Batur Mountain View Hotel & Restaurant

The sunrise was wonderful, and the grounds are large and suited to all kinds of activities. It’s peaceful here, with no parties, and the people who come seem very nice. The place itself is beautiful. My room was spacious but old and dirty, with mold. It got very cold at night and there’s no heater, though they gave me four blankets. The bathroom was dirty too, the water wouldn’t drain, and the room smelled of mold and plumbing. You also have to close the curtains on all the windows to use the toilet. There’s a simple breakfast available and a kitchen, but you pay extra for the gas and there are no utensils. You need to buy your own food and water, and the nearest shop is an 18-minute walk away. Getting here means taking a very steep, winding road, and there are lots of loud dogs along it that seem ready to pounce.

The room and bathroom were spacious, the place was clean, and the facilities were fairly complete. The view is nice, and the air is fresh and cool. The hard part is the road in and out: it’s narrow and extremely steep, around a 30-45° incline. Our car tires slipped.

The person who seemed to run the hotel was really nice, and it was handy to order decent food to the room at night. But a hotel is mainly for sleeping, and that didn’t work well here. The room was in poor shape, with plaster coming off the walls, a cockroach, and a leaking pipe that made noise nonstop. Sound insulation was bad too, and at 10 in the morning someone, probably the owner, started hammering and woke us up. The view was good, but the shower and tap pressure were extremely low, so even showering took much longer.

The views are brilliant, and the accommodation is good value. What really makes the stay for me is the family who own it. They’re amazing hosts, make you feel completely welcome, and I almost felt like part of the family. Since my visit two years ago, the route used by trucks hauling sand and rocks up the mountain has changed. There’s now a lot more traffic passing by, which has taken away some of the peace and quiet. Still, the warm welcome more than makes up for the trucks for me.