The 3 Volcano Challenge in Indonesia

Wow. Four days removed from the trip and my legs are still sore! It was a wonderful experience, and I’m so happy I was able to go — and complete — the trek. It was a great mix of challenging hikes (each difficult in its own way and sequenced from easiest to hardest) along with a meaningful cultural experience day, though I almost wish there had been even more of that woven in somehow. Oh, and be prepared for life without switchbacks on each summit. . . for the most part its straight up and down. Day 2 of the Rinjani trek was, frankly, brutal. It turned into a 16-hour day for me on only about 4½ hours of sleep. Rinjani Day 2 is no joke, and I’ve spent some time thinking about how it could possibly be broken up differently. . . but I honestly don’t have any suggestions. At some point, you just have to find another gear, get some rest where you can, and power through it. Our guide, Gigih, was wonderful. She struck the perfect balance of organization, drive, and empathy. She was knowledgeable, quick to smile, and did a great job keeping things light even during the toughest stretches. Each summit was both challenging and special — especially in the extreme heat and humidity — but we were well prepared and had a very solid group that consistently had each other’s backs throughout the trip. That has remained a constant across each of my four MBA adventures. And yes. . . I’m already searching for my next MBA trip!

Thoroughly enjoyed the 3 Volcanoes trip to Indonesia. The 3 days on Rinjani is very tough, even for fit and experienced hikers but in my opinion worth the extra effort needed to get through it, it really is an amazing place. For the Agung hike we left the hotel at 11pm to get to the start of the hike at 1am, I would advise to plan to sleep before this as it is a tough day hike in itself, made tougher with no sleep😩 but again, worth it, great hike with great views. Food provided for lunches was better than expected though I would definitely advise taking some extra hiking snacks for the Rinjani days, you will burn a lot of calories! The guides were all great and very accommodating. Hotels are all really good, the night before the 3 days on Rinjani is much more basic than all the others but still suitable. We had a great group of people on the trip who mixed well to make it even more memorable. The only ammendment I would have preferred is to extend the trip by a day or 2 for free day/s to explore a bit more, there is a lot of time lost during driving to and from places so it's a busy schedule. All in all a great adventure I am very happy to have experienced!

Just back from 3V challenge in Indonesia and it was awesome. The highlight being the summit of Rinjani, descent into the crater, quick dip in the hot springs and climb back out over the crater rim. It was a tough 3 days (the heat made it tougher) rewarded by a 2 night stay in a spectacular hotel. The group was diverse in abilities and personalities which made for an unforgettable trip. The guides were fantastic Informative and supportive of the different levels of fitness and abilities. The wildlife (monkeys) also played their part! I wish I was still in Lombok!

What a great trip Very challenging/difficult hikes however most enjoyable with fabulous views. The Indonesian people were the most humble and helpful I have ever met. I would definitely recommend this trip.

Great trip, excellent group of people, very nice hotels for the most part, 3 volcanoes hike was challenging but attainable. So I would like to take one star off this trip for some of the brutal scheduling, an early morning for a ferry trip that could have been scheduled later and a very long day on the Rinjani Summit day, but I have to add the star back on because of our Indonesian lead Guide, Bayu, who worked endlessly, with humor and enthusiasm, for the entire group of 14 people. He knew everyone's name, made sure we all got our food, snacks, drinks and attention and he helped the entire group attain all three summits. I would encourage all attendees of these trips to be sure to TIP your guide generously as they work non-stop to make our adventure travel happen. Bayu was attentive, organized, fun and a joy to have as our lead guide.

Overall, a great trip with incredible summits and views. This is a challenging trip and was a little hectic at times; some downtime might be nice. The Rinjani hike is a serious undertaking and the group's porters were excellent. I can't say enough good things about our head guide, Made Bayu. His enthusiasm, infectious smile and concern for us was unparalleled. He is very knowledgeable about the area and the volcano treks. He truly went above and beyond to make sure every client had a very good time. This trip would have been very different with an uncommitted guide - Bayu made it special! Overall a very impressive experience.

