TLC told you not to chase waterfalls? Well we think they’ve got it all wrong! If you’re in Bali, one of the best ways to spend a day is by chasing the breath-taking waterfalls on the island. And one of the most incredible ways to do that is to do the waterfall trek in Munduk, in central Bali, Indonesia. Are you ready to explore some of Bali’s best hidden gems, the Munduk waterfalls?
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The best waterfalls in Munduk
Our pick of the bunch (and there are a whole bunch!) are:
- Golden Valley Waterfall
- Munduk / Red Coral Waterfall
- Labuhan Kebo Waterfall
- Melanting Waterfall
- Banyumala Twin Falls
Read next: The ultimate list of iconic places and landmarks in Indonesia!
How to get there
Generally most people wanting to visit Munduk and chase the waterfalls will look to stay a night or two in Munduk village, in which case you can simply walk to the waterfalls.
However, you can also include the waterfall tour as part of a Bali island itinerary. In this case, the waterfalls are conveniently located near four other key tourist attractions: Pura Ulun Danu Beratan temple, The Handara Gate, Wanagiri Hidden Hills (the selfie park) and the Twin Lakes. Chat to your guide about including it as part of your itinerary.
Getting to the Munduk waterfalls will take about 45 minutes – 1 hour from Lovina, 2 hours from Canggu and 90 minutes from Ubud (and in case you need it, we have the ideal 3 day Ubud itinerary for you).
If you’re travelling on a scooter or motorbike, be warned that Munduk is relatively hilly so you should feel very comfortable on a bike if taking this.
If you’re not comfortable on a moped, you can easily rent a private driver – find one here. Usually a private driver for one day sets you back between 500,000 – 700,000 IDR (35 – 50 USD / 27.50 – 40 GBP) and includes 10 hours of travel, all fuel and insurance.
Where to stay in Munduk
The village is a budget traveller’s dream with most Munduk hotels and homestays offering fantastic value for money and great food options. But, regardless of your budget, here are our best three picks:
Luxury: Everyone who wants to go to Munduk wants to stay at Munduk Moding Plantation. This premium property is incredibly luxurious, has a pool with insane views across the valley and gets rave reviews from other travels.
Mid-range: Munduk doesn’t have many mid-range options. That said, Lesong Hotel is a wonderful place –located in the middle of the Munduk rice fields it’s a bit further out of town but it’s secluded spot makes it a lovely quiet place to relax.
Budget: We stayed at Nadya Homestay, the highest rated budget accommodation in the area, and loved it! It’s super clean with large rooms, hot showers and one of the most epic views we had in South East Asia. It’s also linked to a highly-rated warung (restaurant), which serves great local fare.
Your Munduk waterfall trekking map
Munduk, with its rolling hills and laidback atmosphere, is absolutely crammed with waterfalls, most of which don’t really attract the number of tourists that Bali’s more ‘famous’ falls do. We don’t cover all of them in this guide since it’s recommended to cherrypick the best for your trip, so we’ll highlighted the ones within easy walking distance that can be done within a few hours.
Here’s our map of the best falls:
We’ve done our best to mark out the spots but just ask the locals as you walk the path. We found by asking the person at the ticket booth they would easily point you to the next waterfall. Also, insider tip is to ensure you have downloaded maps.me to your phone and downloaded the offline map for the region, since it helped us navigate our way back!
Then, the most important tip we can give you in this guide is to: plan your route in advance! All of the waterfalls on this list except Banyumala Twin Falls are in easy walking distance of Munduk village itself.
However, you have to do the hike in the right direction! This trek is best done by starting at Golden Valley Waterfall and working your way down to Melanting Falls. While this does mean that your hotel or homestay will need to drive you to the starting point (there are no real taxi services in Munduk at time of writing), it will ensure you skip most of the very steep stairs and uphill. It also means you can stroll back into town at the end and grab a bite to eat at one of the delicious warungs (local restaurants) in the town.
Trust us: Starting at the bottom means you’ll be walking uphill for this entire journey, and that will be quite an exhausting exercise!
Golden Valley Waterfall
The starting point for the waterfall route, the Golden Valley is arguably the least impressive but still a great way to start your Munduk waterfall adventure!
However, the Golden Valley waterfall is the perfect spot to take in a bit of breakfast or sip on a steaming hot cup of strong Bali coffee as it’s located next to a darling little outpost, the Eco Café, which will give you a full view of the falls.
Hiking difficulty: It’s an easy walk to Golden Valley from the start, at a maximum of 10 minutes without many stairs.
Swimming options: None. This isn’t a swimming hole but rather a waterfall for viewing, and for drinking your cup of coffee. There is a toilet at the café that you can use for free if purchasing something or for a small donation.
Entrance fee: 10,000 IDR / 0.70 USD / 0.50 GBP
Munduk Waterfall/ Red Coral Waterfall
When we arrived at Red Coral, the entire place was deserted: just the way we like it. We encountered one person – the man charged with replacing the rocks in the bottom pool, to make it easier to swim!.
Red Coral is beautiful since it’s a single stream fall which is flanked by gorgeous greenery, and usually is quite shaded.
Hiking difficulty: The walk down to Red Coral waterfall is pretty easy – all a gentle downhill with very few stairs. There is a slightly precarious bamboo bridge at the end of the hike, but nothing too difficult to manage.
Swimming options: None. You can get a lovely picture from the pool at the bottom of the waterfall but there are no real areas where you could swim.
