I have been to countless amazing waterfalls in my time and I can honestly say that Tumpak Sewu Waterfall takes the cake! If you’re looking for the ultimate adventure, this is where you’ll find it. Tumpak Sewu in Javanese means ‘Thousand Waterfalls’.
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WHERE TO FIND TUMPAK SEWU WATERALL
Tumpak Sewu Waterfall is located at the base of Mount Semeru in East Java. It is approximately a 2-hour drive from Malang City or a 7-hour drive from Surabaya. My friend Jerre and I rented a car in Surabaya for 7 days to visit as many locations as possible. We picked up our car from Setia Abadi Mobil Rental and paid 300,000 Rupiah ($30) per day. You can contact them via their website or via WhatsApp +62 857 331 1117. They also offer a good deal for every 10 days rental you will receive one day free.
In my opinion, I recommend renting a car as opposed to a motorbike when you visit Java as it is a very large island and the must see locations are very far between one and other.
EXACT PIN LOCATION OF TUMPAK SEWU WATERFALL
View of Tumpak Sewu Waterfall from above
ARRIVING AT TUMPAK SEWU WATERFALL – (AIR TERJUN COBAN SEWU)
There are two different entrances at Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, one is on the east side of the falls and one is on the west.
West Entrance
When you arrive at the west entrance of Tumpak Sewu Waterfall you will find a car park on the left-hand side of the road and there is a ticket office here where you will have to pay 10,000 Rupiah ($1) to park a car, and 20,000 Rupiah for the waterfall entrance fee. The trek down on the west side is not an easy one. You literally have to climb down sketch bamboo ladders that are built into the cliff side. I recommend using the east entrance, which is a lot safer if you wish to trek down to the base of Tumpak Sewu Waterfall. There is, however, an incredible viewpoint of the waterfall on the west side before you reach the ladders.
East Entrance
When you arrive at the east entrance you will find a car park at the end of the road that costs 10,000 Rupiah to park a car and for a motorbike, it’s 2,000 Rupiah. The entrance to east entrance to Tumpak Sewu is next to the car park, you will see a ticket office and the entry fee is 10,000 Rupiah ($1). If you visit the west entrance first before the east, hold on to your ticket so you don’t have to pay twice.
The viewpoint of Tumpak Sewu Waterfall on the west side entrance
The Tumpak Sewu Waterfall ticket office at the east entrance
WHAT TO EXPECT AT TUMPAK SEWU WATERFALL
The hike down to the base of Tumpak Sewu will take you through lush rainforest and it also a bit of a challenge which makes the adventure all the more fun. It can be very slippery when wet and some parts of the trail are quite steep so make sure to have 3 points of contact at all time when making the descent. There are bamboo bridges, metal railings and ropes fixed into the side of the cliffs to aid you along the way. In one section you will have to get your feet wet as you walk across a running stream that flows down and across the cliff face.
Slippery mud steps on the hike down to Tumpak Sewu
Climbing down one of the bamboo structures
The running stream on the hike down to Tumpak Sewu
THE BASE OF TUMPAK SEWU – (AIR TERJUN COBAN SEWU)
Be prepared to be in absolute awe when you reach the bottom of the valley. The towering cliffs that surround you will make you feel like the size of an ant. You’ll come across another bamboo hut in the valley where the locals will ask for you to pay for another entrance ticket if you don’t have one, so make sure to hang on to that original entrance ticket.
Follow the river upstream until you reach the base of Tumpak Sewu Waterfall. I am lost for words to describe this incredible creation of mother nature. The 120-meter high curtain of falls thunders down into a shallow rock pool below. There are a number of epic viewpoints so peruse the area and take in every moment you spend down at the base of Tumpak Sewu for it is a place you’ll never forget.
The towering cliffs at the base of the valley
Drone shot of Tumpak Sewu Waterfall
An epic viewpoint at Tumpak Sewu
GOA TETES WATERFALL
In the same valley as Tumpak Sewu, you can find another epic set of falls named Goa Tetes. A small cave behind this set of falls makes this spot unique and worth a quick visit before making the hike back up the cliffs.
Goa Tetes cave waterfall
THE SECRET ENTRANCE TO THE TOP OF TUMPAK SEWU
After hiking back to the top of the valley we decided we wanted to try to find a way to get to the very top of Tumpak Sewu where the river flows off the edge of the cliffs. We perused google maps and found an entrance further upstream at the top of the valley. We parked the car and followed a dirt track down to the river bed which led us downstream and right to the top of Tumpak Sewu waterfall. Please know your limits if you decide to check out this particular viewpoint.
The secret entrance to the river bed
The dirt trail to follow downstream
The viewpoint from the top of Tumpak Sewu
Sitting on the edge of Tumpak Sewu Waterfall
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST IN EAST JAVA
I recommend doing a Mount Ijen and Mount Bromo hike on your visit to East Java either before or after visiting Tumpak Sewu Waterfall.
To book a tour to Mount Bromo and Mount Ijen, you can find all the details in the blog post over HERE.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TO TUMPAK SEWU WATERFALL
The best time to visit Tumpak Sewu is in the dry season which is the months of May through to November, although be prepared for an unexpected downpour of rain as it is very unpredictable weather in these mountains.
As I mentioned earlier, the hike down to the falls is challenging and slippery when wet, so wear suitable footwear and take plenty of drinking water with you.
There are small warungs/cafes in the car park at the top if you need to stock up on water and snacks.
ACCOMMODATION NEAR TUMPAK SEWU WATERFALL
There are no homestays close by, we slept in our car for one night in the carpark. The closest city that has homestays and hotels is in Malang.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article, and if you have any questions about Tumpak Sewu Waterfall please drop me a comment below!
Happy Adventuring 🙂
Seriously I even don’t know if that waterfall have the secret entrance. Maybe if I visit it again, I will try routes through that secret entrance. Thanks for your information and nice to meet you. Hope we can meet again. I’m waiting for your next writing post Jon 😊
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It was incredible from up top. Thank you nice to meet you too. Take care!