Sekumpul Waterfall — Attraction in Bali

I'm rating this place 3 stars ONLY due to sneaky pricing tactics. The place is DEFINITELY well beyond 5 stars. But read below to avoid over paying like we did.

I really hate when places use sneaky / deceiving pricing tactics, hence why I'm taking the time to write this review. I'm attaching a picture of their price list which I took at the ticket entrance yesterday while visiting the Sekumpul waterfall. Notice that there are 2 options 1) visit Sekumpul and hidden waterfalls for only 150,000 IDR or option 2) Visit Sekumpul, hidden waterfalls, AND fiji for 250,000 IDR. We went with the second option because we wanted to visit all the waterfalls. They allowed us to pay with a credit card (with a 3% fee) which was nice if you are short on cash. We told them we were ok with paying the full price but didn't want a guide which they were ok with. We were so glad we did that because our plan was to spend the whole day at the waterfalls and didnt want a guide following us around for 5+ hours. we saw everyone else had a guide with them which mainly seemed to serve as a photographer for their clients LOL

The guide assigned to us said he would just walk us to the viewpoint to Sekumpul (which is also the entrance to the stairs that lead you down to the waterfalls) and then he'd let us be on our own (as we requested). He said that when we got to Fiji waterfall, we'd need to pay 20,000 IDR and that they would reimburse us this fee when we exited (since we had already paid the 250,000 IDR which "covered" the fiji waterfall). We thought that was strange but agreed. The waterfalls are all spectacular but I wont go into that since its already covered by plenty of the reviewers here already. Anyway sure enough when we got to Fiji there was a little ticket booth where we were charged 20,000 IDR per person. we paid it and went on our way with the proof of payment jic we'd need it later. Once exiting the waterfalls we asked for the 20k per person and they did exactly as agreed - they refunded this money. However, it is just now that I am realizing that the increase in price per their price list (attached) is 100k IDR to visit Fiji waterfall while the fee is just 20k. That means we overpaid by 80k. They could probably make the argument that the additional 80,000 IDR is to cover the cost for the guide taking you to another waterfall but as stated above a guide is not needed here. Had I known all this, I would’ve just paid the 150,000 at the entrance and then just walked to Fiji and paid the additional 20k for a total of 170,000 for all the waterfalls.

When you are standing at the panorama viewpoint of Sekumpul (before going down the hundreds of stairs), the hidden waterfall is to your left (not visible from the view point), Sekumpul is straight ahead, and Fiji is to your right. once you go down all the stairs, there are signs on which path to take to the hidden waterfalls and which to go to Sekumpul. Fiji is the only one that didnt have well marked signs so I will explain here how to get there: When you are at Sekumpul you will see a path that takes you down some rocks and through the river on the OPPOSITE side of how you got there assuming you got to Sekumpul from the hidden waterfall side. follow the path from there. you cant go wrong UNTIL you get to a little vendor (restaurant?) located right next to a bridge you can cross. DO NOT CROSS THIS BRIDGE to go to Fiji. also, DO NOT GO UP THE STAIRS that are right by the beginning of the bridge. You need to take the path just behind the bridge where you will then come across the ticket booth for Fiji where they will charge you the 20k IDR. from there, the path to get there is obvious as well. you will be crossing rocky rivers to get there so make sure to have water shoes with you!

Good luck and I really hope this detailed reviews helps...

There's a lot of confusion about this place. I myself was skeptical about visiting after reading some of the reviews. My wife and I (Balinese) ended up hiring a driver from Munduk to take us to Sekumpul. The driver took us to a Sekumpul Central Parking area. There is a booth with prices listed at 150k for 'medium trekking' and 250k for 'long trekking'. Medium trekking will take you to Hidden Waterfall and Sekumpul Waterfall. Long trekking will take you to Fiji Waterfall as well. There is apparently more than one official lot where you'll see these prices listed. You can pay 20k to access a viewing platform to see the falls from afar. You cannot pay 20k to visit the falls without a guide. If you pay 20k to access the view point and hike down to the falls without a guide, you are trespassing on private property.

From what we gathered from conversations with our guide, the driver, and the hotel: the land where Hidden Waterfall and Sekumpul Waterfall are is owned by one village (I'll call it Sekumpul Village). The land where Fiji Waterfall is located is owned by another village (I'll call it Fiji Village). Both villages monetize visitation to the falls to help support the villages, provide jobs to guides, and help upkeep the many paths and stairs that lead to and from the falls. Sekumpul Village has standardized the costs, provides training to guides, and mandates that guides must be at least 17 years old. Fiji Village has not standardized the costs, and anyone from the village can offer to guide. Prices quoted will vary from Fiji Village guides. If you try to access the falls via land owned by Fiji Village, you will have to agree to a price. It's also worth noting that guides from Fiji Village can visit Sekumpul and Hidden Waterfalls for free, but Sekumpul guides must pay Fiji Village to access Fiji Waterfall. This partially accounts for the difference in price for medium and long trekking.

Are there sometimes scammers on the road far outside the villages that may try to ask for fees? It appears so. We took the road by car and didn't have any issues. If you're on scooter, you'd simply have to drive past if you encounter anyone like that.

Are the waterfalls expensive by Balinese standards? Yes. But I feel it was absolutely worth it. Our guide was very helpful, took pictures, watched our bags while we swam, and advised us whether or not it was safe to swim due to water quality or strength of the falls. I strongly advise that you check where you plan to enter and make sure you're accessing one Sekumpul Villages parking lots. 20k is not the official price to visit the falls. You are not being scammed by being charged 150k or 250k. If you feel this is too expensive, then of course it is your right to choose not to visit, just as it is the village's right to choose to monetize the falls on their...

The waterfalls are breathtaking. The photos barely show you the beauty. There are two treks. A medium trek in which you see two waterfalls and a long trek where you see all three waterfalls. Hidden waterfall is not that far and comparatively smaller but still large enough to take your breath away. It is near sekumpul. Fiji is a bit farther but not that much, 20 mins trekking more. The pool in the hidden waterfall is more private and deeper. Sekumpul is the largest of the three. Fiji is actually a collection of three waterfalls and the three are located near the same pool. I would recommend taking the long trek but I am a waterfall enthusiast so the choice would vary as per your needs, but hidden waterfall is barely an additional 10 minutes trek so you can easily see that. The local guides will accompany you to all three falls if you take the long trek (and to two if you take the medium trek) , helping you cross the rougher spots. The trek is not difficult, especially if you trek occasionally, the local guides will help you too but if you are new to trek it might prove moderate for you. You would have to cross smaller streams with ankle deep waters so make sure you wear something appropriate for it, especially nice footwear. Several rocks are also on the way that you have to walk on. All in all the long trek takes about one and a half hour for climbing to and back from waterfalls plus any additional time you spend clicking pictures and swimming in the pools. Plan accordingly. Do take tonnes of pictures but don't forget to keep your phone aside and actually look at the falls. This is one of the most beautiful things you will see. There are scams ahead of the official office so beware of those. Official prices are 125k IDR for medium trek and 200k IDR for long trek. There's also a viewpoint if you just want to see sekumpul from above for a small price and not go for trek. Official office is located by the parking and not on...