Bali has no shortage of five stars hotels and villas, long stretches of coastline with pretty beaches and countless trendy bars and restaurants. If you find yourself able to break away from your poolside setup complete with Mai Tai and platters of amazing food then you need to go venturing up north of the island. I’ve decided to make your next trip to Bali is easy with this guide to the best waterfalls in Bali so you can thank me later!
We’ve deemed ourselves unofficial waterfall aficionados; clocking hours on the back of our scooter on questionable dirt roads in search for the best-looking waterfalls. You can either hire a private driver for the day ($50-$65 approx.) or hop on a scooter (if you can ride for $5-$7 approx) and take yourself on a tour of some of the most amazing waterfalls and landscapes that Bali has to offer. Central to North Bali is home to some amazing tropical sites and breathtaking waterfalls if you can be bothered to find them.
There are of course a few things to note when you do visit these waterfalls:
- The season you visit matters when visiting waterfalls – dry seasons will mean less water and shallower swimming pools at the bottom.
- Be prepared to hike – some waterfalls will require more hiking than others and can get a little slippery depending on the season.
- Most waterfalls will have an entry fee so make sure to have small change with you. This isn’t a government-mandated fee but a local village tax in a sense as this supports their local community.
- Bring bathers because you’ll most likely get wet at most of the ones we recommend below!
- Go early – head to some of these places as early as you can to avoid crowds because chances are there will be crowds depending on the season.
So here it is – our guide to the best waterfalls in Bali that you need to find time to visit the next time you’re there! Put down that cocktail and go on an adventure!
Best Waterfalls in Bali
Sekumpul
One of the most stunning waterfalls I’ve seen and worth it if you can put up with the 30 minute hike. Sekumpul is easily considered to be one of the best waterfalls in Bali that you’ll come across. This one is a cluster of waterfalls that cascade impressively down the lush green mountain and is almost dizzying if you’re standing right at the bottom and looking up to the skies. The walk down will take 30-40 minutes depending on how fast you are and it involves dirt roads, lots of stairs and wading through streams and slippery rocks.
You’ll probably want to have a waterproof bag and camera with you if you want to get close to the waterfall because everything will get wet. We found ourselves barely able to see through our sunglasses because of all the splash back and mist we were getting covered in. We would recommend an early morning trip to avoid the crowds because this particular waterfall does draw in masses of tourists.
Entrance Fee – IDR15,000
Address – Sekumpul, Sawan, Lemukih, Sawan, Kabupaten Buleleng, Bali 81171, Indonesia
Banyumala
We tried to visit this one a week after Bali had experienced heavy rain and flooding and was unsuccessful because our driver was unable to get his car down the bumpy dirt road. Despite this we decided to venture back on our own and on a scooter no less and conquered what was the bumpiest road we had ever been on. Banyumala is located in the Wanagiri Village in Bululeng, which is north of Bali.
The path down to the waterfall is sketchy to say the least (especially after the heavy rains washed most of the footpaths away) but it was definitely worth the trek down. This one isn’t as visited because of how hard it is to get to but that’s a bonus in our eyes because we had the waterfall to ourselves for almost an hour before another couple arrived. Chris braved the force of the water and went for a dip whilst I tried to capture the beauty around us as best as I could.
Entrance Fee – IDR15,000
Address – Wanagiri, Sukasada, Kabupaten Buleleng, Bali 81161, Indonesia – the entrance to the dirt road is small and next to a roadside cafe. There is a dedicated carpark for the waterfall when you reach the bottom with signage for the Banyumala.
Twin Falls, Gitgit
An 80km drive north from Kuta this is probably one of the more well-known and visited of waterfalls because of how easily accessible it is. The walk to the Twin Falls is only 10 minutes with dodgy wooden boardwalks and cool streams of water.
Go for a dip in the rock pool (word of warning, the water is quite fresh here) and enjoy the twin falls cascading against each other whilst being surrounded by beautiful lush green vines. Gitgit will flow pretty much all year round and definitely worth visiting early in the morning.
Entrance Fee – IDR10,000
Address – Desa Gitgit, Kecamatan Sukasada, Buleleng, Singaraja 81112, Indonesia
Kanto Lampo
Kanto Lampo is only small in size but fun nonetheless to scale the rock face and be massaged by the surging flow of water on your back. There are friendly locals who will help you navigate through the stream and onto the stepping boulders for that insta-worthy shot. The rocks may seem slippery but is actually incredibly easy to navigate across once you’re on there.
