Mount Agung and Besakih Temple
Towering 3,142 metres above sea level, Mount Agung is the highest mountain on the island of Bali and the fifth highest in Indonesia. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963.
Mount Agung has huge spiritual significance to the people of the island, and is home to the ‘Mother Temple’ of Besakih.
The Besakih Temple consists of more than 20 separate temples and shrines, spread out over three kilometres.
At lower elevations the mountain is covered in lush forest, but this soon gives way to a desolate landscape of barren volcanic rock and ash. From the peak of Mount Agung the views are extraordinary in all directions, but most dramatic to the east where the sun rises above Lombok.
Wild pigs and macaques abound on the forested slopes. Birdlife is impressive including frequent sightings of hawks and eagles.
The road through the Sideman/Selat valley in the foothills makes for one of the most scenic drives on the island. Stunning rice terraces, lush forested hill-sides and the mountain itself, all combine to make this is a magical area to visit.