After covering the most sought after experiences in part 1 of our series where we explored the stunning hikes as well as the highlights in the heart of the region: its temples, museum and instragmmable cafés; In this second part, we are presenting you with some of the lesser known activities.
Starting with a growing sector: the agrotourism, we'll then switch environment drastically to the barren wasteland of the black lava and ultimately make our way down to a place, technically not part of Kintamani but very close: Pura Besakih - one of the largest and most significantly important temple on the island.
Discovering Kintamani's agrotourism
As a region with a weather most suitable for agriculture; the inhabitants of the region have been growing all sorts of crops from fruit & vegetables, to herbs and coffee. All of those now can be sampled locally through various touristic experiences.
Some of our favorite picks are the following:
Black lava fields
The black lava field at Mount Batur in Kintamani, Bali, is a mesmerizing testament to the volcano's powerful eruptions over the centuries. Stretching across the landscape, the rugged expanse of hardened lava creates a dramatic contrast against the lush greenery of the surrounding area.
You can explore the black lava field either on foot, or by motorized vehicle such as dirt bikes or ATVs.
If you are exploring with your own vehicle, you can access the field via either of those points: here 📍, or here 📍.
Pura Besakih 📍
While not technically located in Kintamani, but in the adjacent region of Besakih, the infamous temple is just a short ride away from the center of Kintamani.
It is the most important, largest, and holiest temple of Balinese Hinduism and one of a series of Balinese temples. Perched nearly 1000 meters up the side of Gunung Agung, it is an extensive complex of 23 separate but related temples with the largest and most important being Pura Penataran Agung. The temple is built on six levels, terraced up the slope.
The entrance price for touring the temple (including a local guide) is of 150,000 IDR for international tourists and 80,000 IDR for local tourists. Price also includes a shuttle to go from the parking / entrance area up to the temple and a sarong rental.
Because of its religious importance, the temple often hosts religious ceremonies and might be closed to public on certain special days - make sure you double check in advance with your accommodation or tour agent wether the temple will be open to public on the date you would like to visit it.
This concludes our Kintamani 2 part series, covering the best the region has to offer, featuring a number of activities from sport to culture and pure leisure.
There is one peculiar attraction we have not covered in this guide: Trunyan cemetary - the unconventional and mystical place of the dead will have a dedicated blog post - so stay tuned.
