Sekumpul Waterfall
Impressive double and triple cascades
More on Lovina
Sekumpul Waterfall is arguably Bali’s most spectacular cascades, and less visited than some less pretty, because they take a little bit of effort to reach. If you’re staying in the Lovina region, that minor effort is certainly rewarded as it means that as well as having a good chance of enjoying the area to yourself, fewer souvenir shops and hawkers are trying to sell tourist tat than at other more popular spots.
Travelfish says:
Accessed from Sekumpul Village, 18 kilometres southeast of Singaraja or 27 kilometres from central Lovina, a steep trek though a valley of jungle vines and fruit plantations, and a lot of slippery stairs, plus a river crossing or two leads you first to two impressive adjacent waterfalls. They fall from two separate sources: a spring and a river, plummeting about 80 metres into a swimmable pool. Backtracking a little, a further 30-minute trek through the valley with more river crossings will have you passing some minor waterfalls then three more dramatic cascades, evenly spaced, but of different heights. This second group of waterfalls is signposted both Lemukih Waterfall (the name of a nearby village) and Gombong Waterfall, however the whole area of seven falls (according to our guide), which possibly includes the smaller falls, is locally referred to as Sekumpul, literally in Indonesian, “a group”.
As with most natural attractions in Bali, there’s an entry fee: 15,000 rupiah, payable at a small booth in the village. A local trekking association offers guided treks of the area with warnings that it’s at your own risk if you don’t use a guide. It would be easy enough to reach the first falls unguided, but we found our guide helpful navigating the paths and several river crossings to the second group of falls as the trail wasn’t so obvious. Rates quoted for a group size of up to four trekkers are 100,000 rupiah for a short trek (two hours), 150,000 rupiah for a medium trek (three hours), and 300,000 rupiah for a long trek (four hours).
From the ticket booth, it’s a 30-minute walk down a steep cement path to the top of some even steeper stairs. Locals offer ojek services for this part of the trail — 50,000 rupiah for a return trip (a bit steep! — both the incline and the price), but may be appreciated for the return journey. Be careful in wet weather and wear a helmet if you go by motorbike, as the path is slippery. Three-hundred-and-forty uneven, steep and slippery cement stairs take you down to the river. A couple of viewing spots on the way enable you to see the falls, so if you’re unfit or short on time, you may opt for a quick look only, however if you continue to the bottom, the view is more impressive and a cooling dip in the icy pools is a refreshing reward.
At the bottom of the stairs a narrow bridge takes you across the river; the path to the left continues for five minutes to the double falls and the path right, 30 minutes to the triple falls. To reach the base of the double falls, a shallow river crossing is necessary, and for the triple, several deeper and slightly more hazardous crossings are required. We would recommend a guide in the wet season. Bring a waterproof bag as spray from the falls wets the whole area. Trekking sandals or water shoes with good grip are the most appropriate footwear and take enough water for the trek. The return journey follows the same path, but this time it’s up those three-hundred-and-forty uneven, steep and slippery stairs.
Allow two-and-a-half to three hours for the return trek to both groups of waterfalls, not including travel time to the village, a little less if you use the ojek option. There is no public transport to Sekumpul. A car return from Lovina including waiting time is around 400,000 rupiah or add a stop at Sekumpul to a day tour of the Singaraja area. If you only have time for one waterfall visit in the area, and enjoy a trek, we'd suggest heading to Sekumpul over Git Git.
Contact details for Sekumpul Waterfall
Address: 18 km southwest of Singaraja (27 kilometres from Lovina)
Reviewed by
Sally Arnold
