Tiu Teja Waterfall Hike in North Lombok: A Complete Guide
In this article, we will explore this beautiful island away from the world and recommend hiking.
Where Is Tiu Teja Waterfall
Tiu Teja is located near the village of “Waker” (pronounced wahkher) in the broader “Santong Village” area. According to my Garmin watch, the waterfall flows into a river named “Kali Sedutan” at about 580 meters above sea level.
While the roads leading to get here are in decent shape, this hilly region is remote. Expect at least 1.5-hours from Senggigi, 1 hour from Senaru, or 3 hours from Kuta Lombok.
- Location: 8°20’02.6″S 116°18’10.9″E
How To Get To The Tiu Teja Trailhead
At the time of writing, there are currently no online waterfall tours or day trips that include a visit to Tiu Teja. Therefore, the only way to get here is to rent a car or a motorbike and visit the waterfall independently.
You can rent a motorbike in the popular tourist hubs of Senggigi or Kuta in Lombok for around 100,000 to 150,000 IDR per day.
The starting point for the hike is beside a small parking lot at the Tiu Teja trailhead. Conveniently, this is marked as “Parkiran Air Terjun Tiu Teja” on Google Maps. The road through Santong is sealed for most of the way but has some bumpy, unsealed sections. Additionally, the way is not signposted, but we had no issues finding it using Google Maps.
Once you arrive at the pin location, you’ll see a small warung where you can park your bike or car for free.
Hiring A Local Guide
After the long drive from our hotel in Senggigi, the warung owners beside the parking area invited us for a coffee before we set off on the hike.
Shortly after, the local “manager” of the waterfall approached us and offered to be a guide. We told him that we did not want a guide, since we were looking to find “Tiu Sekeper” and were only visiting Tiu Teja on a short side trip.
He tried to discourage us from going without a guide but we persisted and he wasn’t too pushy. He told us that the local guide fee is 250,000 IDR to Tiu Teja and confirmed that this is optional. Lately, travelers have told me that there is a mob of locals trying to pressure travelers into hiring them. Know that this is not compulsory but you can if you wish.
Descending Path To The Waterfall
It seems as if this waterfall was once a popular attraction, as there is quite a bit of infrastructure, including a concrete path with safety rails leading down to the waterfall. Although this is all badly damaged.
Regardless, we took the trail down, which had slightly slippery steps due to our visit during the rainy season. The path also features a lot of rockfall and blowdowns covering the trail. We had to climb over a few of these sections. I recommend being careful here!
After about 10 minutes, descending approximately 50 meters, we reached the river below and could see the waterfall plunging heavily into the narrow basin. It took us approximately 30 minutes to reach the waterfall from the trailhead.
What To Expect At Tiu Teja Waterfall
As I mentioned earlier, I was expecting to seeing the famous “double” drop waterfall I had heard so much about. However, on our visit, the flow was concentrated into a strong, single drop to create a natural amphitheater surrounded by lush greenery. Below it, there is a shallow pool around 1 meter deep.
After a brief swim, we entered the cave behind Tiu Teja. This cave is quite large and offers an amazing view from behind the waterfall!
We spent approximately 20 minutes or so enjoying this waterfall before continuing on to find Tiu Sekeper. However, if you only wish to enjoy this waterfall, you can easily spend a few hours here in complete serenity. We didn’t see any other travelers the whole day!