All new updates - at the end of the article

In Bali, the Agung volcano woke up in September. The highest point of the island and the most revered mountain by the Balinese: for them this volcano is sacred. And this volcano, however, has always been active, so of course it is not entirely accurate to say about him that he woke up. But it sounds more significant? :-)

One way or another, magma inside the volcano is making its way higher and higher, the area around the volcano is regularly shaking (the other day there was the strongest earthquake a little more than 4 according to Richter). And although no one can predict the date of the eruptions (even with an accuracy of a month), the activity inside the volcano increases so regularly that everything can happen at any moment. About a week ago, they began to evacuate the villages living on the slopes of the volcano. The local Ministry of Emergency Situations declared an area within a radius of 12 km from the volcano dangerous to visit. (Upd. By December: eruptions have begun, but not large, everyone is waiting for larger ones).

News sites around the world have inflated this situation to unprecedented heights (almost to headlines like "the eruption of volcano agung is the beginning of the end of the world"). Now you can't even go to Facebook so that Agung-fm doesn't start there :-)

Until the last moment, I was not going to write anything about Agung on the blog (enough announcements in social networks). But then I realized that after all, it is very difficult for a normal person to understand all this non-informational confusion. God forbid 1% of adequate information without panic. I myself have figured out the topic of volcanoes today so much that a little more and you can go to study as a volcanologist. (Joke)

But if it's no joke, then in this article I describe in detail how things are with the awakened volcano in Bali. Here is everything you need to know about Agung in general and about volcanoes in general. The information is backed up by authoritative sources, well, however, those who read this blog already know about my meticulousness in terms of information :-)

Add to the end new informationas soon as it appears. Also at the end will be given official and various other sources, whose opinion can be trusted. Here we go!

Indonesia has over 100 active volcanoes

For uninitiated people, any mention of the words volcano and eruption in one sentence automatically means panic. For living in Indonesia (and neighboring countries close to the Ring of Fire, that is, the Pacific volcanic ring of fire) volcanoes are almost an ordinary phenomenon. Along the perimeter of the ring there are more than 300 volcanoes (almost half of them are in Indonesia), each of which erupts from time to time, causing earthquakes or tsunamis. Fearfully? Yes, but in moderation.

It was a small piece of history to at least understand how it was then. (By the way, besides 1963, there is also evidence that Agung also erupted in the following years: 1843, 1821 ?, 1808)

Below is a video about how it all looked in 1963. An interesting remark that the majority of people died due to the fact that instead of evacuating, they considered it necessary to continue praying to the gods and doing ceremonies, appeasing the spirits of the volcano. In this sad sense, #balitakoibali!

A volcanic eruption is not always a one-time attraction

The photo above is the Sinabung volcano in Sumatra (another island in Indonesia), which, for example, has been erupting since 2015. And so he again decided to betray. The photo is just fresh, the other day it was literally taken :-) This volcano either calms down, then gives out again. Who knows what our Agung will decide to do?

The hardest part about the whole volcano situation (besides the fact that no one knows when it will happen) is that no one knows how long this will all last.

For clarity, I will give just such a plate with world statistics. In the left column, the duration of the eruption, in the right column, what percentage of the eruptions falls on this duration. For example, only 10% of volcanoes “erupted” in a day and calmed down. And a whole third of volcanoes erupted within 6 months. An example of how this happens and how the processes are extended in time, I just gave in the case of the eruption of the 60s.

Source: http://www.volcanolive.com

What should tourists do?

First, turn off panic mode and follow the official announcements.

Second: to use trusted sources of information and watch less TV and read the tabloids. Because those guys have the task of raising ratings from viewing / reading, and not providing verified information or educating people. I will write about the trusted sources below.

Third. The island (and country) is preparing for the possible consequences. Yes, Indonesia is certainly not the Western world and everything is a little through one place, but if there was a real risk of a threat to the entire island, tourists would have been evacuated long ago. But they are not evacuated and the local Emergencies Ministry constantly reminds that if you are in the tourist south and do not climb to the volcano itself, then there is no danger. Therefore, if you are already in Bali or are just going to, just read the article to understand all the risks and calmly continue your vacation.

Fourth. At the moment, the airport is functioning, planes leave and arrive. No one closed it in September and October, but UPD closed it for a few days in December. For information: there is also a classification for airports in terms of hazard in the event of an eruption. (It is dangerous for aircraft engines to get into the engine of volcanic ash). Aviation hazard classification levels are as follows: green-yellow-orange-red. Now the level is orange (raised on September 26), which, as in the case of a traffic light, means “attention”. Red is when flying is prohibited as there is volcanic ash in the air. Now there is no ash, because there is no eruption itself. Therefore, until there is an eruption, flights will not be canceled. And as you understand, since there is no date of the eruption, it means that no one has information about whether your flight to Bali will be canceled, which will take place, say, in 2 weeks (yes, everyone asks these questions all the time, but no one has an answer to they cannot be). What to do? Check the information closer to the departure, in what status the airport is, if in red it means it is closed. If you are again transferred to yellow / green, then you can generally relax. Your airline knows this information for sure, it is better to find it out there.

