Touted as one of the rare waterfalls in Bali that's pretty accessible to visitors, a visit to Tegenungan Waterfall was indeed convenient as it's just a short ride from Sukawati Art Market!
Thought we were there at a good timing since it wasn't terribly crowded and the driver even managed to drop us off at the ticketing counter.
Pricing at 15,000 rupiahs per person for tourists. In Indonesia, there are often differences in the entry fees for foreigners and domestic travellers; sometimes, foreigners commanded a marked premium as i personally encountered at Tangkuban Perahu in Bandung.
Furthermore, what you see on the web may already have changed by the time of your visit; when i google, many web pages mentioned an entry ticket of 10,000 rupiahs but as you would have noticed from the stub i had, there's a 50% increase.
Whatever the case, it wasn't insanely expensive and since we were already brought there, there's no reason why we should grumble about the unfairness. p.s. on the other side of the coin, i would be super pleased if Singapore attractions were priced especially low for local residents.
Managing your expectation for the attraction; as it wasn't rainy season, i would not be able to see the waterfall turning into brown sugar as claimed. Frankly, it looks more like gushing cup of teh tarik!
500 meters away - with just 45 minutes allocated, i guess a number of us assumed it would be more than sufficient. It's just a waterfall right?
Many toilets in Indonesia imposed a usage charge of usually 2,000 rupiah and i usually choose to just hold my bladder until its limit. At least for here, i can choose to buy something so that i didn't have to pay a single centre. Yes, that's how cheapo i can be.
The ticket stubs were issued for a reason; to be collected back before you can venture any further down the path towards the waterfall.
A downward path as i mentioned - easy to go down which also have a corresponding effect on the difficulties when we climbed up afterwards!
Viewing platform and a pavilion - the latter is important as almost half of our entourage decided to stay put after seeing the steep stairs. I felt bad to leave them behind but there's still 35 minutes to go and knowing myself, i would deem it as a major regret if i were to decide to stay with them.
In addition, the sight of the waterfall in the midst of dense greenery was too huge an appeal for me.
For a better spot (and for those who prefer not to trek down), i believe the Bumbu Asli International Warung on the right would be a great place to chill out.
Bringing attention to a notice for those forging forward - no jumping with a caveat that you could do only when the staff checks the depth of the water. That's encouraging since it's not a direct no.
Another viewing platform which was way less crowded.
Look at the steepness! Those who have the intention to bring their elderly parents should note that the climb would be daunting both ways! A walking stick would be beneficial although slow and steady would be the way to go.
Much smaller waterfall that required side-tracking a bit from the main route. Given the lack of time, i couldn't afford a walk there and the path looked like it would be too slippery for my sandals.
Balinese temple at the end of the stairs.
To the right would be the stacked stones that i shared previously in my post here. I was in fact more intrigued by the strange phenomenon than with the waterfall.
Stairs with no handrails by the side! Key to conquering this from the perspective of a person suffering from acrophobia would be to walk down in the middle and to do it fast!
Overlooking the waterfall, the altar with canang sari and incense stick seemed to act as a protection charm. Protect it from what? Well, maybe accidents like drowning or reckless acts by daredevil visitors?
The trek continued.
Here it is; even though it appeared somewhat short from the initial viewing platform, i was gawking in awe as i got closer. The volume and intensity of the burst were also very strong and i regretted not bringing an extra set of clothing!
Photo spots that were purposely built to make your visit more memorable (and likely the reason for the hike in entrance fees).
Another structure, a woven boat made of tree branches, was in the making and may already have been completed by the time you read this post.
An elaborate Do's and Don'ts for all visitors; a funny notice if you care to read further. Something like we don't want to see more accident again, rain will make a big water etc.
Oh yes, prepare a good pair of shoes and as a loyal supporter of Crocs shoes, i would obviously recommend the "ugly shoes" which are comfortable, light and dries easily after getting wet.
Backward view of where we came from and where most of the stacked stones were.
The waterfall! Up close, it was indeed not as tall as i expected it to be although the gush of water was still impressive. Loves waterfalls and would like to have it in your view for an extended period of time? Grab the lounge chair!
For rent at only 25,000 rupiahs! Duration? Unsure.
Customary shot of the waterfall for families. For friends, selfie sticks are the way to go and even though i have plenty of selfies at the waterfall, i would not want to scare you off with my tired, heavy eye-bag face.
Crossing the log wasn't a mammoth task and i know i could do it; however, my only worry would be dropping into the water and damaging my camera.
Heck with the concern; we only live once and as the water was pretty shallow, i am sure i can hold up the camera and sacrifice my pants if i were to fall.
Taken from the middle of the log; haha, can't imagine i still have the will to take this photo when i should be more anxious to make it across to the other side.
Another angle of the back view which showed clearly the position of the Bumbu Asli International Warung i shared earlier and also the gradient of the steps from top to bottom.
The crowded side since not many were adventurous enough to cross the log.
I am not blind and had already noticed the people standing on natural platforms next to the waterfall, with one that overlooked the top of it. At that time, i only had about 10 minutes left.
Decided to quickly check out the path as i should make full use of the 15,000 rupiahs paid and whatever i experience would eventually become information that might be useful (hopefully) for any new visitors to Bali.
Bloody, it's a separate admission! I understood from the driver afterwards that this side was controlled by another village and technically, it's travelling from one attraction to another attraction.
Did i pay?
Hell no! Not when i didn't have much spare time and it's irritating to see commercialism displayed in such incredulous ways. Is it wrong? Of course not but as consumers, we have a choice to take it or not.
Back at the bottom end of the waterfall. To be truthful, the need to pay again left a bad taste in the mouth even though it's a common practice in Indonesia. I should have known since i just travelled to Bandung less than a year ago.
Holy water - don't know if i can drink it but judging from the condition of the pipe and the algae-covered umbrella, i would give it a miss.
Me.Memman; anyone knows what this means? From the direction it pointed to, i can only guess it might have been the stacked stones area although a search online draws a blank.
Want to take a shower after getting yourself dirty at the waterfall? Shower using the natural spring water that's located nearer the staircase you came down from. Click here for more photos.
Clean toilets were available at no charge; donations would be welcome.
Time to make ourselves back to the meeting point; i had 4 minutes left! Not looking forward to the climb up which was expected to be physically exhausting!
Maybe that could explain the graffiti; made when someone was sitting on the stairs and likely by one who was too tired to walk any further.
I did it and i deserved a reward - ice cream!
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Location
Jl. Raya Tegenungan, Kemenuh,
Ubud 80581, Bali, Indonesia
For a summary of my four days, three nights trip to Bali, click here.
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