At times you would think this is somewhere in scenic New Zealand…
Only to be quickly reminded that you’re in Bali as you gaze over the many paddy fields below! This is a picturesque shot of the vast Batur Caldera taken at Penelokan. Meaning ‘place for looking’, Penelokan is located approximately 57 kilometres from Denpasar. What blows you away is the astounding view of both Lake and Mount Batur. At 65 meters deep, the lake was formed by an ancient volcanic eruption thousands of years ago.
Standing on the rim of the caldera at about 1450 meters high, the clouds simply seem to hang over the mountains. With the cool breeze blowing in your hair and a moment of tranquillity, Penelokan offers anyone with a camera moments of sheer beauty captured in pixels to last a lifetime!
Mount Batur is said to have erupted 24 times since the year 1800 with one of the worst explosions being in 1917 that claimed many lives and destroyed many sacred temples. Though still very much active, farmers still till the lands nearby with Lake Batur functioning as irrigation source to all agricultural projects. Mount Batur rises within the circling embrace of the caldera to a height of 5633 feet above sea level. Many adventure seekers hike up this mountain around 2am to catch the sunrise.