A Guide to Chasing Waterfalls in Eastern Bali

You’ll find breath-taking blue waters lapping the shores of golden brown beaches, cliff sides that overlook the ocean and will have you staring into the horizon for hours, winding roads in the midst of lush, green fields, a mix of culture, food and even nightlife that you probably wouldn’t find anywhere else in the world, and so much more. This is Bali!

Kanto Lampo Waterfall

One of the island’s most attractive features is the vast number of waterfalls scattered all around. So, if you’re planning a vacation to Bali, not just to chill on a hammock while sipping on tropical drinks by the beach, but also to explore the countless scenic spots, visiting at least a few waterfalls should definitely be on your to-do list.

So here are 3 waterfalls you might want to visit if you’re hoping to stay in the Southern part of the island, namely Canggu, which is where our homestay was. This trio of waterfalls is about an hour and a half ride away from Canggu, and you can even stop by them all in one day if you’d like! Additionally, you don’t even need to be accompanied by a tour guide to any of these places because as much as they’re well known, they’re also quite accessible. We opted to travel around on a scooter most of the time because it’s considered to be one of the cheaper modes of transportation, and also gives you the “real” Bali experience. There really is nothing quite like zooming around the island with the wind in your face, all while taking in the spectacular surroundings!

Tip: If you’re hoping to get around on a scooter as well, it would be best if you could acquire your International Driving License before your trip so you can ride without the fear of getting fined!

Waterfall 1: Tukad Cepung

Tukad Cepung Waterfall

Entrance fee per person- IDR 15,000/-

Located in the Bangli area and just about 30km away from Ubud, the Tukad Cepung Waterfall is one of the most popular attractions. It’s a popular “Instagram-Worthy” spot and that’s the primary reason why so many people flock to the unique waterfall. One thing that makes Tukad Cepung unique is the fact that it’s created by water running down the cliffs, instead of the usual source of rivers or streams. The rays of sunlight beaming through the trees that engulf the top of the waterfall is one of the things that go into making this area so picturesque.

You don’t see the waterfall as soon as you get to the location. Instead, you have to take a 10-15-minute walk through a jungle area, down a long and somewhat steep set of stairs.

Once you reach the end of the stairs, you arrive at a little stream of sorts, through which you’ll have to walk to get to the waterfall. Your shoes are pretty much guaranteed to get wet, so keep in mind to wear a pair of shoes you wouldn’t mind getting wet, or ideally bring along a pair of Water Shoes and change into them later on.

After wading through this little stream for few minutes, you’ll arrive at a dome-like area which is where the waterfall is!

It was a bit of a cloudy day when we went by, and although we didn’t get to see the sun rays shining through, the lighting that day in the waterfall’s cave-like area gave it a moody aesthetic, which was still extremely beautiful! So don’t be disheartened, even if the Weather Gods aren’t on your side.

A few things to keep in mind before visiting Tukad Cepung:

● Upon arrival at the entrance and car park area, the authorities have mounted a usual board listing the etiquette expected in the area. One thing to note from this list is that women on their period aren’t allowed in, and this is something you don’t commonly see.

● The journey up and down the steep steps can get a bit difficult for most, especially if you have pre-existing leg, knee or ankle issues. So make sure to get clearance and some advice from your doctor, wear knee guards or ankle guards if necessary, and be prepared for a workout!

● If you’re going for the “perfect Instagram shot”, make sure you go on a sunny day so you catch those sun rays.

● Speaking of Instagram, the main reason Tukad Cepung attracts the crowd that it does is purely because it poses as a place for a “perfect Instagram shot”. After around 9 am, it gets crowded to the point where queues start to form just so that people can take their picture and leave almost immediately. So if you're not the type to go through all this and brave large crowds just for a picture, we'd highly recommend not visiting here. Personally, we felt that it wasn't worth the long ride from Canggu. If you want to avoid the large number of people, we’d suggest that you go as early as 7 or 7.30 am.

● There are a few food vendors nearby, so you can grab a quick breakfast after your excursions at Tukad Cepung, and enjoy some Balinese food to lift the spirits!

Waterfall 2: Tibumana

Tibumana Waterfall

Entrance fee per person- IDR 15,000/-

Known by the locals as Air Terjun Tibumana, this waterfall is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and scenic in the Bangli regency.

