Look: Latest images, drone, and timelapse videos of Mount Agung in Bali, Indonesia that is feared to erupt anytime soon.
We are currently in Bali, capturing the volcano while on the verge of exploding as well as to observe the atmosphere of the towns surrounding it. Mount Agung, the highest peak of the popular tourist destination Bali in Indonesia, has recently made headlines as it threatens to erupt soon after more than 50 years since its last explosion in 1963, which has lasted for a year and left 1700 people dead and countless buildings, and farmlands destroyed.
While staying in Ubud, I frequently feel tremors that usually last for a few seconds. News all over the internet had warned of the imminent eruption of Mount Agung. I decided to go on a trip around Mount Agung and take timelapse, hyperlase, and drone videos of the volcano and the towns around it.
Mt Agung
Mt Agung volcano in Bali, Indonesia, seen from different angles. The highest peak on the island, one of the 130 active volcanos in the country, threatens to erupt any time soon for the first time since its last eruption in 1963 which lasted for a year leaving 1700 people dead.
Hyperlapse shot while driving.
Mount Agung seen from the Pura Lempuyang in Karangasem during sunrise. The volcano is considered a sacred place for Balinese people who are mostly Hindus. They believe that it is the replica of Mt. Meru, the central axis of the universe. We headed off to Pura Lempuyang for sunrise. The effect of the news about the volcano is felt according to the guides in the temple as they see less tourists coming in even though Pura Lempuyang is very far away from the exclusion zone.
Amed, a coastal town in the east of Bali, is popular to tourists for its dive spots, black sand beaches, snorkeling areas, and as a jumping point to the Gili islands and Lombok. The sunset point at Jelekum Cliff offers a view of Mount Agung and the black beach below. During our stay, however, we only saw a couple of tourists walking about the streets of Amed lined with hundreds of empty dive shops, restaurants, and accommodations. Although Amed is 4 kilometers out of the exclusion zone, the impact of the threat of Mount Agung is felt by the tourism industry in the town.
Mount Agung as seen from Tulamben, a coastal town east of Bali. The authorities had set up a 9-12 kilometer exclusion zone from the crater in places. Tulamben is part of the danger zone and people have already evacuated.
Some parts of Mount Agung are seen through the Balinese gate of an empty home in Kubu town east of Bali. Thousands of tremors have been recorded everyday in the past week triggering fear amongst the people living around it.
The clouds hide away the immensity of Mount Agung as seen from the south in the village of Jungutan. The vibrant flowers and the peaceful ricefields offer a stark contrast to the imminent danger, which is predicted to happen anytime.
Smoke billows from the right side of the peak of Mount Agung adding to the fear that the volcano might blow off soon.
The towering Mount Agung as seen from Pura Lempuyang, a temple complex located in Tista south of the volcano. Mount Agung stands high at 3010 meters making it the highest peak in Bali and 23rd in Indonesia. It is also one of the 130 active volcanoes in the country.
View of Mount Agung from Mahagiri Hotel and Restaurant during sunrise. Mount Agung and its surrounding towns are popular destinations to climbers and regular tourists all over the world before the warnings about its eruption were placed. Mahagiri Hotel and Restaurant often caters to hundreds of tourists who wants to get the best view of Mount Agung, with the beautiful rice terraces seen from the restaurant. However, today, when this photo was taken, only news reporters and photographers were present. The owner said that although Mahagiri is far from the exclusion zone, tourists visiting his restaurant has dropped to 70% since the news broke out.
Mount Agung as seen from Jelukum Cliff in Amed as the sun sets behind it. The locals worry that the effect of Mount Agung, before and after explosion will last for a couple of months, which will hurt local businesses. The homestay where we stayed at had to cancel their nightly reggae show since there are not enough tourists to entertain.
Towns in exclusion zone
Besakih town located at the slopes of Mt Agung, being part of the exclusion zone, has now become a ghost town. The imminent eruption of the volcano has forced the people to evacuate to nearby towns and villages.
