1. Mount Batur

The best-rated trek in Bali has got to be conquering Mt. Batur. The popular ‘Mount Batur sunrise trek’ will take your breath away, while witnessing the inky sky with shining stars transition to dawn’s break. When you arrive, enjoy a stunning panoramic view of Bali from the sacred active volcano. After descending from Mount Batur, soothe your aching muscles at the natural hot springs while enjoying brunch.

A few pointers before hiking Mt. Batur:

• Go to bed early. To see Bali in all its glory, it is best to trek Mt. Batur just in time for sunrise. To do this, you need to preserve all your energy to not only find the motivation to wake up, but to have the ability to trek your way to the top!
• This is not an easy hike for unfit people. Experienced hikers and people with good fitness might not have the problem of trekking Mt. Batur. Regardless of the rewarding view, the trek can physically take a toll on people who are unfit for the journey. Make sure you’re in good shape mentally and physically.
• Wear comfortable attire. Bring a change of clothes just in case of excessive sweating or change after a dip in the hot springs after the trek. You will also need to bring 2 pairs of footwear. One could either be trainers or hiking boots and the other flip flops for after the trek

2. Mighty Mount Agung

Known as the highest point on the island, Mt. Agung is the hardest trekking destination here in the island of a thousand temples. The great mountain is home to Pura Besakih, Bali’s holiest temple. Every time hikers would go up Mt. Agung, the same story is repeated by the guides; how when Mt. Agung erupted, it killed many people but left Pura Besakih untouched. This 12-hour trek is a challenging one that begins at this temple. Similar to Mt. Batur, Mt. Agung best treks at nightfall arriving at sunrise. The fresh cool air and views of Mt. Rinjani might just take your breath away.

A few pointers before hiking Mt. Agung:

• Listen to your body: know your physical limits and abilities. With steep paths, thick jungle foliage, no switchback trails, and treacherous rocks, Mt. Agung can come off even challenging to experienced hikers. If you’re not the type to look for an adrenaline rush while going on a nature expedition, this trek might not be for you.
• Save up as much energy as possible. Unlike Mt. Batur, you’ll begin your trek at midnight. Sleep as much as possible during the day and avoid leaving the house. The solution of staying up is unrealistic. You’ll encounter many hardships on this trek. One of them is trekking in the dark.
• Don’t forget to drink. You cannot afford to get dehydrated. Although Wikipedia claims that Mt. Agung doesn’t have any altitude sickness, you want to be prepared. Drinking water helps a lot. Especially when you’re constantly perspiring.

To be able to do these treks with no worries and at optimum condition, Handara Resorts is the perfect solution to catch up on a good night’s sleep and plan ahead for your next trekking destination. We are here to make your stay in Bali an unforgettable one, so if you have any questions regarding how to get to you trek location or tour/ group bookings, contact us!

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As you approach the tee, you will see the clubhouse and Katmandalu Restaurant in the distance. From the white tees, this hole plays at 499 yards and is the sixth-hardest hole on the course. The overall length of this hole is quite short for a par 5, which is a blessing for us bogey golfers.

Hole 18 at Handara Golf & Resort Bali

You will be wise to note the out of bounds all along the left side of the hole. This is particularly important as you get closer to the green. A fairway bunker at 190 means you should attempt to play reasonably long, but there’s no reason to get overly aggressive. This is especially true if your miss is a big slice or a big hook. The hook could put you OB while the slice could put you into the wasteland on the other side of the cart path- often resulting in a lost ball.

The smart play off the tee is to play a 210-230 yard shot toward the left side of the right-sloping fairway. From there, you will commonly have another 150 or so to lay up before the right-side fairway bunker, leaving you a comfortable approach of 130-140 yards into the center of the green.

When hitting into the green, pay special attention to the pin placement and avoid the greenside bunker that lines the right side. The green is long and plays at least 2 clubs deep. Combine this with an uphill approach, and club selection becomes especially important.

If the pin is in front, aim slightly left and attack the pin. The fairway-sloping green can be very difficult to lag put from deeper into the green. If the pin is set back with a white or blue flag, play the ball a little further left and be sure to give it enough juice to get up the hill.

Whew, all done! Let’s head up to Katmandalu Restarant for a hot coffee or cold beer- whatever your preference.

