Bukit Udeng-Udengan, Pemuteran: A Dawn Hike Before Snorkeling

Bukit Munduk Udeng-Udengan sits about 2.7 km off the main road in Pemuteran, Gerokgak, and was officially opened as a community ecotourism area on 16 August 2025. It is roughly 47 km, or 1 hour 10 minutes, from Lovina, so the sensible plan is to climb at dawn, come down for breakfast and snorkel in Pemuteran before noon.

The hill is run by the Ekowisata Giri Kerthi group on village forest land managed by Pemuteran's village forest board (LPHD). At the top there is a temple, Pura Ulun Jagat Kertha, open savanna and a view over Pemuteran Bay. According to the Buleleng tourism office (September 2025), facilities include a camping ground, a hall, an open stage for kecak and gebug ende performances, and hiking trails. This is a different hill from Bukit Batu Kursi, which lies about 5 km to the east.

Timeline from Lovina

• 04:15 leave Lovina on the Seririt-Gilimanuk road. It is wide and empty at this hour.
• 05:25 reach Pemuteran and meet your guide at the spot agreed on WhatsApp the day before. From a Pemuteran hotel, leaving at 05:10 is enough.
• 05:30-06:00 walk up a rocky dirt trail. TripAdvisor reviewers describe the guided walk as about 2 hours return. The managers can also arrange a jeep up.
• Around 06:00 sunrise over the bay. Stay until about 06:45, when the light on the savanna is best.
• 07:30 head down and have breakfast in Pemuteran.
• 09:00-11:00 snorkel the Biorock reef gardens while the water is still calm.
• 11:30 stop at Pura Pulaki, about 10 minutes east, then drive back to Lovina.

What to know before you climb

Fees. No official price has been published (checked October 2026). Reviewers only say the price is reasonable. Ask about the entry fee, guide and jeep when you book.

Hours. Online listings show roughly 06:00-18:00, but dawn walks and camping must be arranged with the managers in advance.

Best time. The savanna is green in the rainy season (about December to March) and turns yellow-brown in the dry season. Mornings and late afternoons are far more comfortable than the shadeless midday heat.

Downsides. Signposting is still poor, and the head of the management group has admitted that visitors often struggle to find the site. The trail is steep and rocky, so it is a poor fit for small children or bad knees. On 17-18 July 2026 a fire burned about 48.6 hectares of hill forest in Pemuteran village (BPBD Buleleng, via Bali Post). Reports did not name this hill, so check trail conditions before you go.

If a 4 a.m. start from Lovina sounds like too much, spend a night in Pemuteran with a hotel voucher from AccessiaPass so the trailhead is only minutes from your room.

Location, contact and parking

• Location: Pemuteran village, Gerokgak district, Buleleng, south of the Seririt-Gilimanuk road. View on Google Maps
• Contact: the managers' WhatsApp number is listed on the Buleleng regency's Visit North Bali page. Book a guide at least a day ahead.
• Instagram: search on Instagram for recent visitor photos.
• Parking: no official information yet. Ask where to leave your vehicle when you book.
• Bring: a headlamp, at least 1 litre of water, shoes with good grip, and a sarong or sash if you want to enter the temple area.

One last point: in the dry season, never light a fire outside the camping spot the managers show you. The savanna grass on the Pemuteran hills is tinder-dry from July to October.