Mount Agung is Bali’s Most Sacred Mountain
Mount Agung (Gunung Agung) lies in central-eastern Bali and, at 3,148m, is Bali’s highest point by almost 1km – it is even visible in the early mornings from my house in south west Bali. The height of Mt Agung actually affects Bali’s climate: clouds coming from the west drop their rain (unsurprisingly) on the west side of the mountain which is why east Bali is usually dry and barren.
According to Balinese Hindus, the gods created mountains as their thrones meaning Mt Agung, as the highest, is Bali’s most sacred mountain and is therefore the location of Pura Besakih, Bali’s ‘mother’ temple.
Sunrise Rise Trekking on Mount Agung
Sunrise Trekking on Mount Agung is very popular: you leave, with your guide, from a fixed departure point in the early hours so you can be at the top to watch the sunrise.
Mt Agung is an active stratovolcano (built of layered lava), with the most recent major eruption in 1963. Those lava flows missed Besakih Temple by only a few metres in places; that was regarded by the Balinese people as miraculous and a signal from the gods that they wished to demonstrate their power but not destroy the monument the Balinese faithful had erected.
The earth tremors of the 1963 Mt Agung eruption were what caused the 120m USAT Liberty Shipwreck to slide off the beach and into the shallows of Tulamben Bay. For that at least, we can be thankful.
The Burning Ring of Fire
Bali is part of ‘The Ring of Fire’ and we therefore have several other dormant volcanoes, eg: Mount Batur – although we do see occasional puffs of smoke.
Book Mt Agung Sunrise Trekking
Click below for more Bali Information:
