Toteme Glamping: A Mountain Escape in Kintamani
There is a different pace to Bali in the mountains. As the roads climb north from Ubud, the air becomes cooler, the landscape opens onto volcanic slopes and the familiar sounds of the coast slowly disappear. In Kintamani, Mount Batur rises above Lake Batur, surrounded by a vast volcanic caldera and small villages scattered across the highlands.
It is here, among the mountains, that Toteme Glamping offers a quieter way to experience this part of the island. Set beneath Mount Batur, the property brings together canvas tents, a natural hot spring, a garden restaurant and wide mountain views. Rather than simply being a place to spend the night, Toteme makes a good base for discovering Kintamani at a slower pace, with mornings in the mountains, afternoons in warm water and evenings spent around the fire.
Kintamani: Bali at a different altitude
Kintamani feels remarkably different from the southern part of Bali. Sitting high above the rest of the island, the region is shaped by the volcanic landscape of Mount Batur and Lake Batur. The cooler temperatures are part of its appeal: mornings can be crisp, clouds often gather around the mountains and evenings call for a light jacket rather than the usual Bali heat. The landscape changes with the weather, too, sometimes revealing the entire caldera and sometimes disappearing into a layer of mist.
Mount Batur is naturally at the centre of the experience. The volcano rises to 1,717 metres and is one of Bali’s best-known sunrise hikes, with the traditional trek beginning in the early hours of the morning. For those who would rather stay off the trail, Jeep excursions offer another way to explore the volcanic landscape, including the black lava fields and viewpoints around the mountain.
Beyond Mount Batur, there is plenty of reason to spend more than a few hours in the area. Lake Batur sits inside the caldera, with small roads winding down towards its shores and villages around the water. The geothermal activity of the region also makes hot springs a natural part of a Kintamani itinerary, particularly after a morning spent exploring. You can combine a sunrise experience or Jeep ride with a soak in warm volcanic water, or simply spend the day moving between the lake, mountain viewpoints and local villages.
Toteme Glamping: sleeping beneath Mount Batur
Set in Batur Tengah, Toteme is made up of a small collection of tents surrounded by gardens, with Mount Batur visible from the property. The feeling is closer to a private mountain retreat than a traditional hotel. There are 25 tents in total, with two accommodation categories: Standard and Deluxe. Both are designed around the idea of sleeping close to nature while keeping the comforts of a proper stay.
The Standard tents have king-size beds, air conditioning, a private terrace and access to shared bathrooms on the property. The Deluxe tents add a private bathroom, a little more space and a private terrace facing the volcano. Towels, slippers, a hairdryer, minibar and safe are provided, while Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. The best part, however, is the setting: opening the tent in the morning to mountain air and a view of Batur makes the location feel very far removed from the busier side of Bali.
The heart of Toteme is its thermal spring. A large natural hot spring pool sits at the centre of the property, heated by geothermal activity rather than a conventional boiler, with temperatures maintained at around 40°C. For guests staying overnight, access to the spring is included, making it easy to slip into the water throughout the day. In the morning, the contrast between the cool mountain air and warm water is particularly beautiful; later in the afternoon, the pool becomes a place to slow down as the light changes across Mount Batur.
More than a stay: what to do at Toteme
Toteme is designed so that you do not necessarily need to leave the property all day. The restaurant sits beneath a large mango tree and serves a mix of European and Indonesian dishes, with the open-sided setting keeping the surrounding landscape part of the experience. It is open from morning through evening, so breakfast can follow an early Batur excursion, while dinner gives the day a much slower ending.
Treatments are also available in the comfort of your tent, with Balinese therapists bringing the spa experience directly to you. For something more active, the team can also help arrange experiences around Kintamani, including the Mount Batur sunrise experience. One of the particularly convenient details is that, for the sunrise trek, the Jeep can pick guests up directly from the property rather than requiring a separate transfer to a meeting point.
The rest of the day can be deliberately unplanned. Walk through the gardens, spend time on the terrace, return to the thermal pool or simply watch the mountain change as the clouds move across the caldera. This is perhaps what makes Toteme particularly suited to Kintamani: the property gives you enough to do without creating a schedule around it.
Getting there from Ubud
Kintamani makes a natural addition to a Bali itinerary, particularly if you are already staying in Ubud. The journey takes you from the greener landscapes around Ubud into the cooler highlands of Bangli, with the roads becoming increasingly mountainous as you approach the Batur caldera. Travel time depends on your exact starting point and traffic conditions, so it is better to allow some flexibility rather than relying on a precise journey time.
A private driver is the easiest option if you are travelling with luggage or want to stop along the way. The journey can also be turned into part of the day, with possible stops around Tegallalang or Tirta Empul before continuing north towards Kintamani. If you are travelling by scooter, the route is accessible, although the mountain roads, bends and cooler weather are worth taking into account.
Once at Toteme, the property can help arrange experiences around Mount Batur, including its sunrise Jeep experience. For guests planning the traditional sunrise hike, the property describes itself as particularly close to the trail and offers pickup directly from the tent, making an early start slightly easier.
Kintamani is a reminder that Bali is not only about beaches, beach clubs and tropical temperatures. Up here, the landscape is volcanic, the mornings are cool and the rhythm of the day is shaped more by the mountain than by the ocean. You can spend the morning exploring Batur, the afternoon in warm geothermal water and the evening watching the last light settle over the caldera.
Toteme fits naturally into that landscape. It offers a comfortable place to stay without taking away from the reason to come to Kintamani in the first place: the mountain, the spring, the lake and the feeling of being somewhere slightly removed from the rest of the island. For a couple of nights between Ubud and your next destination, it is an opportunity to slow down and experience a quieter, cooler side of Bali.