Guide to Lahangan Sweet: best viewpoint of Bali's Mount Agung

Lahangan Sweet in the Karangasem Regency offers one of the best viewpoints of Mount Agung, Bali’s highest volcano. This hidden gem provides stunning views at both sunrise and sunset, making it a must-visit spot for photographers, nature lovers, and people wanting to explore Bali’s lesser known spots. Our early morning visit quickly turned into one of our favorite Bali moments. Lahangan Sweet, with its panoramic views of Mount Agung and beautiful surroundings, is definitely a highlight of East Bali. In this guide to Lahangan Sweet we’ll share everything you need to know about visiting Lahangan Sweet, including how to get there, entrance fees, and the best photo spots.

1. How to get to Lahangan Sweet
2. Exploring Lahangan Sweet
3. Best time to visit Lahangan Sweet
4. Practical information for visiting Lahangan Sweet
5. Some recommendations and insider tips

1. How to get to Lahangan Sweet

Location and accessibility

Lahangan Sweet viewpoint is just a short trip from Amed and can be easily found on Google Maps. If you’re coming from Amed or Amlapura, it’s about a 30 to 40-minute journey. Sidemen is also nearby, taking roughly an hour to get there. For those visiting from Bali’s popular tourist spots like Ubud and Canggu, it’s a bit longer (around 2 to 3 hours) but trust us, it’s totally worth it!

Transportation options

By car or scooter

Following the route on Google Maps will take you from the base of the mountain right to the entrance. There’s only one road so almost no chance of being mistaken. As you get closer to the top, you’ll spot a wooden sign pointing towards a dirt road along with some cabins and jeeps. That’s your entrance! From here, you have three options to reach the top and get to Lahangan Sweet.

First, you can park your scooter or car and walk up, which takes about 20 minutes. A second option is to drive your vehicle up the steep road yourself. Or lastly, you can hop into one of the jeeps with experienced drivers who can take you up. Since the road is quite steep and challenging, and we were running late for sunrise, we chose the jeep. We highly recommend this option, especially if you’re not confident on a scooter. It’s probably the most dangerous and bumpy road we’ve encountered on our world trip! The jeep ride costs an extra 50,000 IDR per person (less than € 3) for a return ticket, or 30,000 IDR one way. We think this is well worth it, even though we must admit it wasn’t the most comfortable ride. 😂

Guided tours

Lahangan Sweet is still very hidden, but we do notice that more and more guided tours include a visit to this place. This is a great option if you don’t feel comfortable driving on the Balinese roads, or if you’re based a bit further away from Lahangan Sweet. The nice thing about guided tours is that you don’t have to worry about transportation, and you also don’t have to make your own itinerary. On top of all that, you help a local and get to learn something new about the places you visit!

See if there’s availability for a guided tour to Lahangan Sweet.

2. Exploring Lahangan Sweet

What to expect upon arrival

When you arrive at the mountain ridge of Lahangan Sweet, you’ll find a viewpoint stretched out with numerous photo spots. Bamboo and wooden platforms offer breathtaking views of Mount Agung on one side and the ocean on the other. But even if you’re not there to take photos, Lahangan Sweet has something for you. Just take place on one of the wooden seats spread around the area, sit back, and soak in the view.

For those needing a break from the sun or (let’s hope not!) a sudden rain shower, there’s a handy bamboo shack with a roof for shelter. There’s also one small restaurant at the top where you can buy basic drinks like coffee and juice, and some local food. Just a heads-up: if you come here for sunrise, this restaurant will not be open yet. So make sure to bring enough water and snacks to stay hydrated for your early morning adventure.

Our favorite spots

Our favorite spot at Lahangan Sweet is definitely the platforms in the tree. There’s two of them, and both offer majestic views of Mount Agung. Out of the two, the most right one is the best for photo ops since there’s less chance of having the other platform in the shot.

For people who were planning on visiting the (in)famous Gates of Heaven at Pura Lempuyang Luhur, we have good news! A similar gate can be found at Lahangan Sweet, where you don’t have to wait hours in line to get your photo taken. 😉

And lastly, if you’re after amazing ocean views we recommend walking all the way to the end of the area. There’s seating available where you can take in all the ocean has to offer!

Good to know
You’ll also find a wooden boat, an “I ♥️ Lahangan Sweet” sign, a swing, and a heart-shaped photo spot in the area.

