Mount Rinjani: Best Indonesian Volcano Hike (Amet Rinjani Trekking review)

During my time in Indonesia I hiked three volcanoes. The first two were in Java, Bromo and Ijen. A fellow hiker I met raved about Mount Rinjani, claiming it was the best volcano hike in Indonesia. So before my visa expired, of course I made the trip to Lombok to hike Rinjani.

You need a guide to hike the second tallest volcano in Indonesia, and I chose Amet Rinjani Trekking. I couldn’t have been happier with that choice.

Here’s my experience with this amazing company that made my experience of the two day volcano hike absolutely perfect.

I came to Lombok from the nearby Gili Islands for only 12,000 IDR (less than a dollar) by public ferry. A driver picked me up from Bangsal Harbor in Lombok. In a large, comfy car, he brought me an almost 2 hour car ride to the basecamp village: Senaru.

He first took me to the office, and Amet himself greeted me. This welcome came with a hot tea and platter of fruits.

The office was located off the side of Amet’s house. Amet almost immediately apologized for the rustic appearance, and after talking for a bit over some food, I found out the reason.

Destruction in Senaru

Amet used to have an office building for Amet Rinjani Trekking. But it, along with all the other buildings in Senaru village, was destroyed by the catastrophic earthquake that occurred just one year ago, in August 2018.

This earthquake destroyed everything, and the community in Senaru had to start their lives from zero, just as Amet had to do with his trekking company.

Rinjani itself was also affected by the massive earthquake. It was only recently reopened following the hard work of the community to rebuild paths leading up to the crater rim.

They are still working on remedying the land slides that destroyed the path going up to the summit, so the three days/ two nights trek Amet’s company used to offer is currently unavailable.

The Two Day Trek

But the two day trek that is offered, and that I completed, was more than enough. That first night, Amet explained the tour and I got to watch the porters pack up the gear they would carry up for me. [More about the porters later.]

After our chat, the driver then brought me to the homestay.

I was pleasantly surprised by Ila Homestay. When I booked a tour of Bromo and Ijen volcanoes in Java, I was placed in hostels. Both very rustic. The shower didn’t work in the Bromo hostel and in Ijen I didn’t even have one at all.

Ila Homestay offered me a clean private room with a large bed and cozy mosquito net. The hot shower felt like a luxury and the little terrace out front was a great place to enjoy my breakfast before the trek.

Day 1

My guide met me at the homestay after breakfast on the first day, and at around 7:45 am, we set off.

It was about an hour walk from the homestay to the gate of the national park. On the way up,  workers were fixing the steep path the goes up to the gate, which was destroyed by the earthquake and heavy rains.

Evidence of the earthquake’s destruction is also evident at the gate. The registration point was a large makeshift tent where you had to sign in, and the construction of toilets and a new registration building was in full swing.

I was already sweaty after the steep hike up to the gate, and the next six hours were not easy. I won’t pretend they were.

But the staff of Amet Rinjani Trekking made it as easy as they could. My guide, Anton, pointed out which paths were the easiest way up and offered me water and snacks all the way up.

And the porter did all the heavy work, carrying the food, electric stove, tent, mattress, sleeping bag and all the other gear needed for the two days.

The porters were absolutely amazing, running past all the panting and sweating hikers with the 25 to 30 kg loads on their shoulders. And they did it either with flip flops or barefoot…

When I asked my guide why they weren’t wearing proper shoes, he said it was easier since shoes make you heavier and going barefoot gives you extra grip.

It’s absolutely excruciating work, but I was so grateful for my porter carrying all the heavy stuff for me.

Breaks

There were also plenty of rest points along the way to take a break. The first was at Pos 1, then Extra Pos and then Pos 2, where my porter was already waiting with lunch.

When I hike, I usually get fueled with sandwiches, fruits and granola bars, and that’s what I was expecting.

To my surprise, the porter prepared a large, hot meal on the electric stove for me.

Rice, chicken, veggies, tempe, egg and cracker were placed in front of me, in addition to another plate with fruits, a hot tea and soda. It was so good, but I felt super full from all that food! And because the guide also offered me chocolate bars and cookies along the hike, I was stuffed by the time we got to the top.

I needed that energy from the food, though. Because by the end, I was doubting my ability to make it up to the crater rim after the last resting point, Pos 3. With the encouragement of my guide, I finally made it, roughly 7 hours after starting.