By the way, what will happen if the airport is closed? Now (again, official information) many other airports in Indonesia will be ready to receive tourists if landing in Bali is not possible. Of course, getting not to Bali, but to another island in Indonesia is hardly a solution to the problem for a vacation, but at least you can not worry about the fact that you will land somewhere :-) There is a bus connection between the islands (not the best), but with Lombok can be reached by speedboat. There are also boats to east Java, although it takes one and a half to two hours. I think there will be options.

Fifth, if you are wondering whether or not to cancel a trip to Bali, then no one here except you will answer this question. If I had tickets on hand and I faced such a choice, I would not cancel anything. But I am me. I am not an alarmist and if necessary I am a bit fatalist. More importantly, I have studied enough information to know all the possible risks (and I know there are not so many of them). But if you understand that you will not be able to calmly rest, thinking every day about the volcano and that in Bali you will grab your heart and drink valerian, then why put yourself under such stress? Even if you lose money for an unreturned ticket, why torture yourself. I am writing this seriously. Your (nervous) health is more important than any money. Study the information (this article will help you) and do as your intuition tells you. We all know those wonderful situations when a person for some reason missed the plane, and this plane fell and everyone died. Perhaps your intuition knows better?

Sixth, if you have not yet taken tickets to Bali, it may be worth waiting for the resolution of the situation and not taking it. What should you wait for? Converting the status of a volcano (not an airport) to another status. The status is now red AWAS / Danger. If transferred to orange, then the risk of an eruption is temporarily removed. Yellow and green mean you can relax at all. Status information can be viewed on the Magma Indonesia website (map) or in the phone app of the same name.

Seventh. I myself (like many other expats) are now in Bali, we do not plan to “run away” anywhere and we just continue to live our normal life, watching the activity of the volcano through a webcam :)

Will we be covered in ashes and suffocate from the gases? Or not?

Everyone is afraid of a volcano, and most of all I am afraid of human stupidity, the inability of people to think in panic mode and, most importantly, the unwillingness to go and get acquainted with the information before turning on this very panic. When I write something on social networks on the topic “calm down, you panic” I am usually accused (openly or behind the eyes) of being too frivolous about the situation. But for some reason no one who considers himself so “serious” did not go and enlighten himself about volcanoes. How everything happens, what are the risks, what is dangerous and what is not, how other eruptions occurred. This should be read not on news sites, but on the sites of volcanologists explaining the reasons for the action of volcanoes. On the websites of the Ministry of Emergencies different countries (especially countries in the area of \u200b\u200bthe ring of fire, here these volcanoes occur constantly and methods of action in emergency situations have already been developed). But usually, the less a person knows, the more stupid things he continues to share on Facebook, re-sharing the results of other people's panic attacks.

For example, the biggest panic attack by expats living in Bali was about which gas mask to buy and at what point to wear it so as not to die from toxic gases. It's not even funny. This is the idiocy of the tenth leveled. People spent hours on these discussions, but no one went and read about the extent to which these gases are generally a real danger to people located 50 km from the volcano. Even more than that. The other day, someone posted a link to an online store where it was necessary to urgently run to buy special masks, which are the only ones that will save us from death.

I went to the mask manufacturer's website and read: for occupational hazzards. And I realized that people who panic out of nowhere are more terrible than people who are not able to learn any language other than their native language, while living abroad :-) So for these people I would like to separately explain that these masks are made for those whose work / profession is associated with volcanic activity. That is, those who hang out at the crater of the volcano and monitor its activity, those who will work as lifeguards or are simply at risk during / after the eruption, etc. In the instructions for the masks, just in case, it is even highlighted in bold and red that these masks are not for the general public, that is, not for the population. And only for those whose work (\u003d occupation) is associated with danger (\u003d hazzards).

Let me explain. Dying from the toxic fumes of the Agung volcano while in your villa in Seminyak will be quite difficult. More chances to slip on the side of the pool and pierce your head :-) Because if you are not at the forbidden distance of 12 km from the crater, then toxic gases will not happen to you. And masks are needed for completely different reasons, but more on that below.

The next point to which I want to draw your attention is that people confuse everything. Lava and flows (pyroclastic) are dangerous, but God forbid they will crawl 5-10 km from the volcano. Above, I gave the distance of the tourist zones from the Agung crater. We also found out about gases that they cannot go far.

About ashes and masks

The only thing that remains is volcanic ash. Scary scary ash. That will cover the earth and we will all die. Ash, yes, it can fly very far, and the larger the eruption, the more ash. But in order for the ash to be a real inconvenience and danger, you need to either be right next to the volcano, or if a very large explosive eruption occurs and the wind will blow in the direction where the tourist south is.

