Destinations · north Bali
Sekumpul vs Aling-Aling vs Banyumala: which north Bali waterfall?
The SAS Bali Tour team
Published Sep 2026
6 min read
Short answer
Sekumpul is the biggest and the hardest walk; Aling-Aling is for sliding and jumping with a guide; Banyumala is the easy one with the best swim. With children or grandparents choose Banyumala; if you are fit and want the photo, Sekumpul.
The three, side by side
| Sekumpul | Aling-Aling | Banyumala | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The waterfall | Bali's tallest, several falls in one jungle amphitheatre | A 35 m fall plus three smaller ones you can slide and jump into | Twin falls into a wide, calm pool |
| Walk | 45–60 min each way, hundreds of steps, a river crossing | 15 min to the main fall; more to the jumps | 15–20 min on a steep path with steps |
| Swim | At the base, cold and strong | Yes — that is the point | Yes, the best pool of the three |
| Guide | Village guide required for the full route | Guide required for the jumping package | Not needed |
| With children | Fit 10+ only | Main fall yes; jumps 12+ and confident swimmers | Yes, the easiest |
| Entrance | Village fee plus the guided trekking package — the most expensive | Small entry fee; jumping package extra | Small entry fee |
| From Bedugul | About 1 h 15 | About 1 h | About 30 min |
Sekumpul — the one to earn
If you want the photograph everyone means when they say "Bali waterfall", this is it: seven falls, a wall of green, spray on the lens. The price is the walk. Down is fine; up is 40 minutes of steps in the heat, and the last river crossing is knee-deep after rain. Wear shoes that can get wet, take water, and don't put it on the same day as Mount Batur. Our Sekumpul & Bedugul route pairs it with the lake temple so the afternoon is easy.
Aling-Aling — the one for jumping
Aling-Aling itself is sacred and you don't swim under it. The fun is downstream: Kroya (a natural slide), Kembar and Pucuk, with jumps of 5, 10 and 15 metres under the eye of a village guide who tells you exactly where to land. Teenagers love it. If nobody in your group wants to jump, the main fall alone is a short, pleasant stop — see it on the Sangeh, Bedugul & Aling-Aling day.
Banyumala — the one for a swim
Two falls side by side, a shallow pool you can actually swim across, and a path that most people manage. It is the least dramatic on paper and the one our guests talk about afterwards. It's on the Bedugul, Banyumala & Jatiluwih route, 30 minutes from the lake temple.
Which one, then?
- Fit, want the big one: Sekumpul.
- Teenagers, or you like jumping off things: Aling-Aling.
- Children, grandparents, or you just want to swim: Banyumala.
- Two in one day? Banyumala and Aling-Aling, yes. Sekumpul plus anything strenuous, no.
Practical
Go on a weekday morning — Balinese families come at weekends. After heavy rain the falls are at their best and the paths at their worst; your driver will tell you the state of the steps that day. All three have changing huts and warungs at the car park; none has a proper toilet at the bottom.
Questions people ask us
Do I need a guide at Sekumpul?
For the full route down to the base, yes — the village runs it as a guided trekking package. The viewpoint at the top can be visited without one.
Which is best in the rainy season?
All three are fuller and louder from December to March. Banyumala stays easy; Sekumpul's river crossing can be closed after a storm. Your driver checks on the morning.
Can we see them from Ubud?
It is two to three hours each way, so a long day. From the south it is better as part of a north-Bali route with a night in Munduk or Lovina, or as a driver day with an early start.
Where to go from here
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