Bali is full to the brim with beautiful waterfalls and we thought we would share our five favourites – especially as some of them are lesser known (and we would love for you to experience them!)
1. Tibumana Waterfall (Air Terjun Tibumana)
While Tibumana might be considered quite a ‘simple’ waterfall, it was easily our favourite in all of Bali. We had a wonderful time swimming in the beautiful green plunge pool (it wasn’t too cold) and agreed the picturesque waterfall really reminded us of Millaa Millaa Falls in Queensland.
It’s a short (and easy) walk down to the falls – only taking about 5-8 minutes. We arrived early - around sunrise (6am) and while the gate down to the falls was closed, it wasn’t locked and could be gently pushed open. We ended up having the falls to ourselves for about an hour – with other travellers seeming to arrive around 7am. (When we left around 7:30am, eight other people had already arrived). We had so much fun trying to capture different angles of Tibumana with both the camera and drone. From above you get such a different perspective of the waterfall – it seems to just suddenly emerge from the moss covered cliffs .
Please note – if you are arriving early (and the ticket counter isn’t open), make sure you pay admission as you leave!
Tibumana Quick Facts:
15k per person
Car and scooter parking available (free)
Toilet at the bottom of the waterfall
5-10 minute easy walk down (concrete steps)
Seems to get busy very early so arrive as early as possible
No swimming in the cave or under the waterfall (this is sacred)
GPS Coordinates: 8°30'24.2"S 115°19'58.8"E
2. Pucak Manik Waterfall (Wanagiri Pucak Manik)
We have NO idea why this waterfall isn’t more popular. Especially because when you visit – you actually get three waterfalls for the price of one (50k).
We absolutely adored this tall waterfall and it’s calming, tranquil vibe. The track that leads you to the waterfall was easily our favourite too – as you descend into the lush forest, you are greeted with handmade bamboo bridges and quaint little wooden passages. It was also really refreshing to walk down to a waterfall without being harassed by storekeepers – this was the first waterfall walk we did in Bali that had no stalls on the track.
We arrived at Pucak Manik around 9am and stayed until 10:30am (ish) and couldn’t believe no one else arrived. If you’re looking for a place to relax and have some quiet time – we would highly recommend Pucak Manik Waterfall.
Lastly - if you’re worried about sunlight blowing out your shot of Pucak Manik Waterfall, we would recommend arriving no later than three hours after the sun comes up (based on the way the waterfall is facing).
Pucak Manik Quick Facts:
50k per person to visit all three waterfalls (a bottle of water is also included in this price)
No plunge pool to swim in at the bottom
Car and Scooter parking (free)
15 minute walk down (concrete stairs – but be warned - they can be quite big!)
Seems very quiet and off the usual ‘tourist’ path, so you could arrive a little later here
A beautiful place for a picnic as you can easily find your own secluded spot
Enjoy exploring all the wooden bridges and walkways and use these to frame your shots
GPS Coordinates: 8°12'46.1"S 115°06'31.5"E
3. Leke Leke Waterfall
Most blogs online call Leke Leke the ‘hidden gem’ of Bali and suggest that because it’s so unknown you will likely have the place to yourself. For us, this however wasn’t the case – we think Leke Leke might be the up and coming waterfall of Bali! (and rightfully so – it is truly gorgeous).
We arrived at Leke Leke around 9am and there were two separate groups already there taking photos. Luckily for us, as we got closer to the falls, both groups magically happened to pack up and head off (either magic or a classic case of ‘the ol' cj people repellent’).
Leke Leke has a really unique, moody feeling to it – we loved the way the water looked like a flow of white silky satin, dramatically emerging from the dark forest behind and spilling into a small rock pool below. (Ok that's my adjective quota done for the blog).
We thought there were two great view points for Leke Leke – one higher up (with a small garden of bright red flowers that you can use to frame your shot) and one lower down – on the same level as the falls. This area has rocks perfectly positioned in front of the Waterfall which are just waiting for you to climb up on them!!
We stayed at Leke Leke for about an hour all up and as we left (around 10am) another 4-5 groups (approximately 10-12 people) had arrived. It certainly gets busy!
Based on the direction that Leke Leke faces, it seems to us that the waterfall wouldn’t be in direct sunlight for a few hours so if you’re worried about the sunlight blowing out your shot of Leke Leke – you should be fine to arrive as late as 4-5 hours after sunrise.
