Mount Rinjani

Without doubt one of the best views in the world, at over three thousand seven hundred meters it’s absolutely breathtaking and that can be taken literally, as the climb to get here is very challenging. Statistically only twenty five percent of people who start make it to the top. So if you plan on coming to see the incredible vistas from the top be prepared for hot days at lower elevations and freezing windy conditions to the summit. Get fit, especially your legs, prepare months in advance by doing steep hikes on loose slippery terrain.

Mount Rinjani offers breathtaking views, making it a trek well worth the challenge. I completed a 3D2N trek, with the second day being by far the toughest. On this day, we summited early in the morning, descended back to the Sembulan Crater Base Camp, trekked down to the crater lake, and then climbed back up to the base camp. When people say Rinjani is ten times tougher than Mount Kinabalu, they’re not exaggerating. My friend had to give up, which changed our plan, so instead of camping at the lake and taking a different route the following day, I had to ascend back up the same day. It’s absolutely critical to go with the right group—people who are highly motivated and in excellent physical and mental shape. The trek can be mentally exhausting, but you have to push through the tough moments. The final 200-300 meters to the summit is extremely challenging. The loose gravel constantly pulls you back—it's true that for every two steps you take, you’ll often slide back one or even two. Staying hydrated is essential, and I highly recommend doing some altitude training beforehand. Be prepared for intense heat and very muddy conditions throughout the trek. Make sure to cover up properly to avoid severe sunburns, as I learned the hard way—it took months for mine to heal. The trail is also dusty, so covering your backpack is crucial, and gaiters are a must, especially for the summit push. Even with ankle-high shoes, gravel will find its way in if you're not protected. Our guide wasn’t very transparent about camping arrangements on the second night, and we ended up camping at the same location. So, ensure you communicate and plan your stops clearly in advance. And always remember to tip your guide and porters. The porters, in particular, do an incredibly tough job, carrying all the heavy gear and setting up campsites, while we only need to focus on walking the mountain. Their hard work makes the experience smoother and more enjoyable for everyone. Overall, the trek is an incredible experience. The better prepared you are, the more you’ll enjoy it!

One of the most beautiful views on this planet and i have been hiking in Austria, Australia, New Zealand and Norway! We did 3D2N, the following things were included: apartment one day before the tour starts, transportation from the harbour to the apartment and then to the start location, from end location to kuta! Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks were very filling and very good! Our guide was very nice and helpful. We had one porter for us both who carried our tent, sleeping mattress, sleeping bags, food, water and rubbish! Our clothes and stuff we had to carry ourselves of course. The hike is very difficult, because the ground is 1/3 of the hiking time very loose and sometimes slippery. You don’t make much kilometres, but you do gain a lot of altitude meters! You should be definitely very sporty, otherwise you will have bad muscle soreness the days after. And your knees will hurt during the trip if you don’t hike/walk a lot in your free time! Bring definitely warm clothes, big jacket, gloves, hat, warm socks, headlight and a face mask with you. If you don’t have, no worries you can borrow everything at the apartment the night before the tour starts! Good luck!

Nature at its finest. Difficult hike with rewarding views from top to bottom.

A very challenging mountain with the quote of "Two steps up, one step down" but the views are spectacular. However, the surrounding are lack of hygiene and needs to be improved so that it can be enjoyed by others in future.

Great mountain - very challenging hike, hiking poles are an essential for the loose volcano scree towards the summit and for the path down. Biggest downside is the large amount of waste, plastic, food and human waste around the mountain - a cleaning fee should be imposed so that a cleaning team can clean up the mountain. No facilities are there either in terms of toilets or mountain huts, toilet facilities would be beneficial and a solution to fix the human waste issue (as seen in European mountain).

Very unrelenting climb to the top. 40% physical and 60% mental, Rinjani for sure makes you work for the summit. The views are beyond this world. If you can, climb down the valley, it offers views almost as spectacular as the top. Shame about the trash, don’t contribute to it just because others do.

Incredible experience! Me and my friend rented some gear and carried our own stuff. We started from Sembalun and hiked to the crater rim (5h). We then spent the night in our tent and made it to the summit for sunrise (2.5h). We were back in Sembalun by midday. Beware, we are experienced hikers with good endurance. If you want a more relaxed tour, you should book a guide.