Saturday, May 12, 2012

Day 1: Part IV - Kintamani for lunch @ Bali

We proceeded to Kintamani for buffet lunch, at Mount Batur an active volcano, and Lake Batur, the largest crater lake on Bali island. Kintamani is a highland area in the north of East Bali. There are a large number of identikit buffet restaurants sited on the main road in Kintamani and Penelokan. These are aimed at tour buses. These restaurants offer fantastic views across the lake, and serve all-you-can-eat lunch buffets at acceptable prices.

Kintamani is usually approached from the south with 2 routes in from Ubud (45 minutes), and one each from Besakih (1 hour) and Bangli (30 minutes). There is also an easy way in from the north via a turning off the coast road east of Singaraja (1 hour). All private vehicles pay entry charge to get into the area of Rp 10,000 per person. Keep the ticket as this is valid for the whole Kintamani area, and you may be asked to show it again. From the popular tourist destinations in South Bali, a trip to Kintamani by car will take 90 min plus.

Mount Batur

Mount Batur (Gunung Batur) is an active volcano located at the center of two concentric calderas north west of Mount Agung, Bali, Indonesia. First photo snapping immediately after I arrived!! Taking good snap of the volcano! It's beautiful! xD

Mount Batur blur vision by mist

This is second short after 5min of snapping. Weather is so uncertain here. Cloudly it's going to rain anytime! Once raining the volcano covered by heavy mist, so I don't want to miss the opportunity. Capture the best moment before I take my lunch! =)

Family photo

Relax place for food 

Here we are for lunch! I love the beautiful scenery plus the cold weather here. Can you image is more colder than Genting Highlands. We're high in the mountains of Bali here and the temperature is usually about 15 degrees cooler than down on the coast, and even more so at night. That, coupled with the often cloudy and drizzly weather, makes a sweater or jacket advisable in the day time and vital after sunset.

Well decorated 

Salad / Ulam

Fried mee, rice, etc

Banana pancake coated with kelapa parut

Vegetable salad

tempeh, taufu, eggs, fried keropok for food

Buffet time, consisting of local Balinese food. eat-all-you-can. From appetizer, main course till desserts. not forgetting juices, coffee & tea were served here too. Hungry when I saw the food. can't help myself to try it out all the local food. Mainly tourist places here, can see varieties type tourist walking in and out there.

Everyone enjoying food

My favorite ^_^

See the dishes here? The most I like is their meat satay with lemon grass stick. The aroma of lemon grass covered the meat odor given herb smell into it. Aside Indonesian famous with nasi campur, means nasi mixed with mee mixed it well eating together. Fried popiah was good too.

After the rain ^_^

Satisfied with food, walked outside for photo snapping immediately after rain while waiting the rest to finish up their food. I can't see the volcano anymore. Heavy covered by mist. It's cold i'm with short pants and short sleeve shirt, plus shivering too!!

Car park blur vision covered by mist

Well decorated out to main entrance

family photo ^_^

Kintamani is the pushy souvenir hawker capital of Bali. They will surely target you the moment you arrive and try to admire the view. If you are confident handling the haggling with these vendors, Kintamani can turn out to be an interesting shopping experience. If you are not, and allow such things to bother you, the level of hassle here can make for an unpleasant experience. Fruit and vegetables. Kintamani is renowned for growing oranges (especially) and other fruit. You will see lots of streetside vendors in this area selling excellent quality freshly picked fruit. The local orange is called Jeruk Kintamani and is delicious. The areas down around the lake (especially on the eastern shore) are market gardens for all sorts of cool climate vegetables.

Before we left a group of family photos, for memories. Enjoying my moments here. Up next moving up to Luwak Coffee stay tune.. ^_^

Gunung Batur
Kintamani, Bangli, Bali
Mountain, Park, Hiking Trail

4 comments:

foongpc said...

I have not been to Mt Batur! Must go next time! The scenery and ambience so nice! It's cooler there right?

foongpc said...

Oh! OK I read it. Temperature about 15 degrees? That's cold alrite! I love it!!

foongpc said...

Eh, I thought you don't like the smell of lemon grass? I even like the smell for my shower gel hahaha!!

Unknown said...

Foongpc: Mount Batur it's beautiful!! should visit next time. Lemon grass I don't eat.. but to cover the meat odor should be ok... as long as I don't bite the lemon grass will do.. hahahaha =)