Mount Agung is the holiest mountain on Bali, and from these slopes, south-east of the Batur caldera, it fills the horizon: a great cone rising to more than three thousand metres, its summit often wrapped in cloud. The Balinese orient their lives around it, with kaja, the direction of the mountain, considered pure and sacred, and the sea considered the opposite. Temples, houses and villages are laid out in relation to it, and the island's most important temple, Pura Besakih, sits on its flanks.
Besakih is actually a complex of more than twenty temples, spread across terraces on the mountain's slopes, with the main sanctuary dedicated to the Hindu trinity. It is the mother temple of Bali, and every Balinese Hindu tries to visit it, especially during the major festivals. In 1963, a massive eruption of Agung killed more than a thousand people, but the lava flows famously passed close to Besakih without destroying it, which many Balinese saw as a sign of divine favour. Agung erupted again in 2017 and 2018, forcing evacuations and closing the airport, and it remains closely watched.
The landscape on the way to Besakih is a mix of forest, clove and coffee gardens, and terraces of rice and vegetables, with small villages of red-brick compounds and family temples. The town of Bangli, below, has its own fine temple, Pura Kehen, with a huge banyan tree in the courtyard. The road through Rendang, a small market town, connects the area with Klungkung and the coast.
The riding here is steep and winding, with narrow roads through villages and forest. The surface can be rough, and the gradients are severe in places, so care is needed, especially in the rain. The roads stay quiet except around Besakih, which can be busy with tour buses and pilgrims, and where touts can be persistent. Fuel and food are available in Bangli and Rendang, and Ubud is about thirty kilometres away. The dry months from April to October, and early mornings in particular, give the best chance of seeing Agung without its cloud cap. Dress respectfully when visiting temples, with a sarong and sash.