The fishing and farming village of Kedisan, the community almost directly beneath Penelokan (three km), has foodstalls, 'pasar' area, extensive gardens (oranges, corn, peanuts), souvenir shops, bemo terminal, a big parking lot, ticket office, and boat landing.

The weather is exceedingly mild and enjoyable. Few mosquitoes but some flies due to the extensive gardens. No telephone or fax machines. There are a number of accommodations, several in attractive settings only minutes from the water.

These are the best places to stay if you plan to take a boat trip across the lake. The lake is clean and nice to swim in. Sometimes a bit noisy with dogs at night and cocks in the morning. Always park your vehicle within your hotel grounds, where it will be safe. At night restaurants are convivial meeting places.

In Buahan, two km from Kedisan on the western shore of the lake, stay at seven-room Buahan Homestay-nice, clean, friendly, and quiet. The asphalt road from Kedisan to Buahan to Abang is roly-poly, hugging the land between the lake, the gardens and the mountains. Abang is about six km from Kedisan, and two km before Trunyan. To walk from Kedisan to Abang and back takes about 2.5 to three hours at a moderate pace.

The small village of Abang, relocated more than once due to shifts of the mountain slope, offers a small, primitive marketplace and several shops selling cold drinks. Every morning lines of village women from the other side of the mountain climb down the steep slope carrying sweet potatoes and vegetables to exchange for a few fish from the lake.

After your visit to Trunyan, return to Abang and negotiate for a canoe or motorboat back to Kedisan or across to Toya Bungkah. From Toya Bungkah, it's about seven km along hair-raising terrain back to Kedisan.

You can also take the good trail from outside Abang up to the outer crater rim-steep in places, but easy enough to handle. It's on the left about two kilometers from Abang (if heading toward Buahan) emerging on the road from Besakih.

From here, walk to the main Denpasar-Kintamani road, a beautiful stroll above the lake. It's an hour's walk from Segara Hotel to the turnoff path up the mountain, then another hour to the main Denpasar-Kintamani highway. Inquire after guides in Abang or at a Kedisan hotel.

Getting Away

For the lake trip, buy your tickets at the fixed-price ticket office in Kedisan, near where the motorized 'kapal bot' leave. There are 82 boats in all. A two-hour tour for maximum seven people to Trunyan, the hot springs and back to Kedisan.

It's slightly cheaper if you just go to Trunyan and back (20-minute passage each way). This ferry is only 500 meters from the Segara Homestay. If you like crowds, Sunday is the best day. Beware of scalpers and independents who try to con you into paying several times the official price

A self-propelled dugout canoe is probably not a viable alternative, even though it's much cheaper, unless you're prepared to paddle a hell of a long way across water that could get very rough should the wind come up. Don't try to paddle across unless you're very strong and race kayaks for a living. No matter what kind of boat you take or no matter when you leave, take jeans and a jumper or freeze your ass off.

Yet another alternative involves no boat across to Trunyan-walk it. Take a bemo or ride your motorbike from Penelokan to Buahan. From there it's about a one-hour (seven-km) hike along the well-maintained lakeshore path to Trunyan. A longer hike runs from Kedisan north to Toya Mempeh, looping around southeast to Songan, then back to Kedisan via Toya Bungkah.