The most important thing we need to know right now is that ash is NOT toxic. I’ll tell you even more: volcanic ash contains natural fertilizers (and you think why there is such green and active vegetation around the Agung volcano, all thanks to how it was fertilized in the 60s). And I'm not kidding. Volcanic ash \u003d fertilizer. And much more. If you now go to the site iHerb.com, beloved by many, and type volcanic ash in the search, you will see a lot of products containing something volcanic - face masks, ash soaps, etc.

(For those who do not believe me in the safety of ash, here is an official document from New Zealand (they also know a lot about volcanoes) confirming this information.)

Ashes pose a hazard in completely different ways, which can be partially or completely avoided. For example, in terms of “inhaling” ash, the risk is the same as if you inhale dust. Asthmatics will have a very hard time, everyone else is very uncomfortable. Ashes are not removed from the lungs, so masks will be needed to protect the throat from the ingress of ash (\u003d dust), and not to escape toxic poisoning. Therefore, you do not need a gas mask, you need a good tight mask that will stop the ash particles from entering your lungs.

The same with the eyes, imagine you are in a dust storm (or on a kitespot, where the wind (and sand with it) blows 30 m / s and you are lying on the beach sunbathing) - all this will be in your eyes. Need a mask / goggles to protect your eyes.

At the moment (upd. Mid-December) none of the outbursts from the Agung volcano carried ash either to Ubud or to the tourist south. Those who rushed to buy masks most likely never unpacked them.

That is, it is not superfluous to have a mask and it will be superfluous to think over whether your house is airtight enough if the ash still blows in your direction. Well, that is, if you have these ventilation windows in your house, as in all houses in Bali, you should think about what you will close them with in case of something. Since in the case of strong ash fall on some areas, it is recommended at first to simply “cork up” in the house and wait until everything at least settles. Again, IF IT HAPPENS AT ALL.

If you are asking yourself what kind of mask you need and how everything might look in case of volcanic ash fallout, then something like this:

Photo from the Internet from the eruption in Chile. NOT WITH BALI :-)

Other risks with ash. If you are close to a volcano and there is a lot of ash, it will cover everything with an even layer (sometimes very thick), from which, for example, the roof can collapse and fill you up. And the roofs will need to be cleaned of ash. But ironically, there is such statistics that some of the deaths after a volcanic eruption comes from the fact that a person climbed onto the roof to clean it, fell from the roof and broke his neck. That is, you never know where the end awaits you :-)

Don't forget about the wind

In the case of the amount of ash, no one can predict anything. On the positive side: now is the rainy season and the wind usually blows from the west, which means that all the ashes will be blown away not in Bali, on the contrary from Bali in the direction of Lombok and the Lombok Strait. But if the wind changes to the one that blows in the dry season, then oh-oh-she will just carry it from the volcano towards the tourist south.

But no one can tell you now how much ash will be, how much it will close you in your particular hotel. If you are not ready to take the risk, it is better not to go to Bali yet.

UPD. I will clarify once again that as of today, December 14, no ash in the tourist south has been observed at all and is not observed. And in general, the life of tourists has not changed at all, well, except that now the ascent to the Agung volcano had to be postponed until better times. But at the same time, the volcano Batur remains, on.

What to do if a massive eruption occurs and the ash will still bring to the south, where expats live and tourists rest:

Here is an instruction from BNPB (Indonesian Emergencies Ministry), translated by Mikhail Tsyganov (our local Indonesia specialist).

It concerns exactly what to do with the ashes that will cover us :-) In a nutshell, it all comes down to the fact that you need to seal your house from ash and dust and, if possible, wait inside the house until the ashes settle. This will be the least contact with the ash. At some point, the ash will settle and then it will be safer to go outside.

1. Immediately close all windows and doors, block ventilation ducts.
2. Turn off the air conditioners, go to closed rooms that are located ABOVE the ground.
3. Close the puffs in the door frames with damp towels.
4. When going outside, wear clothes with long sleeves and pants, use masks and glasses (not contact lenses)
5. Ashes are especially dangerous for those suffering from respiratory diseases and children, therefore it is better for them to be constantly in closed rooms.
6. After the explosion, try not to travel to the places where ash falls most heavily.
7. If necessary, clean ash from rooftops as its weight can cause collapse
8. Help friends and neighbors and animals.

From myself I will add:

• If you don't have a mask, but ash is pouring in, then you can simply soak a rag in water and wrap your face with it. Ash must not enter the respiratory tract or eyes. The skin can also be allergic.
• Ashes pose a danger to all electronic gadgets, they should be covered with film or something else, especially if they are outside (for example, an air conditioner or a washing machine).
• In addition, earthquakes are possible, in case of strong aftershocks, on the contrary, it is impossible to be inside the premises (here it is better to be in the ashes than to die under a collapsed house). Well, in case of strong earthquakes, it is worth pulling out all the electronics from the sockets.
• Remember about animals, it is better to keep them indoors.