Located just a 20-minute scooter ride away from Tukad Cepung, Tibumana is considered to be somewhat of a hidden gem, even though it does attract some crowds. The road to this waterfall is quite accessible, lined by an array of coconut trees, and is amid some marvelous green, rice fields, making the journey just as beautiful as the waterfall itself.

Spilling over a foliage carpeted ledge, the water at Tibumana falls into a base pool that is around 4-5 feet deep, which makes it ideal to swim around in. A unique quality of Tibumana is that the waterfall splits into two, making it a twin fall, after heavy rainfall during the wet season. There’s also a cave located under the waterfall, but it’s only meant to be appreciated from afar as entering it is prohibited.

Like Tukad Cepung, there is a vehicle parking area and steps leading up to the waterfall. The walk down takes about 15 minutes and can get slippery if it rains, so take note to wear the right footwear (the ideal type being Water Shoes).

We’d highly recommend visiting this waterfall over Tukad Cepung because it's so much more beautiful, has a larger swimming area, and although it does tend to get crowded after 10 am, you can still find a place to relax because its much bigger.

A few things to keep in mind before visiting Tibumana:

● Similar to Tukad Cepung, there are steps to climb. So do take this into consideration if you have pre-existing health issues.

● Swimming directly under the waterfall is not allowed due to the danger of rocks falling from above.

● Try and visit as early as possible to avoid the flock of tourists that come by a bit later in the morning. Based on our personal experience, we’d say try and visit before 11 am because it’s possible to have this place all to yourself. However, after 11 am it can get extremely crowded.

● Don't forget to take towels with you to dry yourself after a nice, cooling dip in the base pool!

Waterfall 3: Kanto Lampo

Entrance fee per person- IDR 20,000/-

Last but not least, we have Kanto Lampo Waterfall, which is about 20 minutes away from Tibumana. It is a fairly new waterfall and according to local legends, it began to flow in 2015 only after a prayer ceremony was carried out! Tucked away in the jungles of the Gianyar region, Kanto Lampo is one of its most remarkable waterfalls. It cascades over a not-so-tall wall of jagged rock, making the water flow down in tiers. You can also bathe under the falls in the base which has multiple pools!

As you’d expect, this attraction also had a car park as well as steps to journey through in order to reach the waterfall. Not unlike Tukad Cepung and Tibumana, the walk to Kanto Lampo from its car park takes about 15 minutes.

We think Kanto Lampo is definitely worth the visit! Not only was it incredibly beautiful, but the water was perfect for a swim and there's plenty of space for you to chill out and find a bathing spot for yourself.

Aside from all this, our trip to Kanto Lampo was perhaps the most memorable because of our run-in with the famous Floyd Mayweather!

A few things to keep in mind before visiting Tibumana:

● Since there are steps to climb, don’t forget to assess your health particularly if you have conditions to be wary of. While the stairs leading down to the ravine are relatively easily accessible, the last few meters can be a bit harrowing as they can be quite slippery. There is a guardrail to assist you, but you’ll still have to be extremely cautious as you make your way to the waterfall.

● Try to go by as early as possible, because this seemed to be one of the most crowded waterfalls! Its appeal as a picture-perfect hotspot is surely one of the main reasons why it gets so crowded.

● Make sure you have towels and a change of clothes if you want to dry off after your swim.

Final Thoughts

Tukad Cepung, Tibumana and Kanto Lampo happen to be among the few of the more popular destinations in Eastern Bali, so of course, you’ll find that they’re flooded with tourists (pun intended). While we anticipated that this might be the case, we really did underestimate how touristy these spots could become. The main takeaway would be to visit these waterfalls in the early morning hours, closer to sunrise, if you want to really enjoy these places without having to worry about getting stuck in a crowd.

Another helpful tip would be to maybe avoid spots that multiple large influencers recommend as they’re bound to get in more people due to the reach these influencers may have (ah, the power of social media). In our opinion, the best thing to do would be to do more extensive research, drive or ride around and find some cool spots that may be undiscovered to some extent.

Happy waterfall hunting!

Don’t forget to check out our full vlog on waterfall chasing for a more in-depth experience: https://youtu.be/zG9ShrPRwdE