Batur 4WD at 7 am: the Lava Cave at Lava Ball Point and the 1964 Flow

No pre-dawn alarm here. You meet the guide at 7 am, and the vehicle is a purpose-built four-wheel drive. The guide is a trained 4WD specialist and a certified member of the Mount Batur Guide Association. The first stop is Lava Ball Point, where you get out and walk into the Kintamani ground: there is a large cave in it, formed by a lava flow, and standing inside it does not feel like Bali. The second stop is the volcanic lava flow of 1964, and the guide explains how it happened. Getting there means driving through the lava fields, past farmers working small plots and vegetable gardens. The day finishes with lunch and a long soak in the healing water of the Batur Natural Hot Spring, with Lake Batur in front of you from an angle most trips never take. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.