Airport closures are major inconvenience during an eruption

Apart from the ash, which may or may not “inflate” the whole of Bali, the main inconvenience that a volcanic eruption can cause is the closure of the airport or flight restrictions.

For example, at the beginning of December, at the beginning, part of the flights was canceled - towards Australia - since the ash was just “blowing” in the direction where the plane from Bali to Australia should fly. A little later, the airport was closed altogether for three days. Then they reopened and the flights resumed.

What happens if the Bali airport is closed? Your airline will either take you to another airport in Indonesia on the neighboring islands and then take you to Bali by land and water, or offer you to rebook your ticket for other dates, or even refund your money. Everything will be at the discretion of your a / c, but according to the experience of December, many a / c willingly returned money and changed the dates or directions of departure (so that, for example, instead of Bali, they would be sent to Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines).

That is, hypothetically, you will not get stuck in Bali itself or on the way to it if the airport is closed. In practice, I'll tell you that the last thing you want on your vacation is to get to Bali on the checkpoints or sit for hours or days at the airport for a transfer, waiting for your airline to come up with your option to get to Bali.

At the moment, there are three main airports that will receive Balinese planes if the airport is closed (remember, at the moment it is open, information from December 14): this is an airport on the island of Lombok and two airports on the island of Java - this is Surabaya (Surabaya ) and Jakarta.

The crossing from Lombok to Bali will take about 8 hours. Maybe more, as sometimes there are lines for ferries that run between Lombok and Bali. As a life hack, it is easier to get there by speedboat, as it takes 2.5 hours instead of 5 hours on the ferry. Whether these boats will go or not, you will need to find out on the way. By the way, if there is a lot of ash, then most likely the Lombok airport will also be closed.

Getting from Java is hell multiplied by ten :-) In normal non-traffic mode, the road to Surabaya by car takes 12-13 hours. According to the experience of the last closure of the airport in Bali, there were traffic jams + a lot of people who wanted to leave like that, as a result, people spent 15-16 hours on the bus to Surabaya. Jakarta is even further away. It takes a day to get there by car, I think even longer by bus. In general, both of these options for movement will not bring you joy at all. Better to wait altogether and not fly to Bali / Bali while the airport is closed.

And most importantly, we must be prepared for the fact that the airport may be closed again in the coming months. A major eruption still hasn't happened and is about to happen.

Summary. Fly or not to Bali?

If you have read this article and still cannot decide whether to fly to Bali or not, then I would say not to fly and not plan a vacation to Bali in the coming months. Why is it so categorical? Because, it seems to me, if you are confused by the idea of \u200b\u200bflying to an island with an active volcano, then why force yourself. If you frantically check the news every day and think that it will happen on your trip, and even before the heap you are afraid of eruptions and tsunamis, and you jump on the spot from each push, then you should probably postpone the trip to Bali.

If you have read this article, you already have a ticket and you have the feeling that it is quite safe to fly to Bali, then I will support you in this - if I were in your place, I would not cancel any trips. Grab your mask, check with your airline that they haven't canceled flights and welcome to the island!

If you thought about flying to Bali in March-April and want to know if it will be safe then, then you should be upset: you don't know when a major eruption will happen. Read the history of the 60s again. There eruptions took place with a difference of several weeks and months.

In general, guys, I have provided you with a huge amount of information about volcanoes and the situation with Agung. But I cannot make a decision for you.

And finally. Helping local villages around the volcano

While we all (tourists and expats) worry in vain about the ash and toxicity of the volcano's exhaust, the real trouble is already being experienced by the locals, who were quickly evacuated from their villages on the slope of the volcano. Yes, it seems to be great that they were evacuated and their lives are not in danger. But now they are all in temporary campgrounds, many are already almost a week, and are just waiting. They are waiting for something to happen and it becomes clear what will happen to them next. After all, while they stupidly cannot return home and how long they will not be able to, is also not clear.

These people will live in evacuation camps until the volcano explodes or the danger status is removed. These people have a hard time, therefore, against the background of our problems “is it worth canceling a vacation in Bali?” These are really real problems. Imagine you were dragged out of your apartment, taken far away, given you a mattress in the gym among the crowd of others like you said, wait for new orders.

The government and local NGOs are collecting donations and all kinds of assistance with might and main. From various sources, I saw information that at least people are more or less provided with mattresses and food, but you yourself understand how much this is all at a minimum. And how long will it last? It may take a long time to wait for the eruption.

In general, if you want to participate, then there are guys like these who are collecting donations in an organized way.

Well, or at least show respect for the grief of other people, stop panic in the "what about my trip to Bali" mode. As I wrote above, if the tickets are on hand, study the information and make your informed decision. If there are no tickets, then it may be worth waiting for the development of the situation. Imagine, if an eruption does occur, let the government spend more energy and money on locals than to deal with the panic of tourists and to allocate ships-trains-steamships to transport you from one island to another, if they are closed airport.

