Leaders Discuss New Systems For Tourist Safety On Bali’s Famous Volcano Hiking Routes

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Leaders in Bali have come together to discuss the safety guidelines and systems in place on the island’s most popular volcanic hiking routes.

Hiking up Mount Batur or Mount Agung for sunrise is one of the most famous bucket list activities in Bali, but in recent years, the number of tragedies on the mountainsides has dramatically increased. 

Bali’s Mount Agung is currently closed to the public until the 30th of November for religious ceremonies. Mount Batur and all other peaks remain open, and the island prepares for the Christmas and New Year influx of tourists; leaders are discussing ways to prioritize safety for hikers. 

The Acting Regent of Bangli I Made Rentin has held a meeting to bring stakeholders together to create a joint strategy for regulating climbing activities in the Bangli Regency area. Regulation is especially needed in the climbing areas of Mount Batur, Bukit Trunyan, and Mount Abang.

Acting Regent Rentin explained, “This is important to do in order to improve safety and comfort for climbers and maintain environmental sustainability.” 

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The meeting heard of three major incidents that have recently occurred on the slopes of Bangli’s biggest peaks and noted that a joint strategic effort is needed to overcome the problem without an overly authoritarian approach.

Leaders in Bangli Regency were all in agreement that it is necessary to learn from other destinations to improve tourism management in the area and regulate the hiking programs on offer from a range of service providers. 

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All parties were clear that there needs to be more cross-agency collaboration in order to design, implement, and uphold regulations in these areas, including with the local conservation department known as the BKSDA, to assess what climbing permits can be obtained for which hiking routes.

A discussion around funding and who should be in charge of gathering and subsequently distributing revenue generated from hiking permits was also on the cards.

This was an early-stage meeting in a dialogue process that will likely take months to come into effect. In the coming months, likely in early 2025, tourists can anticipate there to be a series of new safety protocols and procedures in place to obtain hiking permits for Bangli Regency’s most famous peaks and guidelines to follow en-route.

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In September, the Chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency, Kusworo, called out ‘reckless’ tourists, both domestic and international, for taking undue risks when hiking Indonesia’s active and most dangerous volcano hiking routes.

Kusworo told reporters that climbers must prioritize ‘ethics’ and best practices when embarking on treks on active volcanoes and treacherous mountain terrain. Getting a licensed guide is not only essential but also a legal requirement. 

In Kintamani, the biggest community area that overlooks Lake Batur and Mount Batur, leaders have also been discussing disaster management.

According to data, Kintamani District is categorized as high-risk for extreme weather and natural disasters.

In a separate meeting, the Acting Regent of Bangli I Made Rentin shared that he did not want to scaremonger the community but that he intends to gather all business stakeholders in the local area to engage in education about disaster preparedness.

Acting Regent Rentin explained, “In the near future, we will gather all tourism business actors in the Kintamani area and its surroundings.”

“Including around Mount Batur for us to educate. We remind you to do simulations to train yourself and be ready to face disasters.”

Rentin explained that the most common types of natural disasters that are of high risk to occur in Kintamani during extreme weather are landslides, fallen trees, and flooding due to the water of Lake Batur rising to the surface.

He shared, “The most important thing is saving human lives. Disasters may occur, but the safety of human lives is the main point and goal.”