This waterfall is seasonal so wet season is better to visit because you’ll have a good flow of water. It’s very easily accessible and you can almost park right above the actual waterfall and walk down.
Entrance Fee – IDR5,000-10,000
Address – Jl. Gn. Merbabu, Kec. Gianyar, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia
Tukad Cepung
One of the coolest looking waterfalls and definitely not ventured to by many as it’s hidden behind a cavern at the end of a dirt road, few hundred steps and wading through streams. This wasn’t an easy cave to get to and can get slippery during wet season so you’ll need to make sure that the water levels in the river are safe.
You’ll walk through a short but dark gorge before you come to a dead end where you’ll find the waterfall glistening in the sunlight flowing in from the canopy above. It’s almost like the waterfall has its own natural spotlight on it because this is literally where you will have the most light for photos.
Entrance Fee – IDR10,000
Address – Jl. Tembuku, Dusun Penida Kelod, Tembuku, Kabupaten Bangli, Bali 80671, Indonesia
Tibumana
Although small in size (20 metres approx.), Tibumana in my opinion has an understated and quiet beauty to it. It’s essentially a forest sanctuary that is surrounded by moss green cliffs and is relatively undisturbed. The pool at the bottom is somewhat shallow until you get yourself directly under the waterfall so bring your GoPro along if you want to get wet.
To get to the waterfall you’ll need to get through some forest pathways, wooden bridges and stairs. When you get to the bottom of the stairs, take a left – you’ll thank us later because the right isn’t nearly as exciting and it’ll save you time.
Entrance Fee – IDR10,000
Address – Jalan Desa Apuan, Apuan, Susut, Kabupaten Bangli, Bali 80661, Indonesia
Tegenungan
If you’re staying in Ubud then Tegenungan is an easy visit because of how close it is (half an hour from Ubud town). Probably the most ‘touristy’ of the lot and you’ll see this when you arrive in the new carpark and are greeted with dozens of souvenir stalls in the vicinity and restaurants.
The actual walk down takes roughly 10-15 minutes and you’ll get to see the panoramic views of the waterfall almost immediately. The water flow from Tegenungan is strong and some brave souls choose to jump from a cliff in the middle for that added adrenalin rush. There are even locals renting lounge chairs if you plan on spending a few hours relaxing but you’ll quickly find that the place gets crowded within minutes of arriving.
This was probably our least favourite but definitely worth visiting if you’re passing through the area because of how easy it is to get to. Also, wet season means the water can get quite muddy and brown – so don’t get your hopes up for pristine waters like we did!
Entrance Fee – IDR10,000
Address – Jalan Ir. Sutami, Kemenuh, Sukawati, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80581, Indonesia
Aling Aling
We went to this one on our last trip and had so much fun because this place offers not only a great waterfall (Aling Aling) but you can also do cliff-jumping and water sliding just minutes away from it. If you want to get your adrenalin pumping then you can choose between 10m, 15m and 20m jumps!
You need to hire a guide when you get there but it’s well worth it if you plan on doing the jumps and waterslides because they’re all very kind. Our guide even helped me after my jump in the water because I was a little nervous at how strong the current was and whether I’d be able to get myself out. Thankfully these guys have grown up here and know the waters inside out and will guide you through it all!!
This one is also less busy as it is a trek up north from Seminyak. We spent almost two hours on our scooter getting up there so make sure you leave early if you’re travelling by car to avoid traffic.
Entrance Fee – IDR 125,000 for the short trek (1.5 hours)
Address – Jalan Raya Desa Sambangan, Sambangan, Sukasada, Kabupaten Buleleng, Bali 81161
Nung Nung
A stunning waterfall that’s hidden and draws less crowds if you’re ever visiting because of the distance from the main areas in Bali as well as the steep stairs to get down to it. Because whilst it’s easy to go down, it’s bloody difficult getting back up in the 500% humidity. This was another that we crossed off on our third trip to Bali and it was worth the sweat because it was stunning and it had about six other visitors there.
Entrance Fee – IDR10,000
Address – Jl. Raya Pura Pucak Mangu Pelaga, Petang
Tell me about your favourite waterfalls in Bali here!
Check out our top picks of places you must see in Bali if you’re visiting for the first time here. Don’t forget to subscribe to the tribe below or follow our adventures on Instagram @helenchikx.