The town of Besakih at the slopes of Mount Agung is part of the 9km exclusion zone as indicated on the poster. Since mid-September, hundreds and thousands of tremors had been recorded, raising the warning to the highest level. 9-12 kilometers exclusion zone from the crater has been set, which include dozens of towns and villages around the volcano. Meanwhile, the tourist areas of Ubud, Kuta, Seminyak, and Canggu among others are still lively with travelers as these areas are far away from the exclusion zone. Having said that, when worse comes to worst, the authorities have already prepared buses to divert tourists to the closest airports in Java.
The entrance to Pura Besakih, the Mother of Temples, located at the high slopes of Mount Agung lay empty since the warnings have been raised. Police escort to safety anyone who are found anywhere near the temple. In its better days, this place has seen hordes of tourists from all over the globe.
The streets of Besakih lay empty except for a couple of locals driving to and from the town after the whole town has been evacuated in preparation for the imminent explosion of Mount Agung.
The town of Besakih has turned into a ghost town as shops close and people move to evacuation centers in nearby villages that are not part of the no-go zone. According to latest updates, about 170,000 people had been evacuated since the warning had been raised.
Shops close, streets run empty, and the houses deserted as the fear of Mount Agung imminent explosion continues.
This warung, along with other shops has remained close since the warnings.
Before the threat of the volcano eruption, this street in Besakih was busy catering to hundreds of tourists who wish to visit the Mother of Temples, Pura Besakih located at the high slopes of Mount Agung.
Warnings such as this are placed in certain villages to indicate the 9 kilometer exclusion zone from the crater of the volcano. This was taken in the village of Pempatan near Besakih.
Watch more photos of Indonesia. We have also been exploring Indonesia since since May and it has been a very pleasant experience; taking timelapses of the Milky Way over the active volcano Mount Bromo in East Java and exploring the remote Banda ‘Spice’ Islands and Kei islands.
Time lapse movie shot recently at Mt Bromo, Indonesia’s most popular volcano at Java, one of the 130 active volcanos in the country:
In the last two months we have been driving around Bali and taking photos and flying the drone over green ricefields and rice terraces; its temples; filming cultural shows; and island hopping in Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and the Gili Islands as part of a Bali project that will showcase timelapses, hyperlapses, and drone videos of the most breath-taking scenes of not only the places that tourists are familiar with but also of the lesser known but equally beautiful landscapes, small villages, and the culture that many rarely see, the true essence of Bali.
Text by Jen Yap, photos by Martien Janssen
Hi there, I am Martien. This is where I write about my backpacking and photography adventures. From travel guides and itineraries to inspirational articles and helpful tips.
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Such a beautiful place & towering volcano, it’s too bad the tourism has been affected but is expected I suppose. Not much you can do but wait. Great photos & stories! Whenever it blows hope it’s over quickly and no casualties. Peace
Thanks Stu, well said!
Great photos and information in this post, I will share with my friends who travel to this region regularly. What happens to the local people during this time? Do they receive government support?
Thanks. I don’t know actually, I’ll try to find out. I know there’s donation boxes everywhere for the people, so that says something
This was such a great post. It’s the beautiful ones that cause most damage 🙂 hope you guys are safe.
Thank you. Too safe for comfort actually 😉
OMG! That video is spectacular. Love it! And your post gives good insights on what it’s like to experience a volcanic area.
Thanks, good to hear 🙂
this is a very beautiful picture blog indeed – bali is on my list
Keep an eye out for my Bali blogpost and the movie I’m working on. Will take a few weeks, but will have great info. Bali is great, but it helps to know how to make the most of it.
This just blew my mind! Great post!
Hahaha, cool! Thanks 🙂
Wow! Your photos are truly amazing of Mount Agung. I didn’t get the chance to visit Mount Agung a few years ago – would love to see the sunrise from the Pura Lempuyang. I would have been a wee bit scared with the frequent tremors. Safe travels guys x
Thanks! I love the tremors actually 🙂
Your footage and photos are amazing – it captures the beauty and the terror of Mount Agung! Bali is such a beautiful place and capturing Mount Agung on the verge of explosion must have been a thrilling experience! Awesome post!
Thanks Yesh, it was very exciting indeed, being in the exclusion zones was spooky!
Wow first time I get to see this place and I am in love with Mount Agung. I loved the time lapse you shared makes me want to go there right now.
