Sekumpul Waterfall is a huge twin waterfall in Singaraja Bali, with two 80 meter tall (260 foot) streams pouring out of the jungle treetops.
If youโre looking for the biggest and best waterfall in Bali, this is probably it! To top it off, while hiking to these falls you get to see some of the most scenic jungles and rice terraces on the island.
The Sekumpul Waterfall is no longer a secret, but since itโs in the far northern part of the island and pretty far from town, the crowds are still not too bad.
This Sekumpul Waterfall blog will explain how to get there, how to do the hike without a guide, what kind of entrance ticket to expect, and everything else you need to know before you go!
Sekumpul Waterfall Bali: What To Expect
The Sekumpul waterfall hike is pretty straightforward, but Iโd rate it as moderate.
Itโs not dangerous, but the steep hike up and down to the falls is a huge workout and it takes about 30-60 minutes to get there, depending on where you park.
Before you even start the hike, youโll be taking dozens of pictures. The views in north Bali are incredible โ steep green mountains and rice terraces in all directions!
Youโre basically hiking down into a big ravine in the jungle, and the views along the way are absolutely mind blowing.
There are two viewpoints at Sekumpul โ one above the waterfall and one at the bottom.
Donโt just stop at the first viewpoint, you should definitely check out both! The upper viewpoint is pictured above.
Youโll want to wear junk shoes for this hike, because it gets VERY muddy near the end. The rocks at the bottom of the waterfall can be slippery too, so watch out for that.
Fiji Waterfall
Near the end of the hike, youโll reach a junction with a sign pointing to two different waterfalls.
Go right for 5 minutes if you want to see โGrombong Waterfallโ โ the main Sekumpul waterfall shown on this page.
Then retrace your steps to the sign and walk in the other direction for 5-10 mins to reach Fiji Waterfall, a cool triple waterfall in the same canyon.
Fiji Waterfall
Sekumpul Waterfall (also known as โGrombongโ)
Sekumpul Waterfall Without Guide (i.e. Registration Scam)
You should be aware that thereโs an annoying scam at Sekumpul Waterfall where a group of locals has set up a series of fake (but convincing) โregistrationโ checkpoints along the road there.
If you stop at one of these, they will try to force you to hire a guide for 450k IDR ($30 USD) per person. They will tell you itโs dangerous and required, and might show you a fake entrance ticket.
Tell them you donโt need a guide, or better yet, just keep driving. This is easier to do if youโre in a car, of course.
If you drive through without stopping, itโs possible to bypass the scammers, the bogus registration, and the fake entrance ticket completely.
Next, you will need to stop in Lemukih village and hike from the south entrance there, NOT from the north entrance at Sekumpul village (which has a metal gate where they WILL stop you).
The area is a bit confusing at first, but hopefully the pictures and map below will help.
Ignore all โregistrationโ checkpoints WITHOUT stopping, and drive until you reach this fork in the road. Take a LEFT here and you can drive down to the free parking area where no one will hassle you. (if you take a right here, you will end up in Sekumpul village)
This guy is NOT one of the scammers. He is cool. He asked to be in this pic. On the left is the last (and best) car parking area for the hike. On the right is the foot path down to the falls.
This is the REAL entry fee for Sekumpul waterfall (also includes Fiji waterfall). This ticket was sold by a one eyed gentleman at a booth halfway down the foot path.
Keep in mind this is a very poor, remote area of Bali where the locals have very few legitimate ways to make any money.
Think about things a little bit from their perspective, and then make your own decision about whether or not to use the โmandatoryโ local guide.
Iโm sure the guides are helpful for taking your photos and such, but the path is pretty safe and easy to follow without a guide. Itโs definitely not necessary for most people.
If the price was reasonable, I might be inclined to pay it just to help out the locals. But being forced to pay $30 per person for a short hike is not reasonable in my book.
Sekumpul Waterfall Entrance Fee / Ticket
As of 2020, the legitimate entrance fee for Sekumpul Waterfall is only 15k IDR (~$1 USD).
You can see the entrance ticket in the picture above.
How To Get To Sekumpul Waterfall
Sekumpul Waterfall is located in North Bali, about 2.5 hours drive from Ubud or 1 hour from Singaraja.
The best way to get there is to rent a scooter or hire a private car and driver (both of these can be booked online).
You can use the map below to take you to the Sekumpul Waterfall location in Bali, or just route your map directly to Warung Fiji (click for GPS). This little warung is the southern starting point for the hike.
Scooters can go all the way to Warung Fiji, but cars will need to park a bit earlier. Make sure you stop at the last parking area, though, because itโs significantly closer to the waterfall and itโll save you from hiking too far.
The walk to the falls from the last parking area (aka Warung Fiji) is only about 30-45 minutes, and follows a narrow downhill path.
Lemukih Water Slide
If you want to see yet another waterfall at Sekumpul, thereโs also a fun natural water slide located near Lemukih village, called the Lemukih water slide.
Itโs a long water slide of about 50 meters, similar to a natural slip nโ slide of sorts, and you can reach it on a quick and easy trek from Lemukih village! The trekking distance from Sekumpul waterfall is also pretty short and manageable.
Best Time To Visit
Any time of day (or season) is good to visit Sekumpul Waterfall and take great photos.
