One of the biggest and most beautiful waterfalls of Indonesia you'll find on Java. In East-Java the Tumpak Sewu waterfall is located. This waterfall is located together with a lot of other waterfalls in a huge valley. This valley is located in the mountains of East Java. You have to put in some effort to climb into the valley to get to this huge waterfall. The hike into the valley is quite exciting and requires some concentration, but it is more than worth it! Read here how to visit the most beautiful waterfall in Java.
How do you get to the most beautiful waterfall in Java?
From Malang it is a 2 hour drive to this huge waterfall. The views along the way are beautiful. You can go to the waterfall with a tour , but also on your own. If you rent a scooter to go yourself, make sure you have experience driving a scooter. There are a lot of trucks in the mountains and the roads are bad. There are huge holes in the road surface.
TIP: Kom je vanuit Yogyakarta? Dan rijd je eerst naar Malang, een mooie tussenstop op je weg door Java. Lees onze gids over waar te verblijven in Yogyakarta als je daar nog niet geweest bent.
As soon as you are almost at the waterfall, you will come across a gate where all men want to guide you to the waterfall. Do not enter this, but drive a little further and take the small steep street on the right. They will ask for extra money for this, while this is not necessary. If you drive the other way you just end up at the parking lot. Here you pay 5,000 IDR to park the scooter. In addition, you pay 20,000 IDR for the panorama viewpoint of the Tumpak Sewu waterfall.
Are you already planning your trip through Java? Take a look here at all our favorite hotspots for an unforgettable trip!
Panorama viewpoint
From the parking lot you walk down to the panorama viewpoint. Here you can admire the waterfall from above and you can take very nice pictures. Above are also some restaurants and shops where you can buy something to eat and drink.
Hike to the most beautiful waterfall in Java
After this the hike starts down to get to the waterfall. This one is all about iron stairs and ladders that are attached to the rocks. This is quite scary because everything is attached with wires and nails, the sturdiness of which is questionable. It all wobbles a lot so be careful!
The last part of the hike you have to go down with a rope through a piece of waterfall. It's doable, but make sure you have your hands free and take it easy. Because of the water you cannot see where you are stepping and you only have a rope to hold on to. When you are down, you walk into the valley. You can't see the waterfall from here yet. You first have to pass another ticket office, where you again pay 20,000 IDR pp to get to the waterfall.
Note: If the weather is bad, you cannot visit this waterfall. The water then flows too fast to reach the waterfall safely. This will therefore be the case for most of the rainy season.
After the ticket office you walk through the water to the other side. Here you have to walk right along the rock towards the waterfall. Don't go left and up the ladder unless you really want to get to the other viewpoint. Marlo sent me (Tessa) up this ladder for nothing, it turned out when I was already up there. And it was really scary, so I don't recommend this to you.
The Tumpak Sewu waterfall
As soon as you walk along the rock, the waterfall suddenly appears. You don't know what you see. You are in the middle of a valley surrounded by huge waterfalls. The clatter of the huge waterfalls is mega impressive and the surroundings are beautiful. It is difficult to describe in words how impressive this waterfall is, but the photos show why this is the most beautiful waterfall in Java.
Note: everything gets really soaking wet. The falls clatter very loudly and it is like walking in a rain shower all the time.
There are several photo spots in the valley. Both right and left there are a number of rocks where you can take beautiful pictures. We spent most of our time on the right because we liked these two rocks the best. Be careful because the rocks are quite slippery.
TIP: visit the waterfall after lunch. Most tours are gone by then and you are alone with some locals. This way you have time for photos. The waterfall is open from 07:00 AM to 04:00 PM.
Goa waterfall
Besides the impressive Tumpak Sewu waterfall, there is another beautiful waterfall in the same valley. When you walk back towards the waterfall where you walked down, you can continue to the Goa waterfall. Normally you also have to pay here, but we were just after 03:00PM and then there was no one at the ticket office. After the ticket office you walk straight ahead. Here too you have to walk small pieces through a waterfall so be careful. There are ropes and stalls everywhere to hold onto, so make sure you have your hands free.
After a short hike you arrive at the Goa waterfall. This one is a lot smaller, but also super beautiful. The waterfall and surroundings are completely different from the Tumpak Sewu waterfall while they are so close together. Here is also some calmer shallow water where you can swim / sit in.
After this you hike back to the point where you have to go up. Via the waterfall and the scary ladders you climb back up to the panorama point and continue to the parking lot. It is all easy to do without a tour and saves you a lot of money. You just have to be careful and take your time and it will be an unforgettable experience.
What to bring?
- Bring something warm. If you go by scooter yourself, take a sweater or jacket with you, because it can be quite chilly in the mountains.
- Take dry clothes and a microfiber towel with you. You get completely wet and if you still have to get back on the scooter, it is quite chilly.
- Take water shoes with you. You walk parts through a waterfall and a river. It is also quite slippery in some parts. This makes it useful to have water shoes with a good sole.
- Bring food and drinks. You are quite long on the way and down at the falls.
Still looking for a good hotel in Malang? Take a look here !
You might also like
English 
Dutch
Leave a reply