We hope you have enjoyed the Hackers’ Guide to Handara, our journey through Bali’s most historic and prestigious golf course from the perspective of the average bogey golfer. Perhaps one of these days, after some hard work on the range and practice green, I will be able to bring you the Players’ Guide to Handara.

No trip to Handara Golf and Resort Bali would be complete without sampling some of the excellent activities and facilities. Join us next week as we unwind and relax on-site here at Bali’s best golf course.

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Playing from an elevated tee box makes this hole play shorter than it really is. The white tees play at exactly 400 yards, making it an easy reach for most bogey golfers. Playing smart off the tee is the best way to ensure this stroke-index-12 hole plays as easy as it should.

The fairway slopes noticeably downhill from left to right so it’s best to play any reliable 220-240 yard shot toward the left half of the fairway (remembering that it’s downhill so you will gain another 20-40 yards in roll out). For many bogey golfers, this means a fairway wood or hybrid club.

Hole 17 at Handara Golf & Resort Bali

If you have a tendency to hook the ball, don’t let the bunker on the left side of the fairway distract you. In fact, the OB left of the fairway is the real concern. Playing for the fairway will usually mean the ball settles in the right half of the fairway or perhaps into the right rough.

From there, players should avoid the greenside bunker which is short-right of the green by favoring the left side and going a club longer if in doubt. The green itself slopes left to right so even if the pin is up front, aim a little left to account for a breaking roll out.

Once you are on the putting surface, things are fairly straightforward. The green slopes toward the bunker and back out toward the fairway. Knock your first one close and who knows, you may just come away with a well-earned par.

We hope you have enjoyed this installment of the Hackers’ Guide to Handara here at Handara Golf & Resort Bali. Join us next week as we reach a challenging but rewarding conclusion to our round here in the mountains of Bali.

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The white tees are set at 499 yards with fairway bunkers to the right side of the fairway at approximately 220-240. Given that the hole is not particularly long and that the danger is right in the landing zone for most recreational high handicappers (like me), picking up the driver is usually where the trouble starts on this hole.

The smart choice for a bogey golfer is to play a long iron or fairway wood out to 200, leaving a pair of 7-irons to still reach the green in three. That’s right, this green is easily reachable in three without making any risky decisions. Just like your tee shot, avoid the temptation to “go for it”on your second shot. Laying up before the creek that runs across the fairway means you are less likely to incur a penalty.

Hole 15 at Handara Golf & Resort Bali

Play for the heart of the green on this one. Leaving it short or right can lead to trouble in the bunkers. Ending up long can put you into rather unfriendly rough. Play to the center and who knows, maybe you two putt for a par!

I hope we are inspiring you to go and play at Handara Golf & Resort Bali. That’s hole 15 and if you have any comments of feedback you can comment below or chat with us on Facebook for Handara Golf & Resort Bali. Don’t miss us next week as we head into the final stretch here at Handara Golf and Resort Bali– hole 16.

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This pretty par 3 gives us a good chance to get that bogey, and if we are straight off the tee then a par is more than obtainable.

Hole 14 at Handara Golf & Resort Bali

This hole is one where you will be more successful if you can hit a decent iron straight.  How many of us wish we could do that every time!  The hole is not long but it is surrounded at the front by bunkers either side of the green.  It is a good idea to be a bit long, rather than a bit short although be very careful of the of the trees on the right and the left.

A gentle, relaxed shot onto the green will probably result in a par, or a bogey at the worst.  A poor placement in the trees on either side and you are heading for a double bogey or worse.

Well, that’s hole 14 at Handara Golf & Resort Bali.  I just heard that we have the annual Hackers & Slackers golf tournament on the 24th September.  The memory on that one is a bit blurry from last year, for anyone who was there you will understand what I mean.  It is a great day out so please support the charities that we hope to raise money for.

There will be Golf Games at selected holes, drinking games, novelty games, and a Hole-in1 Ducati Motorbike to be won on HOLE #4!  The winning team will get a Bali Adventure’s Helicopter ride to Handara Golf & Resort! Definitely a golf experience unlike any other!

Tournament Fee:
1 Golfer : Rp 1.200.000,
1 Team (2 golfers) : Rp. 2.000.000
Rp.100,000 from your Registration Fee will be allocated to Handara CSR Program for Charity.
Don’t miss the excitement and register now!