This waterfall doesnโt dry up as much seasonally compared to some other waterfalls in Bali, so you can still visit it in the dry season months of May to November, although it may start to shrink a bit in the later months of the year (especially after August).
Our Sekumpul Waterfall pictures in this travel guide were taken in July, and there was still plenty of flow, plus a nice rainbow in the late afternoon! Weโve seen the rainbow here on two different afternoons in July. The rice terraces in July will be freshly planted (watery), not green, but that can still be nice for photos.
The bright green rice terraces you see in this guide were photographed in March, which is still the rainy season in Indonesia, but we didnโt run into any problems with rain, and the waterfall was still photogenic as usual!
More Bali Waterfalls
Looking for more information on the best waterfalls in Bali, Indonesia?
Check out my Bali Waterfalls Map for a complete list with travel guides, photos, and info!
Bali Private Driver & Motorbike Rental
If you want to explore Bali in the comfort and safety of a private car with an English speaking driver, my top recommendation would be GetYourGuide.
Their price is 650k Rupiah ($45 USD) for a full day of driving and sightseeing in Bali (up to 10 hours) for 1-5 passengers. That's the total price for the whole car + driver + petrol! It's a great deal. They also offer affordable hotel transfers from the airport.
If you'd rather travel by motorbike, they have that too. Their scooter rentals start at 140k Rupiah (~$9) and include a helmet, rain coat, and free delivery in the south Bali area.
We've used GetYourGuide for lots of tours and activities around the world, and they're great! Highly recommended.
Book Now: Bali Private Driver / Scooter Rental
Where To Stay
See Also
- Bali Beach Guide - The Best Beaches In Bali
- Bali Waterfalls Guide - The Best Waterfalls In Bali
- Bali Temple Guide - The Best Temples In Bali
- Bali Travel Guide - Info, Pictures, & Blog
- Nusa Penida Island Guide - How To Visit From Bali
- Most Beautiful Indonesian Islands - Best Places To Visit In Indonesia
- Best Hikes In Indonesia - Volcanoes, Jungles, & Waterfalls
14 comments
I thought Sekumpul waterfall is the best waterfall in Bali. Green and good atmosphere
Definitely one of the best waterfalls!
Thank you for clearly explaining and exposing the “required guides” scammers and describing how to avoid them. We went today and were harassed by the local guides at Lemukih, who told us it was “not possible” to go to the waterfalls without a guide. We asked, is it possible to go to Warung Fiji without a guide? They said yes. We drove to the car parking and walked to W. Fiji, and one confronted us again there, saying, “We live here and we made this rule”. We said, “We follow the government rules” and got a “fuck you” in response. But they did not physically try to stop us. We walked down the trail, paid the government fee of 20,000 rupiah each, showed our reciepts at the bottom checkpoint (where they tore off a corner for going to Fiji Waterfall), and had a great time at all the falls. Upon our return, the scammer guides glared at us and seemed to be trying to identify our driver. We didn’t let their boorish attempt to create a monopoly by deceotion, for their own benefit, spoil our enjoyment of this lovely spot.
Thanks for the update! Sorry you guys got harassed, but glad you were still able to visit the waterfalls without being scammed.
Thank you for posting this, it’s much appreciated. Just to clarify, the Sekumpul waterfall official parking on Google is not the recommended place to park, rather Warung Fiji? Aside from the scammers, is it possible to get a legitimate guide at the Warung Fiji parking area? We will not have scooters, only a car. Also, roughly how long is needed to hike to Sekumpul and Fiji waterfalls round trip without stops from the Warung Fiji parking area? We move at average to above average speed.
Hi Craig, thanks for your comment. Yes that’s correct, it’s best to park at Warung Fiji or close to it. The scammers are fine guides though, they will show you everything and take pictures for you etc, I just don’t like being forced to hire a guide, and it’s pretty overpriced for Bali. But if you’re wanting a guide then I’d just negotiate what seems like a fair price with them, otherwise you can also try to hire someone from Warung Fiji to show you the way, but if you reach that point it’s already pretty straightforward, you just walk down the hill and follow the signs. From Warung Fiji, the hike takes about 30-60 minutes to get there, but going back up takes a little longer since it’s all uphill. The total amount of time will depend on a lot of things, like how much time you spend taking pictures etc, but I’d say maybe 2 hours roundtrip with an average speed and some pictures, or 3 hours if you do all the waterfalls and lots of pictures.
Thank you so much! Much appreciated!
Hi where do we park if we just want to see the view point (20,000idr)? I plan to have a driver for the day but don’t want him to spot at the wrong place and we face getting scammed. Many thanks
Hi. If you mean the viewpoint of the waterfall, itโs inside of the main waterfall area, so you canโt see it unless you get past the scammers, unfortunately. But if you just want to see the view of the rice terraces and mountains, park at Warung Fiji.
Hi! Just wanted to thank you for this precious information. I came across so many blogs who just didn’t mention this at all.
Great! Welcome!
They wonโt let you go anywhere near it now and there is nowhere to buy the ticket without a guide. The guy with one eye is now in on it too. Thank you for the information though!
Sorry to hear that, but thanks for the update. I have a friend who got in recently without a guide, so maybe it just depends if you’re lucky.
Yeah must be! I tried several times and even showed the photo of that ticket you managed to get but he said you cannot buy that, and the Sekumpul North side said the same.