I am in Bali for a holiday & enjoyed every bit of it till now. Looking to do something new today. I enquired about waterfalls in Bali & which one not to be missed. A name suggested to me was “Sekumpul Waterfall & Gitgit Waterfalls“.
Sekumpul Waterfall is THE MOST FAMOUS waterfall in Bali. Ever imagined a place where water is falling cutting through the jungle. Sekumpul is that location. I am on my motorbike riding through the roads of Bali. Bali roads are equipped with the surrounding landscapes. The greenery & the unending roads makes it perfect for a bike ride.
I put the destination to Sekumpul on google maps & started my ride bit nervous because of the distance & unknown paths. I crossed city area & entered the suburbs. Riding through lush green landscapes is beautiful in itself. Clouds started to aggregrate & it started raining & I don’t have any protection.
I am drenched in rain water, still cloudy & already 3.30pm. Time is flying fast. I am also low on petrol. But, it is raining like hell difficult to see more than 50 Mts. I waited for half an hour for rain to stop. Finally decided to drive the bike. I crossed a village & filled the petrol from on a local shop (Wonderful thing, that you can rely on local vendor for petrols) & asked the owner about the way. He points toward the direction.
There is a small cut which I took & suddenly it is only me driving on unknown roads. Fogs started to take over the roads, the ride is getting beautiful but scary. No one is on the roads & still some distance to go. The jungle on the either side making it difficult to drive but also making it beautiful. After riding for about 45 mints I finally reached the village. The guy who was taking entry fees was a fan of Bollywood. I said I am from India he said he love Shah Ruk Khan & I was amused with that fact. He offered me a coffee because of my Indian origin. I had black coffee a much needed refreshment after getting drenched in rain.
I reached parking place & from here it is I am walking towards the dense jungle. The distant sound of waterfall is making me excited. There is one shop where a small boy is playing some instrument, I asked him about the way. It is still raining & I need to cross a small stream of water. It is hard to predict if the surface beneath is hard or not. I trusted my guts & went ahead. After walking for 5 mints, I reach the famous waterfall I am in the awe with the scene. Water cutting through the trees is the view to dream for standing beneath the waterfall was the best I could do to enjoy the moment. This is Gitgit waterfall.
I stayed there for 15 min. I waved at the small boy; He said there is one more waterfall on the other side. I asked how far is it. He said 10 min.
Looking at the time I decided to visit that part as well. I started walking & there is a fast stream of water that I need to cross. Water is upto knee length & it is hard to grip & maintain balance, but slowly slowly I crossed the stream. A trail is visible. Not knowing the path I chose to walk on this. I am walking in the jungle alone. After walking for 5 min I saw two guys & finally took a sigh of relief. Once I crossed the stream & step ahead I could see one mighty waterfall. Now walking on a brisk pace I reached near the waterfall.
The moment I stepped closer to the waterfall to my surprise there were three waterfalls. Three mighty ones. From far only one was visible but there were three. It was a fantastic view three parallel waterfall & lush green background. The view will last forever in my mind.
You travel for such moments only. Out of the nowhere you see some things which are beautiful & rare. I took a natural shower & after spending half an hour at that place I started my journey back to the hostel.
After reaching the shop I sat there to catch a breath. The boy was playing an instrument & was playing perfectly. I shot him play through my go pro. His father offered my few bananas & wished me all the best for my journey way back.
It is already dark while driving back but the memories of waterfall keep back flashing up in my mind.
Sekumpul Waterfall is A must see part of your trip to northern Bali. There is a long walk to the falls but you get to enjoy a swim at the base of it which is brilliant. Stop for a moment here and take in the incredible surroundings – lush green forest/jungle on one side with a 2 huge cacades of water belting down beside while you rest in beautiful cool water.
Well said