Kintamani

When you tell small children that you're going to visit a volcano, they get quite excited.

"Will there be lava?"

"Will it be on fire?"

"No, Mommy, I'm afraid! Too scary!"

While the several volcanoes rising above the center of the island of Bali are active, they're certainly not scary. Our kids quickly realized this when our driver pulled the van up to the town of Kintamani, where we got an upclose view of Gunung Batur.

"Where's the lava?"

"I thought we were going to see a volcano?"

Bali's second-tallest mountain hasn't had a major eruption since 1963. It has spewed a few times since then but sightings of fresh, hot lava are rare. The double caldera volcano with one crater inside another is a sight to see. You get the best views from Kintamani, a touristy spot about an hour an a half from Ubud. Buses drop tourists off here, where restaurants overlooking the mountain serve piles of mediocre food buffet-style. We all got a case of the runs after our meal at one of the eateries but we enjoyed the views and fresh, mountain air.

"We're up so high! Does it snow up here?"

The answer is no, but there are pine trees.