Sumampan Waterfall: Review and Visitors Guide

Sumampan Waterfall (Air Terjun Sumampan) is a lesser-known waterfall in the Gianyar Regency, around 20 minutes south of Ubud by car or scooter.

The waterfall plummets over a 10m high stone wall, surrounded by lush vegetation and surrounded by unique stone carvings.

With several visits to this waterfall under our belts, we’ve put together this review and visitor guide.

Where To Park?

There is free parking for scooters and a handful of cars at the entrance of Sumampan Waterfall.

If you don't have your own vehicle, it's best to hire a private driver or use an online taxi such as Grab or Gojek. They are permitted to drop off and pick up at this waterfall.

What’s the Trail Like?

The trail from the parking area to the waterfall takes around 6-7 minutes. The first half is a narrow mud trail through woodlands, while the second half involves 110 steep and uneven concrete steps down the side of a cliff.

Although there’s a makeshift handrail, the steep, narrow steps might be difficult for anyone with poor mobility.

When you reach the bottom, you’ll get a great view of the waterfall which sits on the opposite side of the river. You'll also be able to enjoy hunting out unique carvings on the rocks around the area.

To get right up close to the waterfall (optional), you can wade through the river using the guide rope.

We’re told that the depth and current can vary. But both times we’ve visited, the river varied between knee and waist height and the current was fairly moderate, so it was pretty easy to cross.

If you made it down the steep steps, you should be perfectly fine getting across the river - just remember your swimwear as you will get wet.

The riverbed is rocky, so we’d recommend wearing flip-flops or water shoes when crossing. Be careful – the rocks around the base of the waterfall are very slippery!

What To Expect

When you first arrive, there’s a charge of 20,000 IDR per person to enter (cash-only). This is quite new, so if you see information online that it’s free or donation-based, this is no longer true.

Sumampan Waterfall stands 10 meters in height, flowing out from the thick foliage above.

Although it appears natural at first, take a closer look and you’ll realise that this waterfall is actually man-made. Sumampan waterfall was "accidentally" created when a network of irrigation channels was built by local farmers for their rice fields.

Despite it's close proximity to busy Ubud, this waterfall is still relatively unknown and nowhere near as busy as many others nearby. On both occasions that we’ve visited, there's only been a few other people around.

You'll also notice many rock carvings in the cliff face as you descend down to the waterfall and at the base of the waterfall itself. These aren’t ancient or religious carvings, they were created in 2018 by a local artist called Nyoman Retana to attract more tourists.

Some will leave you amazed at the intricate details while others will give you a chuckle - they're a little rude.

If you want something to eat or drink, you'll find two warungs near the parking area.