PR service BNPB (mES) on twitter (constant updates):

Volcanoes in Bali are an integral part of the Small Sunda Islandsas they are of volcanic origin. On a small territory of the island there are two active volcanoes at once: Batur and Agung. Towering over the island, from time immemorial they evoke awe, fear and admiration among the locals, who venerate them as their shrines. Batur and Agung are completely different from each other: each of them has its own history, characteristics and legends. Therefore, when you arrive in Bali, it is worth at least once to go and see both volcanoes and, perhaps, even climb one of them! So, what are they, volcanoes in Bali, what are remarkable and how you can climb them, this will be our article.

Volcanoes in Bali: location, description, photos

Batur

The famous Balinese volcano Batur is located in the northeastern part of the island, and observation deck overlooking it is included in almost all standard sightseeing tours around. The volcano is not very high: only 1717 meters, and even, at first glance, is unremarkable ... But this is not so. In fact, Batur is primarily a caldera (i.e., a basin) with a diameter of 13.8 x 10 km, formed about 30 thousand years ago as a result of the eruption of a huge volcano that existed in this place for hundreds of thousands of years. Then another eruption occurred and inside the first caldera a second appeared, with a diameter of 6.4 x 9.4 km, in which a lake and a volcano of the same name arose (the same one, 1717 m high, which we spoke about at the beginning). And the last, on the opposite shore of the lake, was formed another "descendant" of the ancient giant - the Abang volcano with a height of 2152 m.

That is, it turns out that the Batur caldera is a huge territory, once occupied by one huge volcano, and now by two small volcanoes and a lake formed as a result of the eruption of the first. This entire area is often called Kintamani, after the region of the island in which it is located. The endless expanses of Batur will open to you already on the observation deck located at the edge of the caldera: the Abang volcano, Lake Batur (the largest in Bali) and the Batur volcano itself, covered with black spots of frozen lava. This lava is traces of its eruptions, of which the most destructive was in 1917, and the last in 2000.

By the way, there are three craters near the Batur volcano, which sometimes disturb local residents with tremors and ash emissions. To solve these problems, locals resort to ceremonies to placate the spirits of the volcano, of which there are many. This place is considered special, it was not for nothing that 27 temples were built along the perimeter of the caldera: the Balinese believe that Batur unites the spirits of all 4 natural elements: earth, water, air and fire.

Agung

Volcano Agung is located in the east of the island and is its highest point - 3014 m. Its history is not as eventful as that of Batur. In total, during the observation period, 4 eruptions were recorded, the last of which occurred in 1963-1964. It was also the most disastrous: the eruption claimed the lives of about 2,000 people, and left tens of thousands of islanders homeless. Before him, the height of Agung was 3142 m, but as a result of large-scale destruction a piece broke off from the top and the volcano became more than 100 m lower.

If we compare the volcanoes in Bali, then Agung is the largest of them, which on a clear day can be seen from almost everywhere. Its name translates as "great mountain": according to, this is a sacred place where gods and ancestral spirits live. All villages, courtyards and temples in Bali are oriented towards the sacred mountain. So, for example, if in the north of the island the temples are located in the southern part of the courtyard, then in the south - in the northern. It is on the slope of Agung, at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level, that the main and largest temple complex Islands - Pura Besakih, consisting of 30 temples located on several levels. Balinese from all over the island make a pilgrimage here: to the temple, which is closest to the gods.

The worldview of a Balinese is characterized by the absolute completeness of the picture of the world, because the island is his whole world, and if demons live in the ocean, people live on earth, then the habitat of the gods is a formidable mountain that makes itself felt when the gods are angry. This is how the volcanic eruption in 1963 was perceived, which coincided with the sacred rite of spiritual cleansing - a great holiday held in Pura Besakih once every hundred years. The Balinese believe that this was because the gods were outraged that the wrong day was chosen for the ceremony. True, in some miraculous way, the destruction of the temple itself was not affected ... Since then, the volcano no longer worried the locals, however, the Balinese know that the gods do not sleep, and the sacred mountain does not sleep with them.

Climbing volcanoes in Bali

If you don't know yet, you can climb the volcanoes in Bali and watch the sunrise above the clouds, an activity very popular with tourists. After all, a fabulous view of the waking island opens from the top, and then, who does not want to conquer the volcano and look into its crater? Usually the rise takes place at night. First, because it's easier: you don't have to go under the scorching sun; and secondly, dawn is an incredibly beautiful time of day, especially if you watch it from such a height.

As a rule, the climb to Batur begins at 4 am and lasts about 2 hours. Climbing Agung is a real test that will take from 4 to 9 hours. Several routes lead to the top of the island's main volcano: shorter and longer. The first one starts from the village of Selat in the south and takes about 4 hours. It will take you to the crater, but it will not be possible to reach the highest point of the volcano along it. The longer route lies from the Besakih temple and will take at least 7 hours. This is the path along which the pilgrims climb Agung, and it is he who leads to the very top. If you choose it, then you need to start the ascent no later than 10 pm, or even earlier to spend the night halfway and continue the ascent with renewed vigor. After climbing Batur or Agung, do not think that you have overcome the longest and most difficult part of the route ... The descent will be no less exciting and, most likely, it will take even longer. Don't let that scare you though: what you see above will definitely be worth the effort!