Firstly, the leader [Bayu] was excellent. I had problems with a stomach upset and I did most of the itinerary - Agung and Rinjani - with gripey pains in the guts and off my food so I had low energy for the climbs. Bayu hung back with me as I became detached from the main group and coaxed me along especially on Rinjani over the last 300m of ascent. He also went the extra mile bringing us all to his home to meet his wife and family and give us a fresh coconut drink. That wasn't on the itinerary and it was lovely of him and his family to take the time to meet us. I'm just sorry I could not see him on the last day as I had an extra day in Kuta. I thought the guides on Agung were excellent - walked with us and help navigate the tough terrain in places. Im especially thankful to the young woman who saw me stumble down the slope and arrested my fall by grabbing my left foot. She held me there will I pulled myself onto the path. She was great! However, the holiday doesn't get 5-stars from me for the following reasons:- 1) Equipment on Rinjani - I ordered a sleeping bag and paid single supplement. The sleeping back was very, very thin - I had to sleep in my walking gear to stay warm. In addition, the single person tent was very small; I could only stretch out diagonally across the tent - I'm 5 11". Single supplement tents we approx half the size/cheap tents compared to the shared tents. Money saving tactic! 2) Food on the trip was Ok but I've had better - that could be improved. I think the food was pre-made and brought up other than the soup provide at the end of day 1 (dinner). Similarly lunch on day 1 wasn't very good - dried tofu etc that wasn't edible for me. 3) Eating/Mess tent: on other trips (at the camp) I could see other groups had tents/cover to eat in and talk. We were provided with only small stools and a table. If it had been raining, I assume we would have eaten food in our tents. On other trips I've been on - in all occasions - a mess tend has been provided. I though that was quite poor. Well below parr compared to other tour companies. 4) Toilets were v poor indeed: a hole in the ground wrapped in a wind break. Worst I've had to put up with on a trip like this. On other trips, the group has been provided with a portable chemical toilet in a small tent. 5) Transfers - I think its ridiculous that you should insist that taxi transfers to and from the airport on days other than on day 1 and day 11 are NOT included in the price. You have included the cost of the transfer in the price of the holiday so what difference does it make If I choose to travel on a different day? The cost of this transfer was definitely included in the holiday price so this cost should therefore be refunded to myself and Susan Ferguson as we travelled to the airport in our own taxi. This is Just MBA making profit - that small point was missed from the booking information and I had to complain - prior to travel - to get an airport transfer arranged by you on the day I landed. Again, I shouldn't have to do that. 6) Kuta resort. The hotels we stayed at were generally of a very high standard other than in Kuta. The hotel was OK but noisy (the roof top bar playing music till late) and its a noisy resort too. I'm sure you could find better hotels/resorts in the same area or on the outskirts of Kuta. Whilst there, I walked away from the Kuta main resort toward the airport and found several hotels with pools and amenities that were more in keeping with the standard of accommodation we had been provided with up to that point. Hope the above helps understand the scores I have provided below and helps improve the experience of other that follow.

What can I say, it was indeed a much better adventure - thanks to our amazing guide Bayu, his great crew, charming Indonesian people at every turn, and a perfect group of fellow travellers. It was a challenge, sure, but just makes you smile even more once the harder days are done. Thanks to the group for so many laughs. Thanks Bayu - ‘Lombok I Love you’ ….

I had never booked a group adventure before as I like to hike on my own terms so I was a little unsure how this would play out for me. But it was absolutely amazing. Our main guide was simply wonderful - knowledgeable, patient, organised and very attentive to everyone’s needs. I learned so much about Indonesian culture and customs. As for the accommodation, every place we stayed exceeded my expectations. The 3 volcanoes challenge was tough but worth every step but its description online very accurate. The cherry on top was the people I got to do the adventure with (apart from my husband who is always a grumpy git - only kidding, the trip was so good even he was a delight!!! 😆). Thank you MBA and Bayu, the best guide in the whole of Indonesia!!!

I had an absolute blast on this tour. The itinerary is brilliantly designed: gentle warm-up hikes, an early rest day to bank some energy, then a more strenuous nighttime ascent, all building to the climax of a three-day trek up Rinjani. That Rinjani trek was probably a bit tougher than anything I’ve done before, But it felt achievable thanks to really great guides and organisation. Day 2 in particular was epic - it should have felt like a long day - but the scenery and the hike itself were so enjoyable I barely noticed. . . a long pre-dawn scree climb to catch sunrise, back down for breakfast, a descent into the crater lake and hot springs before lunch, then an even steeper climb back up to the next camp. Hard work, huge reward. We had a range of paces in the group and the guides managed that superbly, keeping everyone safe, motivated, and included. Outside the camping nights, the hotels were genuinely luxurious - spot-on for recovery. Meals were excellent and unfailingly well organised, and it felt like every meal came with a knockout view - after temple visits on lighter days or halfway up a mountain on the big ones. Our overall tour guide - Gigih - was exceptional from the first interaction. When my flight was delayed by six hours, she proactively searched alternative options without me asking - such a reassuring start - keeping in touch with me on Whatsapp. And she kept that same care, kindness, and organisation throughout the trip. Her daily briefings were clear - what to wear, what to pack, the terrain, the weather, and honest difficulty ratings - so we always felt prepared. Behind the scenes, logistics were seamless—transport, check-ins, restaurant timings, permits, coordination with local teams. . . it all just happened. Super slick. It is important to arrive reasonably fit: there are long days, steep climbs. . . genuinely challenging hiking. That said, it is all completely manageable. The pacing is sensible, the briefings are clear, and the guides keep everyone safe. And when the trekking’s done, the hotels are genuinely nice - proper hot showers, comfy beds, and peaceful surroundings that allow you to recover properly! But I’d 100% recommend this trip to anyone who wants a real challenge and still likes a bit of comfort.