Bali has so many waterfalls, I had a hard time choosing which ones to visit. Most people visit the waterfalls near Ubud, but the north of Bali has a lot of awesome waterfalls to explore too without the crowds! If hiking through lush jungle, wading through rivers, climbing rocks and getting wet from the waterfall spray is your thing, then this post about the best waterfalls in Bali is for you!
The Best Waterfalls in Bali
Tukad Cepung, the waterfall in a cave
It took about 45 minutes by car to get to Tukad Cepung from Ubud. After a short hike with some steep stairs you reach a river canyon. I felt like I was beamed to Jurassic Park. But thankfully no dinosaurs appeared! After turning left, you will walk through the river for about 5 minutes. Then you reach a narrow passage next to a giant rock and find the cave where the waterfall is hidden.
What makes Tukad Cepung so unique is that you can catch the beautiful sun rays shining at the top of the waterfall. So make sure to visit it in the morning to not miss this natural spectacle!
Also don’t forget to check out the right side of the stairs where you will find more tropical jungle and a tiny waterfall.
Entrance fee: 10 000 IDR
Location: 45 minutes by car from Ubud / Google Maps
Tibumana, the straight drop waterfall
I didn’t plan going here because it is a well known waterfall, which means crowds! But my driver told me it was easy to reach on the way from Sanur to Sidemen. It was still early in the morning, so I agreed. I didn’t regret this decision because I loved the short hike. The jungle feels during this hike are real! I especially loved the part with the bridge. There is a wall of lush tropical vegetation with water dripping down with some magical light.
There weren’t that many people when I arrived at the waterfall. So it was easy to take photos. The waterfall drops in one straight line into a fresh pool where you can swim.
Entrance fee: 10 000 IDR
Location: 40 minutes by car from Ubud / Google Maps
Leke Leke, the jungle waterfall
I arrived at this waterfall before opening time (I paid the entrance fee on my return) so I had this place all to myself! The hike down to the waterfall is rather easy and takes about 15 minutes. I wore my water shoes which were perfect. They don’t slip and it’s OK if they get muddy. On the way down you’ll encounter a lot of tropical plants and banana trees. After crossing a bamboo bridge you will reach Leke Leke.
The waterfall itself is one big white powerful stream surrounded by lush vegetation falling into a black rocky pool. I climbed some rocks to get good shots.
Entrance fee: 30 000 IDR
Location: 1 hour by car from Ubud / Google Maps
Banyumala Twin Waterfalls, the most famous in the North
I visited Banyumala Twin Waterfalls with Wanagiri Hidden Hill at Lake Buyan. My driver took me there because apparently he wasn’t authorized to drive to the waterfall. (I guess he wanted to support the local tourism) You can book a guided tour to the waterfall there. It is also a small selfie park with swings and birds nests so you get this as an extra (it is included in the price).
After a short drive via a very narrow bumpy road you will reach a small parking lot. From there it is a 20 minute walk down to the waterfall. It is rather difficult because it is steep and the steps are huge.
I don’t know why they call it twin waterfalls because this waterfall consists of more than two streams. It is perfect to swim at and it is a true beauty to admire.
Make sure to follow the path across the waterfall. You will end up in a river canyon surrounded by waterfalls and overgrown by ferns and other tropical vegetation. I waded through the water to find a pool with narrow canyons but the water was too deep to continue. It made me feel like Indiana Jones and it was breathtakingly beautiful.
Entrance fee: 300 000 IDR (Wanagiri Hidden Hills / transport / guide to the Banyumala Twin Waterfalls)
Location: 2 hours by car from Ubud / Google Maps: Wana Giri Hidden Hills / Banyumala Twin Waterfalls
Banyu Wana Amerta / Bhuana Sari, the hidden waterfalls in Bali
Banyu Wana Amerta is probably one of the best kept secrets of Bali. I only encountered one other couple and arrived there around noon. After parking the car I discovered that this place did not have one, but four waterfalls! Since I am a waterfall addict, I couldn’t be happier!