You can see the volcanoes in Bali either with an excursion group or on your own. If you choose the second method, do not refuse the services of local guides who will attack you already in the parking lot. Better pay them and make sure you don't get lost at night or be late for dawn. Also find out in advance if groups are running now. During the rainy season, for example, ups are highly undesirable. And, of course, stock up on warm clothes (it will be very cold to climb), comfortable shoes, flashlights, food, water and off to adventure!

Perhaps volcanoes in Bali are an inexhaustible topic. Ask your Balinese guide and he will tell you many legends and beliefs associated with them. Yes, you yourself will understand why they so strongly influence the worldview of local residents, finding themselves next to them and feeling their power. And if you have the desire and time, be sure to climb Batur or Agung: you will see the island from a bird's eye view, and also get an unforgettable experience for a lifetime!

And finally, a short video about climbing Agung volcano:

The operation of the airport on the island of Bali has been suspended for almost a day due to the activity of the Agung volcano. As a result, more than 440 flights were canceled, about 60 thousand tourists were stuck on the island, media reported.

This is how the columns of ash look like, which are thrown out by the activated Agung volcano. Bali, November 27, 2017. Photo: Reuters

Flights have been suspended due to propagation following the eruption of Mount Agung. The region has announced a "red warning". It means that an eruption is imminent or that an eruption with a large release of volcanic ash into the atmosphere is already taking place.

The village, located near the Agung volcano, lives at its own pace. Bali, November 27, 2017. Photo: Reuters
Volcano Agung. Bali, November 27, 2017. Photo: Reuters
Passengers at the airport look at the departure board, where changes have occurred since the activation of the Agung volcano. Bali, November 26, 2017. Photo: Reuters

On Monday, November 27, the threat level is increased to maximum. It is noted that the columns of ash rose to a height of 3.4 km. There is still a chance powerful eruption... It is forbidden to approach the volcano closer than 8-10 km, reported at the Disaster Prevention Agency.

A tourist looks at the volcanic columns of ash. Bali, November 27, 2017. Photo: Reuters
Volcano Agung. Bali, 25 November 2017. Photo: Reuters
An employee of the Disaster Prevention Agency puts on a protective mask for a child. Bali, November 27, 2017. Photo: Reuters
The authorities began distributing protective masks to the population when the Agung volcano became active. Bali, November 27, 2017. Photo: Reuters

Already about 40 thousand local residents, whose houses are near the volcano, have been evacuated, and about 100 thousand people are going to be evacuated due to the eruption of the Agung volcano, AFP reports citing representatives of the Indonesian emergency department.

Embassy of Belarus in Indonesia

Located in the eastern part of Bali, the Agung volcano is a highly revered and significant place for Indonesians. The local population calls Mount Agung sacred and considers it one of the most important attractions in Indonesia. Every year thousands of tourists come to the foot of the volcano to admire the natural beauty and get in touch with the mystery that shrouds this place. This was until September 2017, when seismologists recorded strong tremors at the foot of the mountain.

Eruption of Agung volcano

People on duty at the observation post witnessed a steam plume released on September 29, 2017. At the same time, the presence of ash clouds was not observed. The exact same trail of steam was seen 3 weeks later. At the foot of the mountain, 1052 tremors were recorded at that time.

On November 21, 2017, an Indonesian disaster management agency set a fourth volcanic warning level. This level indicated that a volcanic explosion could occur in the very near future. At the same time, at the end of November in 2017, none of the experts could say with certainty the exact date of the volcanic eruption.

Seismologists recorded the eruption of Mount Agung on November 21. On this day, volcanic ash rose to a height equal to about 700 meters from the crater. The eruption was repeated on November 27. A pillar of smoke rose over the sacred mountain to a height of 4000 meters from the crater. In this connection, the eruption was assigned the maximum hazard level.

Indonesians living within a 7.5 km radius of Mount Agung were urgently evacuated. Special breathing masks were distributed to people. Some villages located in the immediate vicinity of the volcano were covered with ash. Despite the current situation, the authorities were unable to force some local residents to leave their homes urgently. People did not want to leave pets unattended and evacuate to safer places to live.

But after the highest column of smoke was recorded over the volcano in Bali on November 27, seismologists came to the general conclusion that a larger-scale volcanic eruption, which may occur in the very near future, is almost inevitable.

In November 2017, an estimated 40,000 Indonesians fled their homes, which were in the immediate vicinity of the volcano. They set up temporary camps after the exclusion zone was established around the sacred Mount Agung, the length of which, according to various sources, reaches 10-12 km.