Leke Leke Quick Facts:
50k per person
10 minute walk down to the falls
Toilets on walk down to the falls
Car and scooter parking available (free)
Gets quite busy so would recommend arriving early
Not as much space as at other waterfalls
GPS Coordinates: 8°21'55.0"S 115°12'00.5"E
4. Git Git Waterfall – Single (Air Terjun Git Git)
I can’t help but laugh when I think of this waterfall. You see, we actually visited this waterfall by mistake - James and I had planned on visiting Git Git Waterfall - Twin (see #5 below) but due to very similar naming conventions – we ended up here instead; at Git Git Waterfall – Single.
So when we got to the bottom of the track and saw a 35m high singular waterfall, we were as confused as my Mum trying to use Instagram stories. We were thinking it looked rather different than the small twin waterfall we had seen online. Bewildered, we asked every single person we could find what was goin' on and every single one confirmed we were at Git Git Waterfall.
After going for a walk and thinking there must be a second waterfall in the vicinity (it was the only thing that could make sense right!) we found a local who enlightened us – telling us that there were actually two waterfalls that go by the name of GitGit – one called GitGit Twin (where we had planned to be) and one called GitGit Single (where we actually were). Laughing at our apparent Git Git mix up, she told us that GitGit Twin Falls were nearby (about 5km) and we could still get there before dark if we rushed.
It’s funny, the two of us initially went to rush so we could get to where we were ‘meant to be’, when suddenly we couldn’t help but laugh at ourselves. We had one of those ‘what are we doing!!?’ moments – realising that by focusing so much on being at the ‘wrong’ waterfall, we had forgotten to enjoy and appreciate the waterfall that was ‘right’ in front of us. (See what I did there hehe).
Thankfully we realised our foolishness quite quickly and ended up having the best time at Git Git - Single. We ended up loving the (unexpected) dramatic drop waterfall, the relaxing rock pools at the bottom, and of course, the iconic Bali temple gates leading you to the falls. This was our favourite spot for getting creative with the camera.
Git Git - Single Quick Facts:
20k per person
10 minute walk down to the falls
Car and scooter parking available (free)
About 5 separate groups (15 people) were there when we arrived (4pm) but within 20 minutes, everyone had packed up and left for the day. We would suggest arriving early as it does seem to be a more popular waterfall.
You can swim right up to the falls or chill in one of many rock pools at the bottom
Toilets at the bottom of the falls
GPS Coordinates of Waterfall: 8°11'36.1"S 115°08'06.2"E
GPS Coordinates of Car Park: 8°11'21.7"S 115°08'09.9"E (Scooters) and 8°11'16.4"S 115°08'11.3"E (Cars/Buses)
5. Git Git Waterfall - Twin (Air Terjun Campuhan)
Woohoo we made it! After accidentally arriving at Git Git Falls - Single (see #4 above), James and I were determined to find the ‘real Git Git’ Waterfall – properly known as ‘Git Git Falls - Twin’. And it was so worth the find. (Not that it was hard to find in any way!).
We thought Twin Falls was one of the most beautiful waterfalls we had seen in Bali, with the two waterfalls sheltered in a narrow cliff and then splitting into two, almost equal streams. We arrived around 5:30pm, and had the place to ourselves so are unable comment on how busy it would be during the day.
Because the Falls are ‘around’ a corner, you could easily visit during the afternoon and not need to worry about the sun blowing out the falls (if you're looking to take photos). If however you were visiting in the late morning/middle of the day, you might have some harsh shadows in your shot.
N.B - because of the Git Git mix-up above, we arrived a little late, so our photo isn't as light as we would like (but hey - this just means all the more reason to return right!).
Git Git - Twin Quick Facts
20k per person
10 minute walk down to the falls (western toilets are on the way down)
Car and scooter parking available (free)
Great plunge pool for swimming in (quite deep!)
Situated around a corner so you can arrive in the afternoon and not have to worry about the sun blowing out the shot
Another waterfall with an open bridge at the bottom which you can use for other shots!
Again, we will pop the GPS coordinates for this Git Git Falls - Twin here so there’s no chance of the Git Git Mix up happening to you too!
GPS Coordinates of Waterfall: 8°12'15.0"S 115°08'18.2"E
GPS Coordinates of Car Park: 8°12'07.8"S 115°08'26.2"E
We hope this waterfall blog helps you with your Bali planning and if you have any questions - please let us know! Happy to help!!
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