The first waterfall I encountered looked more like a spray falling straight down in a pool with koi fish. This waterfall is probably bigger during the raining season.
After following the water stream I reached one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen; Bhuana Sari. It consists of several streams coming down in different levels decorated with flowers and plants. I don’t know why, but I really found this place magical. It was a rainy day so there was a mystical fog hanging around the waterfall, which made it more mysterious.
Then I explored the other side of the path. First I heared the roaring of a big waterfall. Then it started peeking through the trees and once you follow the muddy, slippery, steep path down you will encounter a huge waterfall: Banyu Wana Amerta. You can swim here.
The last waterfall are two waterfalls next to each other. They don’t look that impressive anymore after visiting the previous three, but the combination of the waterfalls and the tropical plants and trees is just dreamy.
I absolutely loved exploring these four waterfalls, even though the hike back up was absolutely exhausting. Even my driver was sweating like hell and gasping for air.
Entrance fee: 20 000 IDR
Location: 2 hours by car from Ubud / Google Maps
Munduk, the look alike waterfall
This waterfall is just a short hike down and apparently looks a lot like Nung Nung waterfall (which I didn’t visit). There were more people than I expected. It is a one drop waterfall with rainbows in the river.
Entrance fee: 20 000 IDR
Location: 2 hours by car from Ubud / Google Maps
Sekumpul & Fiji, the most impressive waterfalls
Sekumpul is my absolute favorite! It is one of the biggest waterfalls in Bali with a height of 80 meters. At the beginning of the hike you will get a fantastic view on both Sekumpul and Fiji waterfalls from above. Then, again, you will have to endure a steep decline (beware if you have bad knees!) and cross a wild river to reach the muddy grounds at the foot of the waterfall. It is hard to make photos here because of the massive spray of the waterfall and the mud, so I recommend a GoPro or just your phone.
My clothes and I were soaked after standing here for just 5 minutes. I was glad I took a big plastic bag to put my backpack in, so I could place it on the ground without it getting super dirty and wet. After taking photos I just cleaned the plastic bag in the river and my backpack was still mud free!
After visiting Sekumpul I continued the hike through the river on the right side of the base of the waterfall. If you follow the river you will feel like Indiana Jones, trekking through the lush jungle. You will end up at the triple waterfall called Fiji.
Entrance fee: 30 000 IDR if you stay at Sugi Gede Homestay,
otherwise 125 000 IDR
Location: 2 hours 15 minutes by car from Ubud / Google Maps
Aling Aling / Kroya / Kadek, the secret garden waterfalls
These waterfalls are situated in the Secret Gardens of Sambangan. You will need a guide to get there because otherwise you are not allowed to swim here. The guide will take you first to Aling Aling. This is a very powerful and beautiful waterfall. My guide really made an effort to take good photos of me. You can’t swim here though!
The next stop is Kroya waterfall. You can cliff jump here or slide down of the waterfall. I didn’t jump, but decided to slide down. You get a life jacket, because otherwise you’ll probably never reach the surface again, because of the powerful waterfall stream. The guide will show you where to go and where to sit and then you slide down. The slide was fun! But faster than I expected and I forgot to breathe in before the drop. So I felt like I was drowning for a few seconds and totally forgot I had a life jacket on. Of course everything was fine, but I had a little scare there!
Kadek waterfall is another one where you can jump into the water. Everything was very professional and the guides really make sure you don’t get harmed.
Entrance fee: 125 000 IDR (They first wanted to charge me more because I was just one person, but my reaction (shocked and disappointed) clearly made them change their minds.)
Location: 2 hours 15 minutes by car from Ubud / Google Maps
DISCLAIMER: I chose Ubud as a reference point because it is one of the most central places in Bali. I rented a driver and I stayed at different hotels though, always in the neighborhood of the waterfalls. More information will be available in my Bali road trip article.
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