Fire flashes over the Agung volcano on the island of Bali were observed at night. The Indonesian Disaster Prevention Agency has made statements that it is very dangerous to be in the exclusion zone. The villages located within a radius of up to 10 km were covered with a dense layer of thick ash, which made visibility very difficult. The evacuation of people continued constantly.

The sky above the volcano was covered with ash clouds. As you know, ash thrown into the air damages aircraft engines. Due to these conditions, dozens of flights were canceled every day.

The chronology of events taking place on the island of Bali, compiled from September 2017 to the present:

1. End of September 2017: a deep crack, about 80 m long, was formed in the crater of the volcano. Experts have calculated that inside the volcano there may be about 15 million m³ of magma, which moves in the direction of the crater, but cannot find an outlet.
2. Early October 2017: earthquakes regularly occur near the volcano for 2 weeks, which indicate that the magma cannot escape outward, breaking through the interfering frozen lava.
3. November 27, 2017: Seismologists have established a 4 hazard level, magma is expected to erupt from day to day. Ngurah Rai Airport is closed due to the current situation. The volcano smokes and releases huge columns of ash. Lava eruption is observed at night.
4. November 30, 2017: A pillar of light gray ash appeared over the crater. In the afternoon, ash emissions were significantly reduced. The airport resumed its work.
5. Early December 2017: there are no visual signs of the volcano's activity; transparent water vapor periodically appears, spreading over a distance of up to 1.5 km.
6. Mid-December 2017: experts noted a sharp reduction in harmful emissions, the height of the ash column decreased to 500-1000 m. The seismologists reduced the hazard level to the second.
7. End of December 2017 - mid-January 2018: most of the time of the day the volcano is in a calm state, but sometimes ash columns are released, 2-3 thousand m high.
8. Mid-February 2018: The situation continues to be calm, and therefore the local authorities have allowed the Indonesians to return to their homes.
9. March 2018: After a relative calm, which lasted for several months, the volcano began its activity again.

The last eruption of Agung took place in 1963. The natural disaster claimed the lives of over 2,000 people.

Actual news

On March 15, the following news came from the island of Bali: so far, the Indonesian Disaster Prevention Agency has again recorded a small eruption of the Agung volcano. A grayish smoke appeared from the crater of the volcano, the maximum height of the smoke column was about 700 m.

The authorities urge local residents not to lose their calm and not succumb to general panic. The exclusion zone currently reaches from 6-7.5 km.

According to the chief seismologist of Indonesia, there are many examples according to which the peak of volcanic activity stretched for 6 years. And a large-scale eruption that destroys everything in its path, in the end, may not be at all. After the expiration of this period, the activity of the tremors gradually begins to subside.

Is it possible to fly to rest

In connection with the latest news, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a special warning for tourists who are currently in Bali. According to this warning, when ash clouds appear from the crater of a volcano, the tourist must coordinate the departure from the country with his travel agent or with representatives of the airline before leaving for the airport.

Russian embassy in Indonesia urges Russian citizens to temporarily refrain from traveling to Bali.

Volcano Batur

The highest point of another famous volcano in Bali, called Batur, is located at an altitude of 1,717 m above sea level. Batur has three craters, which periodically emit small emissions of grayish smoke and ash, and tremors are felt at the foot of the volcano. The top of the volcano is covered with dark spots. These are traces of solidified lava, which remained after the devastating volcanic eruptions that date back to 1917, 1926-1929, 1947 and 2000.

In 2000, a smoke column rose 300 m above the crater. There was no serious destruction, but the Indonesians were very alarmed by the activity of the volcano, because until that moment no eruptions had been observed for half a century. Seismic activity was recorded by specialists in the fall of 2009. For several months, there was an increase in volcanic activity, but by the summer of 2010 seismologists made a statement that the eruption of the Batur volcano is not expected in the near future.

Indonesians use numerous rituals to appease the spirits of Mount Batur. The territory in which it is located is very revered local residents... It is not without reason that a large number of churches have been built along its perimeter. To avoid the activity of the volcano, the Indonesians held a special ceremony. People sewed a large sarong and wrapped it around Mount Batur. They prayed at the foot of the volcano and came to him with offerings.

Climbing volcanoes

Doesn't require any specific training. However, it is not recommended to climb to a height on your own. Before starting the ascent, you need to find an experienced guide. You can climb the Batur volcano for two hours, making several stops along the way for a short rest and a snack.

Guides accompanying tourists to the volcano crater should have a walkie-talkie with them to give a signal for help if necessary. These people are well-versed in the area and know how to reach the crater of the volcano by the shortest route.

The main impression for which people strive to get to the top of the volcano is the sunrise. The dawn, met in the crater of the volcano, will remain in memory for a long time, and the magnificent pictures taken in this place will leave the best memories of a trip to Bali.