The top of the crater

Waiting just below the crater of the rim was the porter, who already set up my tent.

I gratefully collapsed inside it for a bit before finally mustering the extra few steps to the top of the crater.

The view was absolutely gorgeous. Turns out, the steep incline we were hiking and camping on was a humongous volcano that exploded in 1257. This huge explosion shaped the landscape of Lombok island.

That’s pretty cool in itself, but inside the crater there’s a huge lake and a smaller, newer volcano within the bigger one!

This one is still active, and the biggest recent explosion was in 1994, and the most recent in 2016.

After a much needed nap, I watched the sunset over Mount Agung of Bali and the three Gili islands in the hazy distance. It was a rewarding view while enjoying the most delicious curry for dinner outside my tent.

This made the rough hike up well worth it.

Night on the volcano

I had to hurriedly hide inside my tent when huge gusts of wind suddenly hit our side of the crater, all tents flapping crazily in the wind.

My tent was super stable though, and despite my fears of getting blown away, I stayed in the spot the tent was rooted.

It was definitely an adventurous experience, and the wind luckily died down by bedtime.

It was a very cold night, however, and I was very grateful for the extra sweater I lugged along.

When I emerged to make use of the pee tent (a rectangular tent with a hole dug out in the middle), I was stunned by the gorgeous sky.

The stars and moon were shining so bright and seemed so low. I probably would have spent hours out there if it wasn’t for the cold pushing me back inside my tent.

Day 2

The next morning I woke to catch the sunrise over the crater of the rim. It was such a rewarding experience for the night in that cold and windy tent.

Following a huge breakfast, we set out again, the porter staying behind to pack up my camping gear.

The climb down

Going down was way easier than going up, and it took me less than five hours.

I was able to better enjoy the gorgeous savanna terrain at the top and the even more beautiful, lush rainforest of the rest of the hike.

Along the way, except to see some monkeys, but careful with your food- they will try to steal it!

I had one last meal at Pos 1, and then headed down to the village of Senaru.

End of the hike

While waiting for the other girl who was going to be dropped off with me near the airport, I was able to take a shower. This is the best thing in the world after a two-day hike.

I was brought to the office with my luggage after that. Here I was given a cool coconut to hydrate, tea and fruit while waiting for the other girl to finish her hike down Rinjani. By the time they offered me fresh juice, I had to decline.

I was stuffed from all the delicious food they were feeding me with during the two days!

The driver dropped me off at my hotel near the airport, and I felt pampered by the service until the end.

And even after. When I realized I forgot something in the car, Amet replied to my email almost immediately. [In general he was amazing at getting back to my emails immediately.] The driver dropped it off at my hotel the next day.

It should go without saying, but this company exceeds all expectations. I recommend it to anyone planning to hike Rinjani.

Looking for more things to do in Lombok once you finish your trek? Make sure to read my guide on the best attractions in Lombok.

Food: 5/5

Amazing. Delicious. And more food than I could finish eating. The hot drinks were especially amazing during the cold night and morning, and the hot meals were a pleasant surprise.

Staff: 5/5

Very friendly and caring of the customers. The porters, guides and tour organizers have an amazing, supportive community.

And as essentially the only jobs available in Senaru, these wonderful people depend on tourists with the adventurous drive to hike Rinjani. By doing this tour, you’ll not only get an adventure. You’ll also help a local economy recovering from disaster.

I was blown away by these people’s generosity despite being left with almost nothing after last year’s earthquake.

Accommodation: 5/5

The homestay was very comfortable and clean, and the camping gear was also clean and high quality.

Despite cold winds making sleep difficult, Amet Rinjani Trekking did everything possible to make it a comfortable night. They provided a stable tent, mat and sleeping bag, all in great condition.

Overall: 5/5

I felt very well cared for from the very start thanks to the wonderful people of Amet Rinjani Trekking. And it was nice knowing that being there was also helping the local people.

Often as tourists, we harm the locations we flock to. But sometimes, we can help it.

The people of Senaru have suffered so much recently with the earthquake’s disaster. But we can help their economy by putting Mount Rinjani on our travel bucket lists.

If you’re ready for an adventure that will benefit the local people, book your tour with Amet Rinjani Trekking here.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the Rinjani hike tour I did! Or, you can email the company at ametrinjanitrekking@gmail.com.