Thank you so much!
Beautiful photos, it must be very strange to see normally bustling places devoid of people. Really enjoyed your post and found it very informative. Keep safe!!
Yes it is, especially a place like Pura Besakih, the main temple, which is always crowded. Now there’s just dogs everywhere. It’s almost post apocalyptic, like a scene you see in movies.
I’ve been paying extra attention to the goings on with Mt Agung, as I’ve climbed up it in the past and I used to live in Bali. It’s incredible to think this hasn’t erupted since the 60’s but due to the earthquakes and tremors underneath it, it’s jolted it back to life.
True, a few weeks ago I really thought it was going to erupt soon, but now no one knows. The exclusion zone is still in place, but people have been starting to go back more and more. I noticed shops open and tourists at Pura Besakih, while on the way there I met de police that patrols the area, and they were like ‘noooo can’t go to Besakih’. They don’t want to be responsible ofcourse. Exciting times nonetheless. Feel bad for the people in the camps, they’re getting all kinds of complaints from being stuck there, diseases are spreading because they’re all packed together..
amazing content here! you are really gifted in capturing nature. The possibility of eruption has died down – at least for now right? hope that you will stay safe in Bali!
Thank you kindly, still safe, but going back to Besakih today, need the footage of the temples for my movie. It’s pretty spooky being there, the place is a mess, no one’s cleaning, dogs are everywhere on the street..
Fantastic images. IT’s scary to think of what might happen, I was there with my kids just a few weeks before it started rumbling
Thanks Aleney 🙂 Hope you had a great time!
The footage is beautiful. So are your photos – they were excellent captures! I was watching this in the news closely. I haven’t been to Bali, I hope everyone stays safe in there!
Thank you so much! Hope so too 🙂
Wow, I love Bali and your photos are amazing! It’s such a dream island!
Hopefully everything is ok with the volcano.
Love,
Karo
https://karoadores.com/
Thanks!
Could not really fathom the fear of the imminent eruption of Mount Agung is causing not only to the locals but also to the tourists. I hope the casualty will be far less (or may be none at all) to the 1700 people recorded years ago. Stay safe!
Thanks, hope so too. I’m really curious to see what happens. Too bad for me I probably won’t be around for it, I’d love to record it.
oh mount Agung, that volcano threatening to keep travellers away, not me of course, I just love to travel.
Excellent post, great footage of the mountain and the towns nearby, it looks fantastic and next time I make it to Bali, I need to venture that way.
You should yes!
I certainly hope the island and its inhabitants will be ok. The time lapse video of the Milky Way and volcano are very cool. I love the stone work that is in all of the towns as well.
Thanks, me too, Bali is a photographer’s paradise!
I had no idea about this! Must be very scary for the people. I can’t imagine how anxious they must feel. The place loos so majestic and beautiful, but the eruption will destroy so much! Mother nature sure is powerful!
She sure is!
Omg! I just could not take my eyes off these photos! Beautifully clicked and such an amazing place! Indonesia is so rich in scenic beauty. I am adding this to my bucket list. Thanks for the post 🙂
Thank you so much 🙂 Great choice, I’ll be writing an extensive post of how to make the most of your Bali trip. After being here for a few months, I have some good tips 😉
What a beautiful place to visit. Living in under the shadow of a volcano must be somewhat stressful, especially during these times. Hopefully the threat will end soon with minimal consequences!
Bali is pretty amazing, this situation adds quite a bit of drama to it all!
How scary it must be for the people living in the village to evacuate their home and farms and worry about everything being destroyed by the volcano. I hope everything gets back to normal soon and people can enjoy this beautiful Island.
Great captures of the Mount Agung, the time-lapse video is just stunning, a little scary at the same time.
Thanks Suma 🙂
Whoa! That’s making me breathless and speechless!!! Such stunning video. I can’t imagine living in such close quarters to an active volcano. The ghost town definitely looks eerie!!!
Haha, thanks, it was eerie indeed!
Absolutely Breathtaking Photographs! Also, I have been meaning to go to Indonesia, and to Bali, so this is literally the perfect excuse.
Yes it is!