Camping at Lahangan Sweet

Most people will visit Lahangan Sweet for a couple of hours and get on with their day. However, people interested in an even more unique experience should know that you can also camp here! The campsite has toilets (no shower), a generator, and of course: a magnificent view.

The fee for camping depends on two things: how many people you are, and whether you need equipment (a tent) or not. We’ve asked around quite a bit, and most people seemed to pay between 125k and 200k per person for camping (including a tent). This also included an entrance ticket. If you bring your own equipment you only have to pay an entrance fee and cleaning fee. But as you might know, no price in Bali is set in stone so it’s up to you to negotiate!

Feel free to report back with an accurate camping fee so that we can provide our readers with the most up to date information.

3. Best time to visit Lahangan Sweet

Sunrise vs. sunset

Before your trip to Lahangan Sweet, it is a good idea to know what to expect for the time of day you’ll be visiting. It’ll also help you make a decision whether it’s worth driving at dawn (sunrise), or driving back home when it’s already dark (sunset)!

If you plan on visiting for sunrise, you can expect great mountain and valley views on the left hand side of Lahangan Sweet. The sun rises on your right, and its light will make the colors of Mount Agung and the valley underneath change every minute. The top of the mountain will light up first, and slowly more details will be revealed below. A sight to behold! You’ll also see the sun rise from the sea which is cool, but we feel that Mount Agung is where the real action happens.

People that want to come here for sunset can expect to see the sun disappear on the left side of, behind, or on the right side of Mount Agung. The exact location of where the sun goes down depends on the time of the year. The mountain itself will get almost no sunlight, almost like a silhouette, but the colors of the valley underneath will change beautifully. But, for the best experience of a sunset at Lahangan Sweet, you should stick around for around half an hour or so after the sun has set. That’s when you’ll see the sky behind the mountain change from blue, to orange, pink, red, and purple!

We highly recommend visiting Lahangan Sweet for sunrise. Reason for this is that we much prefer seeing the mountain change colors just because it’s so unique! We’ve visited Lahangan Sweet multiple times for sunrise and it is hands down the most impressive sunrise we’ve seen during our time in Bali. Maybe even during our whole world trip! Nothing beats those soft, early morning rays of sunshine on the beautiful Mount Agung.

Weather and climate

If you visit Lahangan Sweet for sunrise or sunset, you’ll be arriving or leaving in the dark. This means: no sun to keep you warm! It is recommended to bring along some warm clothes, especially if you plan on visiting with your own rented motorbike. But, once the sun’s up for a few minutes, the temperature rises after which you can get rid of those sweaty clothes. That being said, the temperature in the Karangasem Regency rarely drops below 21° C (70° F).

Since you’ll be up in the mountains, there’s a (semi-high) chance of clouds or downpours. You can always check the weather and cloud forecast on this website.

4. Practical information for visiting Lahangan Sweet

Entrance fees and operating hours

The entrance fee for Lahangan Sweet is 50,000 IDR per person (about € 3). Taking a 4×4 up the steep dirt road will set you back another 50,000 IDR for a return ticket, or 30,000 IDR (less than € 2) for a one-way ticket. Since Lahangan Sweet also has a campground, the area is open 24/7! Camping fees vary on multiple factors, and prices can always be negotiated.

Facilities and amenities

There’s a cafe/restaurant at the top, clean toilets, a campground, and seven photo spots. There are no showers at Lahangan Sweet (for now). Lahangan Sweet also has an official website, but it is very much lacking in information. You can find contact information there, which can come in handy if you plan on camping overnight.

5. Some recommendations and insider tips

Make sure to have enough gas in the tank to make the trip. We filled up our scooter halfway through our journey from Amlapura, which was a great decision. The road uphill will empty your tank in no time! On our way to Lahangan Sweet, we found a handful of “pertalite resellers” even though it was 5 AM!
Bring an extra sweater if you visit Lahangan Sweet for sunrise, since the early mornings can get very cold. Especially if you plan on driving there yourself!
Take the jeep ride. We can’t stress enough how bad the condition of the “road” uphill is. If 50,000 IDR is too much for you, you should still consider paying 30,000 IDR to drive to the top. Once you’re done admiring the views, you can walk back down to save yourself 20,000 IDR (around € 1).
Bring water and some snacks if you visit for sunrise. There’s a cafe at the top that doesn’t open until 8 AM or so. There’s a small shack near the entrance where you can buy water too, in case you forgot to bring some with you.