Bali: Kintamani Loop

If you’re looking for a cool day trip from the Kuta area, where you can experience some classic Bali without the tourist hordes, the ride to Kintamani is totally worth the effort.

After many years of visiting Bali, I only recently began exploring beyond the south Bali conurbation. Fortunately, as I got more into moto touring and diving, I started riding further afield around the east, west, and north parts of the island. When a friend suggested I check out Pucak Tedung Temple, I made a plan to ride up there, then continue further to Kintamani, and finally swing south to Seminyak via Ubud.

Ride Details: Distance: 150 km / Duration: 6 hours / Bike: Yamaha Nmax 155 cc

Section 1: Seminyak to Pucak Tedung Temple

This ride involves an escape from Denpasar. It’s a slog of over an hour on some of the most traffic-clogged, pollution-filled urban roads on the island. I made the mistake of doing it during rush hour, which turned into a 90-minute ordeal. \n\nFortunately, once you make it past the chaos, you get off the main thoroughfare and onto rural backroads. It’s like night and day! You suddenly find yourself in the paradise you imagine Bali to be. From here, it’s a steady climb up to the temple, which is perched on a mountaintop with stunning views. Unfortunately, low clouds obscured the view the day I rode up, so I couldn’t see the volcanic peaks. \n\nI wasn’t allowed to enter the temple as it was closed to non-local visitors that day. And no photos were permitted! I did come across a hunter with a bunch of squirrels tied to his bike. I can’t imagine there are too many of those around these days.

Section 2: Pucak Tedung Temple to Kintamani

Following a Google Maps route, I took a narrow road down from the temple, then north towards Catur. This route runs through stunning traditional villages, rice paddies, and some incredible natural scenery. One highlight is a river gorge that’s really spectacular. I didn’t catch the name and can’t find it on the map, but it’s a must-see! \n\nThis road rises up and eventually leads to the rim of Mt. Batur, a volcano that Kintamani sits on. The temperature was much cooler up here. I stopped at one of the numerous restaurants in Kintamani, which offered great views of the crater lake and the surrounding landscape.

Section 3: Kintamani to Seminyak

There are multiple roads you can take back down. I didn’t know the best route, but I assumed it must be as good and scenic as the Pucak Tedung Temple road. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The road I took was a major route, with lots of traffic moving very fast. Honestly, it was a horrible ride. The road was flat in the middle but sloped downwards, crumbling to the edge. It was an uncomfortable, demanding ride. \n\nAs I got closer to Ubud, the traffic really picked up and became clogged in to Seminyak. I recommend looking for a less busy route if you come down this direction from Kintamani.

My Route and Stops

This map may not be 100% the route I took, but it’s fairly close. Click the at the top-left on the map for more details.