Brilio.net/en - If you think Bali is all about the beaches and temples, you surely need to explore the island more. Hidden in the northern regency of Buleleng you can find many of beautiful waterfalls, one of which is Sekumpul. Said to be the most beautiful one in Bali, Sekumpul is located at Lemukih village, around 76 kilometers away from Denpasar and 20 kilometers from Singaraja.
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The narrow pathway
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Sekumpul is actually named after the river that flows through the village that is the gathering (berkumpul means to gather) of seven big waterfalls and many smaller ones in the area. The local people named the waterfalls as Gerombong (bergerombong means group or cluster) or Lemukih multi waterfalls, but in the past 1.5 years they had constructed stairs and pathways for public access and promote the area as Sekumpul. Of all seven, we can only visit five of them for now.
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The post center
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There are two ways to get into the waterfalls: Sekumpul village or from Nyuh. I took the one from Nyuh village, about 22 kilometers away from Beratan Lake, Bedugul. It took about 2-2.5 hours from Denpasar by motorbike, but we had a stop for lunch at Beratan Lake first, which was a great place to chill and get a water tour, either by pedal boat or speedboat.
The river seen from the stairs
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We had to take a smaller, quiet road to Lemukih village with one sign guiding us with a simple brown board and white fonts Air Terjun Sekumpul, so watch carefully for the signage. The road was hilly and curvyit took a little more driving skills, either you go by motorbike or car. Entering Desa Nyuh, the road became even smaller and at one point could only be reached by motorbike or by foot. The scenery along the way was breathtaking: the terraced rice fields among the bluish green of mountains and valleys, so get your camera ready here.
Steep stairs to go down
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The road then ended at a motorbike parking spot, where we had to pay donation at the post (save for IDR 20,000 for entrance and IDR 3,000 for a motorbike). Then, the challenging adventure began. It was a 400 meters of steep downhill trip beneath the rainforest that required a good balance and fitness. At some part there were stairs and banisters, but not all along the way. It really was tricky and difficult path to go about but here and there we could see some of the waterfalls from a distance that would keep the spirits high.
Waterfall seen from distance
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After about 20 minutes of trekking, we arrived at the bottom of the mountains. The open green landing has one hut and a sitting area for people to rest. Not far from there, a bridge connecting to the other path which lead to Sekumpul village, about 1.3 kilometers away to go by foot. One waterfall was hidden not too far from the other side of the bridge, and is more for spiritual activities usually used for people to meditate and cleanse their aura.
The two waterfalls in the north
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From the meeting point, two of the waterfalls lie at the northern part and had high water debits. We couldnt get too close without getting wet, so keep your gadgets safely protected to come here. The waterfalls are 90 meters high and we needed to walk for about 3 minutes, including to crossing the shallow part of the river to get to the place. There is another waterfall hidden, about another 400 meters far, but up until now there isnt any walking access to get there, so keep it for another time until they make it.
One of the smaller waterfalls we met along the way to the south
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The other three big waterfalls were in the south part of the meeting point, at the left side of the entrance. It is twice as far as the first two, took about 7 minutes walking with a much difficult terrain to go to. We had to cross the clear river two times, met two smaller waterfalls on the way. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, with different kinds of vegetation around that grows along the mountainsides.
The middle of three waterfalls in the south, visible from distance
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At the end of the journey there were three of 85-meters high waterfalls, with different water discharge. The one at the right side was the most swift, while the middle one was the lightest. We could walk to in the 80-cm deep pond and feel the water tumble down onto on your heads and backs from the middle waterfall, which created some type of massage sensation.
Pak Jeros warung that provides all the snacks and beverages needed
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At the meeting point, Pak Jero has a warung that sells snacks and beverages, including hot coffee or tea if you need some extra energy to get by. He and his son Putu have been selling here since the opening of the area to public, in the end of 2014, but the area had been his playground since he was littleso you can ask him just about anything. Can you imagine that people used to climb down by tree roots before they made the pathway just recently?
The meeting point
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According to Pak Jero, the fullest day would be on Sunday with the most locals, while during weekdays the average daily visitors are 75 people, so you can arrange the best time to visit the waterfalls at your most convenient. Pak Jero will be around the area since 9 a.m. when people start to come here, until 6 p.m. when the sky gets dark.
The river that flows from north
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When its time to go back up, be sure to hold on to the banister, rocks or roots along the way for a firmer grip. In fact you must be fit enough to go here because the way up was twice as difficult (and took more energy) than the way down. It is important to keep on going regardless how tired you are, because stopping for too long would waste more of your energy.
The stairway back up
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Here are some things you must prepare to come to Sekumpul:
- Be fit. This is the main requirement as the trek is one of the most difficult ones in Bali.
- Depart as early as you can because it tends to rain in the afternoon and the terrain would get more slippery. If you stay around Kuta, leave at 5-6 a.m. and you can get fresher water and weather there. Or simply stay the nights around Bedugul area to see more natural attractions.
- Wear anti-slip footwear. Its best to wear amphibious shoes. Sandals are okay, but make sure that they are durable and have grips on the soles.
- Bring swimsuits and spare clothes, as youll get wet, like it or not. Also, bring a raincoat and even umbrella, if you want (at least to protect your belongings when you swim).
- Wear waterproof bags, and water protection for camera and other gadgets.
- Leave the area before dark, or best before 6 p.m. because there will be no light and it will be harder to move around in the dark, deep rainforest.
- Especially if you ride motorbikes and dont spend the night around the area, bring sweaters, gloves and long pants to wear on the way back to the city, as the weather can be very cold in the evening and you will probably still wet.
- Dont litter. As people say, take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints.