A Guide to North Bali: Best Bali waterfalls near Munduk and Lovina

Northern Bali is a part of Bali that you don’t often see in photos, I had heard of Ubud, Canggu and Uluwatu before but never of Munduk or Lovina. I will be telling you about the best Bali waterfalls to see while you are staying in Munduk and Lovina. Northern Bali has some real hidden and unexplored gems, and rather than swimming in waterfalls with lots of other people, often you can find yourself in the company of just a huge, breath taking waterfall. If you have time during your trip to Bali, definitely take the windy, vomit-inducing trip up to Lovina and Munduk to experience a totally different side to Bali.

Bali is a very popular place for Australians during their winter, so it can get very busy with tourists. It is also now such an instagrammable place that everyone comes to Bali to get the perfect instagram shot with a smoothie bowl or a waterfall. However, I had never seen Lovina or Munduk on Instagram, apart from the incredible Munduk Moding Plantation hotel, where I stayed.

Best Bali waterfalls to explore from Munduk and Lovina

These waterfalls are best to see while you are staying in Munduk and Lovina. However, if you want to do a day trip rom Ubud, it is around a two and a half hour drive. From Canggu it is a bit closer, just an hour and a half drive.

Munduk Waterfall and best Bali waterfalls nearby

This set of three waterfalls is a must-see. Come prepared with plenty of water, as it is actually a 2-3 hour hike to see all three waterfalls. The first waterfall is Munduk Waterfall, a huge waterfall cascading down surrounded by greenery. As it crashes down, there is lots of spray so be prepared that you will get wet even if you don’t swim!

From there you walk to the second waterfall, which is more lush and a bit harder to walk to, especially walking back up! Remember that each waterfall you pay separately. However, at the third waterfall there is no need to walk back up as from here you can carry on walking towards Munduk Village and get picked up here to head back to your hotel.

The third waterfall was one of my favourites; I think it was the biggest and there is so much greenery around it is just so impressive.

Cost: 10-20,000 IDR per waterfall

Aling Aling Waterfall

Aling Aling is SERIOUSLY impressive. Once you arrive at a small ticket office on the side of the road you will be given two prices, one option is to go with a guide, which means you can swim and jump in the waterfalls. The other option is to go without a guide, but you are not allowed to swim or get in the waterfalls. There are three waterfalls to see, and they are clearly signed so it is possible to do without a guide. However, you will not be able to swim or jump. The three waterfalls are called Kroya waterfall, Kembar waterfall and finally Aling Aling waterfall.

Kroya Waterfall

Kroya Waterfall is the first waterfall you arrive at. It is a short walk through some fields from the small ticket office and then down quite a few steps to a viewing point with a platform where you can jump off. Remember, you can only jump here if you are with a guide.

Kembar Waterfall

The next spot, Kembar Waterfall, you can also jump off from, but it is a smaller waterfall. Even though it is two next to each other. Once you have walked across the top of this waterfall and walked down some more steps, you will walk down a path towards the biggest and best waterfall.

Aling Aling Waterfall

This last waterfall you cannot swim in, and it would be very difficult to get over all the slippery rocks anyway, the last point I could get to was where I am sat in the photo below! The whole area feels quite like a jungle with low hanging trees and water running down every rock. It’s quite unique and not one to miss. I would say definitely wear a swimsuit once you get down here as otherwise your clothes will get wet from all the spray. The walk back up from Aling Aling is a sweaty one so I would recommend getting a fresh coconut when you get to the top to rehydrate. From this little shop it is a short walk back to the car park where you will have started.

Cost: 10,000 IDR with no guide / 125,000 IDR with a guide

Git Git Waterfall

Git Git is one of the easier waterfalls to get to. There is a clear path and even people selling food, drinks and clothes on the way. I thought this might mean it would be busier but still we were the only ones at this waterfall. This is another massively impressive waterfall. A short walk on the slippery rocks and you can stand right at the base of this huge waterfall. It gets very cold up close from the wind and spray from the waterfall.

Cost: 20,000 IDR

Other waterfalls to see:

Sekumpul Waterfall

Unfortunaly, I didn’t have time to go to Sekumpul Waterfall, but everyone I have spoke to says it’s a must see. It’s similar to Git Git waterfall, but has two waterfalls next to each other and surrounded by even more lush greenery. The hike to it is about 40 minutes. I will definitely be going back here when I come back to Bali.

Where to stay in Munduk

Munduk is a small village set high up in the hills and surrounded by lush greenery all around. As it is so high up, it does get chilly in the evenings so make sure to take a jacket for the evenings. But during the day the weather is perfect, although some evenings we did have thick clouds rolling in, which actually was beautiful to see.

Munduk Moding Plantation

Munduk Moding Plantation Hotel is such a special place to stay, I would definitely recommend it to treat yourself for a few nights! The infinity pool faces the sunrise as the clouds come up over the mountains, and each villa is set away in the greenery making you feel like you have the whole place to yourself.

The food is also delicious, and the staff are so welcoming and friendly. We stayed here for two nights and on one of the days we took the free shuttle bus on the waterfall tour. The first stop is a temple right on the lake. After this you head to Munduk Waterfall and on a 2-3 hour hike through three different waterfalls. The first is Kroya, then Kembar and Aling Aling. We also ate breakfast and dinner here and both were delicious.

Click here to check availability and prices!

For a more budget stay head here to see other options in Munduk

What else to do near Munduk?

Head to the lake! As Munduk is set so high up, there are amazing views over the lake below. There are also of nests that you see on Instagram for a photo opportunity. The best viewpoints are the bamboo lookout point, or there is a swing overlooking the lake called Wanagiri Swing.

Tamblingan Lake Temple

This is a stunning temple right in the middle of the lake in Munduk. To go here you will need to be appropriately dressed. Go early if you can, as it gets very very busy during the day. The temple is called Temple Pura Ulun Danu Bratan.

Where to stay in Lovina?

Bagus Beach Hotel was a very sweet hotel right on the beach. It is a black sand beach so a bit different rom all the other beaches you will see in Bali. Lovina centre is just a 10 minute car ride away. There is a nice pool and comfortable rooms. However, take plenty of mosquito spray, as there are sooooo many. We woke up with our faces and arms covered in mosquito bites. It is the perfect place to watch the sunset and a great base for exploring the best Bali waterfalls around.

We did one set of waterfalls as a day trip from Canggu. Although it was a long day, we drove one and a half hours and went straight to explore the waterfalls with our bags in the car, and then stayed here after. The next day we drove straight to Munduk and relaxed before heading back to other waterfalls the following day. Want some tips for your time in Canggu? Head to my blog post on Canggu to see the best places to eat and stay while you are here.

Planning a longer trip to Bali?

Head to my blogs on Uluwatu to find the best beaches in Bali, Ubud to find the most amazing rice terraces in Bali and Canggu for the best brunch cafes and smoothie bowls on the island. Just send me a message if you have any questions at all.

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