Entrance fee: 20,000 IDR / 1.40 USD / 1 GBP
Labuhan Kebo Waterfall
This waterfall was a little busier when we arrived, mainly since it seems to have the best swimming areas and we timed our visit with an Australian family frolicking in the pools.
Labuhan is a hugely impressive fall with a lot of spray, so mind your camera! It’s has a large pool at the base of the waterfall which is ideal for pictures, feeding into two larger rock pools.
Hiking difficulty: It’s about 10 minutes between Red Coral and Labuhan Kebo before you need to descend about 100 steps down to the waterfall itself. It’s not a difficult walk but you do need to ascend those steps again before continuing on.
Swimming options: This is the best place to swim on this hike. The two rock pools are relatively shallow but deep enough to wade in, and the waterfall spray doesn’t affect you here. There is also a passable toilet block nearby where you can change into your swimming gear.
Entrance fee: 10,000 IDR / 0.70 USD / 0.50 GBP
Melanting Waterfall
This was probably our favourite of the lot, since Melanting Waterfall is the most powerful of the falls we encountered on the day. It was initially the busiest as it’s close to the town but after a few minutes everyone disappeared, and we had the entire area to ourselves for a good twenty minutes.
Hiking difficulty: This waterfall is accessed via 470 quite steep stairs. The stairs are very solid and well-constructed but if you’re not a fan of steps, do keep this in mind!
Swimming options: Not really. Like most of the others, there is of course the waterfall pool but because this waterfall is so powerful, this is not really recommended!
Entrance fee: 10, 000 IDR / 0.70 USD / 0.50 GBP
You’ve now reached the end of the Munduk waterfalls route that’s accessible from the village itself. From Melanting, just head back away from the waterfalls (not up the stairs!), on the path which will take you back to the main road and the village. Keep in mind that this is a dirt trail but we came across a few people doing it in flip flops, so it wasn’t that tough on the feet!
Bonus: Banyumala Twin Falls
Banyumala Twin Falls is NOT in walking distance of Munduk Village but is definitely a stop that most people recommend when in the area. It’s often visited if you’re got Gitgit Waterfall or Sekumpul Waterfall on your island itinerary.
It’s a double stream fall in that the waterfalls are cleaved by a large rockface, making Banyumala Twin Waterfall an incredibly impressive sight and a must-stop if doing a Munduk waterfall tour. The waterfall rock pool is also fit for swimming!
Many have said it’s one of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of Bali, let alone Munduk, which makes it worth getting slightly off the beaten track.
Hiking difficulty: It takes about 15 – 20 minutes to hike down to the waterfall and is moderate, as it includes some dirt paths. It does have some bamboo stairs that are not the most sturdy, but these should be easy enough to manage for most.
Swimming options: There is a moderately-sized pool at the base of this Munduk waterfall that’s perfect to take a quick dip in.
Entrance cost: 30,000 IDR / 2.10 USD / 1.50 GBP per person and 2,000 IDR for parking.
Read next: What is the best waterfall near Ubud?
Munduk Waterfalls FAQ
How difficult is the Munduk Waterfalls Hike?
We would consider it easy to moderate. If you’re relatively fit and you do the hike in the right direction (top to bottom), you could easily complete it in two hours with little difficulty. However, if you struggle with stairs or are a little older, you might find Melanting Waterfall a bit tougher, and might want to skip this one.
Do I need a guide for the hike?
Short answer – no. This is definitely an easy, self-guided walk. Follow our instructions around downloading maps.me beforehand, and ask the ticket vendors at each stop and you definitely can’t go wrong! There’s no need to pay for a guide for the Munduk waterfalls.
What should I pack for a Munduk Waterfalls Hike?
We recommend a few key things:
- Hiking sandals or water shoes. You can get away with flip flops but it’s not advisable. Similarly, sneakers would work fine but might get a little wet during your waterfall jaunt!
- Sunscreen: Munduk is one of the cooler areas in Bali due to it’s elevation but it still gets hot in the sun! Wear sun protection.
- Waterproof bag or camera cover. If you want to get some of the cracking shots close-up, you’ll want to ensure you have a waterproof casing for your phone or camera, or that you can quickly dry it off and put it in your bag.
- Water: As below, you can buy it along the way but it’s important to stay hydrated when walking.
Can I buy food or drink along the way?
Yes! There are a few small stalls selling water, snacks and souvenirs as well as some basic local restaurants.
So, what do you think of our Munduk Bali waterfall guide? We think it’s one of the best things to do in Munduk! If we’ve skipped something, do let us know in the comments or get in touch!
Recommended: Get the low down on snorkeling with manta rays on Nusa Penida!
What camera equipment and other gear do we use?
We’re living proof that you don’t need the most expensive gear to travel the world and take good photos. Here are some of our must have items that make it into the packing list for all our travels.
- Main Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ1000
- Drone: DJI Mavic Air – Fly More Combo
- GoPro: Hero 7 Black
- GoPro Dive Case: Go Pro Housing
- GoPro Case: Smatree GoPro Carry Case – Small
- Packing Cubes: Eagle Creek Packing case
- Backpack: Osprey Farpoint 70
- Powerbank: Anker Powercore
- Phone: Xiaomi Mi 9
- Hard drive: Transcend Slim Storejet 2TB
- Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad 720s
- Headphones: Bose Quiet Comfort 35
- Wifi Hotspot: GlocalMe G4
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