Tumpak Sewu, Thousand Waterfall~ East Java, Indonesia
Spoiler Alert: This article intend to includ as few picture as possible, to avoid ruining experience during your first impression when you arrive the destination.
Thai language available here: http://bit.ly/2gJKDbc
Have you still remember your very first chapter of being traveler ? For me, it began since my high school life. We traveled to Tee-lor-su waterfall, Tak, Thailand. On the way to get there, we had to ride on pickup truck that drive along the red soil. The dusts were covering every part from head to bottom. We then had to go along the river by raft, and close the journey by few kilometers trekking. And finally, we reach the waterfall… The very first picture that appear behind all the wood is the enormous waterfall. It super tall and wide that I cannot capture single frame with my compact camera. It still impress in my memory until now, and it also spark life of explorer. I feel delight every time I have been to waterfall in different places.
In this article, I would like to share my new destination experience, Tumpak Sewu waterfall, one of the biggest waterfalls in Java, Indonesia.
How to get there
Tumpak Sewu Waterfall located in Malang city. However, you can go to there either from Malang or Lumajang (In the map: 2nd Green badge)
Remark: In this article, we’re giving the information into the valley that start from Panorama view point in Lumajang city. It’s easier to get to the bottom this way. If you want more adventurous feeling, you can access to the bottom from Malang. You have to climb down with the 90 degree vertical bamboo ladder. It might bring you faster around 15 minutes, but you won’t get an access to Panorama viewpoint.
In this Java trip, our team is a group of 5 people. We hired some local guide that we contacted from Thailand earlier. Because they said it’s hardly to find public transportation to different destinations, hired some local guide can save us a lot of time.
On the 3rd day, we leave from Bromo and Madakaripura waterfall and headed to Gajah Mada Hotel (GM) in Lumajang city, took us 3 hours and a half travel time.
Lumajang is a small city, but still can find supermarket and convenient store, indomaret, Alfamart. Our guide choose this city instead of Malang because it is closer to the waterfall.
We reach the hotel in the evening. Right after dropped the luggage, we went out for dinner. We choose Bamboo restaurant because it’s closed to hotel with a walk range. This restaurant are furnished by bamboo like its name and located aside the river the cross the city. It’s one of the top 3 restaurant in Lumajang city on Tripadvisor. Good taste with nice atmosphere, we highly recommended.
After dinner, we decide to fine some dessert for the late night. We walk pass the hotel to the north and found Putra Bandung restaurant.
As we know, we hardly can find alcohol sell in this land. Most of the shop are usually close during early evening and plain decorated. It doesn’t look we can find entertainment or night club easily here. However, this Putra Bandung Restaurant is decorated so outstanding. With green and orange neon light that hang on the tree all over the open area of the shop, filled the air with some good music that has volume a bit higher than the average of other restaurant, giving me a sense of chilled out. This restaurant looks to me like rare items in Java Island. We went inside the restaurant after the owner inviting us without hesitation.
Moreover, the most impressive thing I like this shop is the owner diligently suggest us the favourite dish… and she speaks English! It’s just hardly to find people speak English here. Her name is Rose. She is Chinese who open this restaurant in Lumajang. She try to make the conversation with us in usual tourist topics. She surprised that we’re Thai people, because we looks Chinese. (Yeah, of course :D) It’s just hardly to find dead air within our conversation.
We finally managed to get lemonade juice, Koroke, and Avocado Ice-cream frappe. After a while, the music that was playing English reggae songs then turned to Thai music! Oh… well customized… Superb! The food also giving us good taste. I also highly recommended, don’t forget to drop by if you visit Lumajang city.
Next morning, we prepared to leave hotel at 7 o’clock. However, my brain won’t get startled if i didn’t get some caffeine. Even if Java is popular in coffee, but it still hard for us to find some cafe here. It took us a little while until we found Fitness Gym that has Cafe included… surprised. It’s name Sanggar Great Gym Cafe
I wish i’m not exaggerating but it was the greatest coffee we ever had since first landing in this island… So, if you rest in GM hotel, please don’t forget to visit here.
Moving to the scene of riding the car. If you plan to go to east Java, please be prepared, you’re going to have a really long drive every day. The route to the waterfall is like any other hill. A lot of sharp curve but not too many. And if the sky is clear enough, you can see Sumeru mountain along the way.
9AM, we then reach the parking area of the waterfall. In this area, they have toilet available for you to change your clothes. After we finished preparing the stuff, we then go down along the way and pass Sala farm (very delicious one). After couple of minutes, we then reach the first viewpoint, Panorama viewpoint. Here, you can see the gigantic waterfall from the very top.
Here is Tumpak Sewu characteristic, it has a lot of mini waterfall that all have the same height around 300 meters. They arrange to the shape of the cliff like half of the circle. Each waterfall has different stroke weight follow to what nature has designed. You can find it in every degree of that half circle. That’s why local people call this waterfall Tumpak Sewu, which Sewu mean one-thousand.
However, this is not our destination yet. We’re not coming here just to see them in Bird Eye View mode. But instead, we want to see it in Ant Eye View mode! We intended to go deep down in the valley, to see this waterfall from the very bottom. Fortunately, today is such a good day. The sun bright so light with a few clouds. So, the staff allow us and lead us the way into the adventure trail.
