Glamping at Black Lava Camp in Kintamani, Bali. (A Review)

For our trekking to Mount Batur in Bali, we decided to do glamping at Black Lava Camp in Kintamani, Bali.

According to the website, Black Lava Camp is not far from Mount Batur’s sunrise trekking starting point. It has the best views of the volcano, and guests who stayed at Black Lava Camp Kintamani raved about it. We were intrigued because they received nearly perfect scores.

In addition, Black Lava Camp offers a sunrise trekking tour on Mount Batur.

My honest review of Black Lava Camp Kintamani follows. I wasn’t paid to stay there, and everything in this section is based on our one-night stay.

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Where is Black Lava Camp Located

Black Lava Camp is located on Jalan Bukit Payang No. 88 in Kintamani. +62 813-8767-3168 is the phone number.

It takes about two hours to drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport to Ubud.

Kintamani is in Bali’s northeastern region. Mount Batur (including sunrise trekking), Trunyan Village, temples, organic farms (including a coffee Luwak plantation), Lake Batur, and Mount Abang, as well as ATV rides, cycling, and hot springs, are some of the famous places or activities in this region.

Booking a Room at Black Lava Camp

There are three types of lodging at Black Lava Camp:

• Suite Room; resembles a hotel bedroom, with large windows overlooking Mt. Batur and black lava beds. It features a large bathroom with a bathtub.
• ‘Potato Tent,’ where guests sleep in a tent that is said to be shaped like a potato. Although there are many windows with views of Mt. Batur and a black lava bed, guests must share a bathroom.
• The ‘Onion Tent,’ is shaped like an onion and has a shared bathroom. It also has views of Mount Batur and a black lava bed.

As of today, you can only book Black Lava rooms online by searching Tripadvisor or by visiting their website. However, for unknown reasons, their website is occasionally unavailable.

I was still in the U.S. when my brother-in-law booked our rooms in Black Lava. He made a direct call to the hotel for booking the rooms.

He also reserved a sunrise tour with them. The hotel did not request payment for this tour because the trek is heavily dependent on weather conditions.

Checking in & Checking out at Black Lava Camp Kintamani

The Black Lava Camp is located in a remote area on the Kintamani caldera’s slopes, overlooking Mount Batur volcano. The road leading to the camp is narrow and uneven. It is unpaved and extremely dangerous in several places. Fortunately, the hotel provides a shuttle service to and from the hotel.

When we arrived in Kintamani, we waited in front of the Madu Sari Restaurant on Kintamani Road, which was one of their pick-up locations. Tegu Kopi is the other. We had to wait quite a while because only one shuttle was operating at the time. Two other groups arrived ahead of us.

I guess we had no idea where we were going. It was so bad at one point that I was afraid the car wouldn’t make it. They did, however, have experienced drivers who knew how to maneuver the car on that bumpy road. If you decide to drive there, make sure you have a high-clearance vehicle.

When we arrived at the hotel, the check-in process was quick and simple. The receptionist checked our names, gave us keys, and gave us tips and advice on restaurants.

Then she asked us to choose what we wanted for breakfast the next day. It would save time the next morning when looking through the menu. This is a good idea.

They provided several options that look and sound delectable. My son chose pancakes, my niece, nephew, and sister an omelet, and I chose toast with organic jams and juices. My brother-in-law made the same decisions as me.

The concierge then assisted us with our luggage to our tents.

We took all of our suitcases to the lobby on the day we left. One of the employees went to inspect our tents while we waited for the shuttle to return us to the pick-up point at the top. They wanted to ensure that everything inside the tent was in working order, just as it was when we arrived.

Our Rooms at Black Lava Camp

We reserved Onion 1 & 2 and Potato 1 near the pool’s stairs. A couple of friends who had previously stayed here recommended the Onion 1 & 2. They didn’t get to stay in that tent, and the area where they stayed was quite noisy. Fortunately, we were able to secure those rooms.

I chose Onion 1 because it was the furthest away and my sister was walking behind me. So I got to pick my tent.

The tent appears to be large, and the interior is indeed spacious. A queen bed is in the center, with towels neatly folded at the foot of the bed. We have footrests that can be used as chairs.

A round mirror can be found in one of the corners. A table on the right side held water, a coffee maker, a water kettle, coffee/tea bags, a dental kit, and a shower cap. A trash can and a laundry bag were on the other side. A reading lamp is located on one side of the bed, and electrical outlets are located on both sides of the bed.

There is no air conditioning because it is cool in the evenings and overnight.

My son sat on the bed and discovered that the mattress was hard and uncomfortable, as well as being too short for him. He needed to lie diagonally or he’d kick the footrest.

Later on in the evening, I had to curl my legs because I kept kicking the footrest. And I’m only 5’4″ tall (1.63 meters.) However, I discovered that the bed was adequate for me.

I went to inspect my sister’s tent. Their room is smaller than ours, and the bed appears to be a child’s bed. We assumed these two rooms were for family use.

A shared bathroom is located between the tents. It has a hot shower and toilet, and I believe it is the right size for glamping. Outside the bathroom is a sink for hand washing and tooth brushing.