Fabulous Bali attracts many tourists not only with its tropical nature and original culture, there are two famous active volcanoes Batur (Gung-Batur) and Agung, as well as a dozen sleeping and extinct volcanoes. A journey to these picturesque peaks will turn into a real adventure filled with emotions, vivid impressions and even a dose of extreme. Do you feel the spirit of a pioneer in yourself and are not afraid of the hardships of the ascent? Then forward to the heights!

How "mother mountain" is translated from the local dialect of Agung . This volcano is the highest point on the island. The following figures will help to assess its scale:

• height - 3142 m (according to other sources 3014 m);
• crater size 375x520 m in diameter;
• the depth of the crater is about 200 m.

The Balinese have beautiful legend about the origin of the volcano. It is believed that Bali used to be a flat island where happy people and animals lived. Seeing such prosperity, the Gods themselves decided to settle in this heavenly place and erected Agung, from where they could observe the life of the island and the good deeds of its inhabitants. The sacred bird Garuda took the most hardworking Balinese to the top.

Today, on the bare peak of Agung, you will not meet the Gods and Garuda, but it is worth climbing there to see the most beautiful sunrise in the world.

Climbing Agung

Climbing the volcano should only be accompanied by an experienced guide, and you need to choose routes in accordance with your physical fitness. The most popular route will start from the western slope from the Pura Besakih temple at 23:00 and will take 5-7 hours, ending with dawn at the very top.

The second most popular route is from the village of Selat. The hiking trip will last only 3-4 hours and be limited to an altitude of 2860 m, but you will see a volcano crater.

Today the volcano behaves like a goody, but the inhabitants of the island remember well the destructive eruption of 1963, when a number of villages were swept away by lava and about one and a half thousand people died. In the fall of 2017, Agung again made itself felt, it was necessary to evacuate everyone who was in the immediate vicinity of the rebellious mountain and stop air travel. Fortunately, no one was hurt. In 2018, the Agung volcano is closed for climbing.

Volcano Batur

This volcano is located in the eastern part of Bali on a caldera with an area of \u200b\u200b368 sq. km. Caldera is a foundation pit that was formed as a result of the collapse of a volcano. It is believed that more than 300 thousand years ago, after a powerful eruption, the walls of the ancient volcano thinned, and it collapsed, forming a depression, where Batur is located.

The lake at the foot of the volcano is also a caldera. It is considered the largest crater reservoir in the world and locals say that it is guarded by the water goddess Devi Danu. In addition to the "divine guard" there is the usual guard. Swimming is strictly prohibited here, you have to admire at a distance.

Several villages, nicknamed "lake stars", can be seen right at the foot of the site. People who risk living in such close proximity to an active volcano are driven, by no means, by fearlessness, but by calculation. Each eruption makes the soil even more fertile, the lake is full of fish, and there is also a handicraft production of souvenirs from volcanic tuff. Well, how to leave such a "bread" place ?!

Information about Batura:

• the height of the volcano is 1717 m;
• cone height - 686 m;
• number of craters - 3.

Since the 19th century, 22 eruptions of varying strength have occurred on Batura. Once the Balinese even sewed a huge sarong and wrapped it around the volcano to appease the gods. Whether Sarong helped or rich offerings, but since the 60s, the volcano really did not present any unpleasant surprises (small ash emissions and seismic activity do not count).

Climbing Batur

Traveling to a volcano is like walking. The ascent does not require physical training and will take only 2 hours. The guides plan the trip in such a way that tourists get to the top at dawn. From here a magnificent panorama of Bali opens up in bright dawn rays.

At the top, there is an observation deck with cafes and shops where you can have a snack and relax. By the way, not only you go up, but also the prices - "at the top" the cost of water, tea and other things is much more expensive than at the foot.

The fun you will be shown is steaming food from the crater craters. The temperature is high enough to boil an egg or fry bananas.

Any ascent to the summit, whether it is difficult to Agung or easier to Batur, requires preparation. Therefore, we offer you several useful tips:

• it is recommended to conquer the peaks of volcanoes in the "dry" period, and this is June-November;
• stock up on a forehead flashlight, warm clothes (at night the winds on the slopes are quite cold);
• i recommend wearing comfortable non-slip shoes;
• there should be water in the backpack at the rate of 2-3 liters per person;
• it is worth starting such an event well rested and slept.

Are volcanoes dangerous in Bali?

Despite the fact that the volcanoes Batur and Agung are considered active, they do not pose a serious danger to tourists.

Of course, the history of the island eloquently testifies to unexpected manifestations of activity, but today the volcanoes are very carefully observed by specialists, fixing all changes: temperature rise, seismic shocks, unusual behavior of flora and fauna. On the alert and rescue services, which are ready to help and evacuate people at the slightest danger.

So a little courage, adventurism, excitement and unforgettable peaks of volcanoes will conquer you, or maybe you will be conquered by them? Steinbeck also noted: "It is not people who create travel, but travel creates people." And in Bali, you will definitely feel it.