Phone: +62-361-288944
Email: sales@handaragolfresort.com

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As a bogey golfer aiming for a score of 90, we are playing off the white tees. From this tee box, the middle of the green is only 370 yards away, giving us a second consecutive short par 4 hole.

Hole 13 at Handara Golf & Resort Bali

This hole is one where you should decide your strategy based on your ability to hit a driver off the tee. If you can hit a driver consistently straight with a reasonable 230-yard carry, this hole presents a fair opportunity to be up the hill and on the green in two strokes.

If you are not a power driver or if you have the tendency to slice the driver badly, it is smart to lay up before the left fairway bunkers. Those bunkers play at 185 yards but are slightly uphill. A solid 170-yard shot will leave you in a good position to be on the green in three shots with an easy chance for bogey.

No matter your approach shot, plan for a miss to the left in order to keep the right-side greenside bunker out of play. Getting on the putting surface helps eliminate those dreaded double and triple bogeys. Lag your putt close, tap it in, and walk away. Simple, right?

Join us next week as we head over to hole 14 and continue looking at each hole from a bogey golfer’s perspective. Thank you for reading the Hackers’ Guide to Handara!

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The white tees on hole 12 play at 364 yards, making this a rather short par 4 hole. With a handicap index of 14, hole 12 presents a fairly straightforward challenge to the bogey golfer.

Hole 12 at Handara Golf & Resort Bali

From the tee box, you will see everything you need to know about this hole. With a total length of only 364 yards, you don’t have to play a driver if it isn’t your straightest stick. Any straight shot over 220yds or so will get you in good position for an attack at the pin. If you are an excessively long driver of the ball, you should be careful of the deep creek running across the fairway at approximately 300 yards.

Be careful to note the flag color and pin location because this long green plays 2-3 clubs deep. As you stand on the tee box you will see that you have a clear view of the green which has bunkers on the left and the right. Favoring the rearward portion of the green eliminates the bunkers and gets you in position for an easy bogey, or perhaps a par depending on your lag putting skills.

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Our Hackers Guide to Handara takes us to the fantastic hole 5 this week which for anyone who has played at Handara Golf & Resort Bali, stands out in your mind for one reason….the green! The 5th green at Handara Golf & Resort may just be the toughest putting surface in Bali.

Anyway, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, before we can deal with the green we need to deal with our tee shot.

Tee off on Hole 5 @ Handara Golf Resort

The tee shot on the par 4 hole 5 at Handara is fairly straight forward. There is a nice bunker on the left side that comes into play if your tee shot is a bit short and to the left but other than that the hazards are minimal. The key to this hole is your second shot. If you are not a long hitter the best way to play this hole is to take your second shot short of the green so that you have a gentle pitch on from 40 – 80 yard, depending on what your preference is. Make sure you have a look at the pin placement as you will need to get the third shot close.

With the green, if you are more than a few yards away then you may have a problem. If you hit too long and end up at the top of the green then you are going to be looking at a very steep downhill slope. When your caddie tell you it is really fast, believe him. I have seen 6 and 7 putts from some of my golfing friends on this hole. Better to be short and have an uphill putt but that is still very challenging given the slope.

Most of all, enjoy this hole! Golf is all about having fun and when this hole swallows you up just forget about it and move onto the next, there is always another day.

That is hole 5 at Handara Golf & Resort Bali. Let’s remove that from our minds and head over to hole 6 where we will hopefully get another bogey. See you next week!

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Tee off on Hole 4 @ Handara Golf Resort

The challenging part of this hole is the amount of bunkers that are surrounding the green both on the right and the left of the hole at the front of the green.

Big tip – don’t leave your tee shot short.

It’s worth clubbing up and heading a little bit long so you avoid those nasty bunkers. Just make sure that you keep your tee shot relatively straight as you have a lot of green to play with. There are a couple of small bunkers over the back but they should not come into play on this hole.

Once on the green you have a fairly straight forward journey to the hole. The green is fairly flat and should not cause too many problems. This is one hole where you have a strong possibility of a par, go grab it!

That was hole 4, a fairly straight forward par 3. We now have to move onto the notorious hole 5 that has one of the toughest greens I have ever played on.

Wish me luck!

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