What I like about this arrangement is that this bathroom is only accessible to guests staying in Onions 1 and 2. Other visitors must use the other shared bathrooms.

A wooden terrace with two chairs and a table awaits us outside our tent.

The twin glass doors that overlook Mount Batur are my favorite feature of our tent. I left it open until after we had gone to bed. It reminded me of camping at Belle Fourche River in Devils Tower, Wyoming, where we had a view of the Devils Tower from our tent site.

My brother-in-law and nephew have a tent similar to ours, but it is a little smaller. It’s on a different platform than my sister’s tent.

Around Black Lava

I walked around with my sister’s family after I put my suitcases in, while my son stayed in the tent. I quickly understand why our friend suggested we book Onion 1 and 2.

Other tents are only a few feet away from one another. I believe you will be able to hear what others are saying in the next tent. There appears to be no privacy at all.

My family and I go camping frequently, but we’ve never stayed in a campground this crowded. Not even at the KOA campsite!

But I could see why people seemed to be having a good time there. They were enjoying the beautiful views of the volcano from the wooded terrace, and the weather was pleasant.

We proceeded to the large platform shaped like a ship’s deck. Standing there gave me the impression that I could reach the volcano.

My brother-in-law and his kids then went swimming. They claimed the water was icy. The infinity pool was, in my opinion, the best feature of Black Lava Camp. It is near the dining area and has several pool chairs arranged around it.

Dining at Black Lava Camp

We returned to the dining room for supper after showering. If the hotel is fully booked and everyone decides to eat at the same time, there will not be enough dining tables to accommodate everyone.

Fortunately, a group of people had just left the dining room. Unfortunately, the waiter did not arrive to clean the table until after she had taken our orders.

I looked around, and I believe there were only two waiters on duty that night. It is insufficient for the customers who were dining that night.

The hotel serves an a la carte menu as well as barbeque. We decided to go with the a la carte menu. My son ordered pizza, I, along with my sister, ordered Soto Ayam (Indonesian-style chicken soup), my nephew ordered a hamburger, my niece ordered spaghetti Aglio e oglio, and my brother-in-law ordered fried rice.

When our order arrived, our Soto Ayam was cold, so we requested that they reheat the soups. It tasted okay and a little salty. My son didn’t like the pizza, and after trying it myself, I couldn’t blame him. It’s mediocre. However, the rest of my family enjoyed their meals.

The hotel played loud music throughout our dinner, which lasted until around 11 p.m. Guests were also loud. This was one of the disadvantages of staying in Onions 1 and 2.

After our sunrise trek to Mount Batur, we had breakfast the next day. We arrived just before 10 a.m., and the restaurant closed at 11. We were lucky that they took our breakfast orders during check-in because we still had to wait a long time for the breakfast to arrive. Consider what would happen if we went through the menu first.

We were the final guests to eat that morning. All of the tables were still covered in dirty dishes, and just like the night before, they picked up the dirty dishes before placing our breakfast. And that’s without cleaning the tables!

Another major issue at the time was the presence of flies on the dining table. They came from the orange farms nearby. Because the farmers use manure, you must contend with flies during breakfast and lunch when staying at Black Lava. The hotel mentioned it on their website, but my brother-in-law forgot to tell us.

Final Thoughts on Black Lava Camp

My first blunder was failing to thoroughly research the hotel. Aside from the hotel’s website and Tripadvisor, I couldn’t find any in-depth reviews about Black Lava Camp.

If you ask me if I want to stay at Black Lava again, I will say no. I don’t mind the bumpy road, but I don’t like how loud it is here. A hotel in a remote location, such as Black Lava, should be a romantic or at the very least a pleasant family destination, in my opinion.

According to one of the articles I later found about the hotel, Black Lava Camp is a party hotel. I believe their primary demographic is young adults or millennials.

They should improve the food, in my opinion. My son is a picky eater, so I was relieved to see that pancakes, pizzas, burgers, and French fries were available. Unfortunately, the flavor was mediocre.

Most importantly, no guest deserved to eat with flies flying around and landing on their food. I know it’s because the neighboring orange farmers use manure on their farms, but I believe they can fix it.

Also, once the guests have finished eating, the waiters must clean the tables. Don’t put it off until you’re about to place the orders. Hire more people if necessary.

We overheard a couple of guests who sounded like hotel owners conversing with one of the employees while eating breakfast. They discussed customer service, which included cleaning the tables, among other things.

In terms of the tent, I wish they had longer beds. I can’t imagine large or tall people sleeping there.

The amenities in the room were adequate, as was the bathroom. However, keep in mind that I did not inspect or use the other shared bathrooms.

The views from Black Lava Camp are breathtaking. From the deck, it appears that you can reach out and touch Mount Batur.

As previously stated, the infinity pool is the hotel’s best feature. Remember to bring your swimsuits!

Another thing I believe could be improved is providing a guide for guests to keep their voices low. I understand it’s a party hotel, but you still need to respect others.

Fortunately, I was finally able to sleep, but my friends who had previously stayed there were unable to sleep at all. Even after midnight, guests in the vicinity of their tents continued to converse loudly.

If you don’t have a car and want to go to town, you must pay to use the shuttle service.

After reading my review, you can decide whether or not to stay at Black Lava Camp.