Rinjani 3 Days in Reverse: Up the Cool Senaru Forest, Out Through Sembalun Savanna

Most three-day Rinjani packages start at Sembalun and finish at Senaru. This one runs the other way round, and the difference is felt on the first morning. The Senaru route climbs through rainforest. It is shaded and it is cooler than the open side, which counts for a lot when the first day of a three-day trek is the one you walk with the least acclimatisation and the most doubt. From there the walk drops to Segara Anak lake and the hot springs beside it, the water people come here to sit in for its healing reputation. The summit at 3,726 m comes after the lake rather than before it, on legs that already have a day and a half of Rinjani in them. The last stretch crosses the savanna on the Sembalun side, so the trek ends in open grass and heat rather than under trees. In three days the route covers both faces of the mountain, forest and savanna, without walking the same ground twice. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.