drink when we got to the top. It wasn't expensive although I can't remember the cost now, and I did give him a 50,000 tip.
Be warned some drivers take you up there then go into the office to engage a guide for you, charge you a huge sum and keep the 'extra' money themselves. There is a regulated guide fee, so maybe organise a driver and go into the guide office yourself when you get there. My driver friend was very cross to hear that some tourists had been getting ripped off this way.
There is also a guy who will follow you all the way up hoping to sell you drinks at an exorbitant price, I remember I heard some clinking behind me in the dark, and asked the guy following us did he have diet coke .... he said no, so I said don't worry following us as I only drink diet coke .... poor chap, he turned around and went back down again!
Nice to also visit afterwards the spa complex in the village with large pools and beautiful views to soak the weary muscles.
Hopes this info helps.