Putti, National Park’s staff, lead us to the trail. We got adventurous feeling right after we saw the very steep bamboo ladder. That make some of us worry would we have enough energy on the way back. But anyway, the facilities here are well setup and give us a sense of secure. So, we didn’t have much fear that we initially thought. But not too long… then bamboo ladder are end and followed by just the rope. We all have to go down follow to the waterfall line by using just a rope. We didn’t actually expect this, but it didn’t exceed our capability. (Even if we just bought a sandal from rest area cost around 4 $US)
It tooks us around 45 minutes, and we finally made it to the bottom in the valley. In here, we can see the river the cross the 2 cliff both left and right. From my eyes and look up to the top, I can see moss and fern on the surface of each cliff. And during rainy season, it even drive the shade of green to be more stronger, and this make us feel refreshed. I feel really lucky that today is a sunny day.
But this is not yet the end. We have to turn right and follow the path around 1 kilometer. It’s the route that make us feel so special, because I feel like we always get a warm feeling from natural hug all the time. The very high green cliff from both side that almost touch the sky. When we saw them from the very bottom, it make me notice how tiny we are compare to the nature.
Moreover, since it’s rainy season, and it’s very early morning, it make us the only group that were there in that valley… so exclusive.
At some point in the valley, we have to cross the river to the other side. Our staff help us for crossing it because river during rainy season are very strong. We’re not professional, but finally can made it safely. We have to cross the rivers a couple times more. After we push ourself out from the last cliff, just to see the picture that looks more beautiful beyond any dream. I totally fall in love immediately. Tumpak Sewu waterfall was right there. And I was just an ant.
I feel like I just discover some natural hidden gem. It feels so good to stand right in front of hundreds of waterfall stroke. So high and wide that i cannot cover it all without turning my head. I feel refreshed from the cool feeling of vapour that touch the body. The strong sounds of each water stroke that touch the rock on the very bottom… These are all filled the experience of us while seeing one of the most spectacular natural design I have ever seen.
We spend long time here, see it, feel it and record it both still image and video. We try to capture this special moment as much as we can.
When we feel like we did capture it enough, we then move ourself to the way back, but go beyond that… we went into the trail that called Goa Tetes.
I didn’t do any research of this part. I hadn’t see any picture. Never even know what was it actually. However, the first scene i saw it make me feel more refresh.
It was a waterfall that goes down the black rocks that looks like a big caves. I had never saw this design in any other places. The more i walk, the more i love it. Each part of this trail have different natural design. Some part, you can do climbing because it has a rock to catch behind the waterfall curtain. Some part, it has a mini lake but big enough for you to enjoy yourself or even swimming. Moreover, it also provide natural Jacuzzi, all powered by natural.
We play along in this trail without having any bored feeling. It’s like we’re in a waterpark, but just more soaked.
We spend almost 2 hours within this valley, and we think it was the appropriate time to go up. I was sleep on the ground, trying to catch this very best moment as much as iI could. At that time, i thought that it would be really cool if I can picture this in every night’s dream.
When I made sure that it all recorded in the very deep level, our staff then lead us to the way back. We have to push ourself up with the rope, go along the way with the bamboo ladder, and Sala farm and finally reach the parking area.
1:30PM, as expected, the rain start to fall just the right time to every other day we were here. I feel thankful to the nature. Thanks for saving it not to drop and wait just only this single Thai group to finish their trail first.
I have no idea if it just a coincidence, however, all of the experiences I had got from this trail made me totally fall in love to it.
Last note
Tumpak Sewu or Coban sewu (if called by Malang people) still have few English articles. Most of them are written in Bahasa. That’s why I make my article in English, just for the people who looking for places to fulfil their east Java trip (beside Bromo and Kawah Ijien).
Needs to know
I bring up “Needs to know” section to the very beginning of this article. Because after long time of writing, it start to go longer and longer… and I’m afraid that few people might not finish it :smile: But I really don’t want people to do the same mistake to mine. So here it is.
- Please avoid rainy season. Or do check the weather before start your trip. The thing is, on a rainy day, you will be prohibited to go down into the valley. Only can see from the top view (Panorama view).
- However, if you had to go during rainy season. Please wake up very early and try to reach waterfall as early as possible. Because the rain in Java start to drop in a usual timing, from afternoon until night. So, plan to get there in the morning to avoid the rain, and you have more time in the valley.
- Bring your full gear, and ready to wet. I wore UNIQLO AIRISM and it quite nice. The fabric dry really fast. For the footgear, make sure that you have really good sandal because on the way to the very bottom, you have to pass bamboo ladder that quite steep and slippery. Sneaker or running shoes are also not a good choice, since you have to cross the shallow river (but very strong one). And don’t forget your waterproof bag!
- Waterproof Camera! And if you had it, Action Camera would be the best fit! to capture the gigantic waterfall that hidden in the valley. The water vapour from thousands of waterfall from both 2 side will make you soaking all the time.
- Make yourself light… bring only necessary things. May be a bottle of water is enough.
- And… if you really have time… you can bring garbage bag, because a lot of trash in the valley. My trip leader try to find the bag from the trash in the valley to collect up those trash… however, it’s just too much.
