Git Git Waterfalls

Photo courtesy of Schristia

Git Git is arguably one of the best known waterfalls in Bali. It seems everyone has either heard of it or been there; or at least they think they have. The confusion exists because there are actually five waterfalls within hiking distance of the tiny Git Git Village and their location makes at least one of them a natural inclusion in tour itineraries in and around Lovina and Bali’s northern region. I’ll try to clarify the situation…

The northernmost of the five waterfalls and probably the most visited is Git Git Waterfall. With a 40m vertical cascade thundering into a small river gorge framed by thick tropical vegetation, it’s one of Bali’s highest and most attractive falls. The plunge pool is rocky and not overly deep but you can certainly splash around in it, safely guarded by the small adjacent shrine. From the car park, it’s only a 700m stroll to the base of the falls along a concrete path interspersed with warungs and stalls selling local herbs and spices and a variety of other items. Without wishing to take away from the natural beauty of these falls, they are pretty touristy and commercialised.

For those who prefer their nature based activities a little more natural, nearby Colek Pomar Waterfall is a better option. Access is from a car park just to the south of the Git Git Waterfall car park and a rather scented trek through cacao, clove and snake fruit plantations and bamboo stands. Before reaching the falls, the trail leads across the top of Git Git falls so there are some great views back down the river gorge but it’s the Colek Pomar that steals the show. Nestled in a narrow canyon so thickly cloaked with ferns and vines it looks like plush green carpet, these falls are picture postcard perfect and intriguing as the water flows from a cave at the top of falls. The cave is actually the outlet for a natural underground tunnel that carries water from the Buleleng River. Allow about 2-2.5hrs to visit Colek Pomar.

The remaining three waterfalls lie about 2-3km further south on higher ground. The northern most is this group is is Bertingkat (Terraced) Waterfall. It’s the smallest of the Git Git waterfalls but very pretty with a small cave off to one side of the plunge pool which is also the best place of this southern group of falls to have a swim. From the carpark it’s only a short walk down a concrete path towards the river. After about 15min you’ll reach a small bridge over the creek from where you can see Bertingkat falls upstream and in the distance another bridge between Mekalongan and Git Git Twin Waterfalls. From here the path follows the course of the river up to the base of Bertingkat. It’s quite a pleasant, scenic walk although climbing back out of the gorge will test your fitness.

It is possible to hike from Bertingkat to the attractive Mekalongan Waterfall only 200m away but it involves a circuitous route through farmlands on the west side of the river, then descending back down to Mekolongan. And of course, you’ll need to return via the main road of the same route to retrieve your car or scooter. If you prefer not to walk, head back out to the main road and drive south a short distance to the Mekolangan and Git Git Twin Falls car park.

Mekalongan is the closest to the car park. Simply follow the short formed path down to the river then cross over bridge and follow your nose. To reach Git Git Twin Falls, veer left before crossing over the bridge. Git Git Twin Falls (also known as Air Terjun Campuhan) is probably the most visited of the waterfalls in the area. At 18m they’re not particularly high but the rocky gorge setting is quite attractive, there’s a nice swimming hole just downstream of the cascade and the access is easy along

All in all, the Git Git waterfalls are a nice outing although you may not want to see all five of them. The entire river gorge is home to a large population of monkeys so keep your eye out for them. If you’re interested in something a little more daring, there are a few professional tour operators offering canyoning activities in the Git Git gorge; definitely not something you should attempt on your own.

You’ll charged an admission fee per person to all the waterfalls at kiosks located near each of the car parks. Since Mekalongan and Git Git Twin Waterfalls are accessed along the same trail you should only be paying a single admission fee. The going rate is 5.000-10.000Rp per person but unfortunately, some of the people manning the kiosks can be quite unscrupulous, demanding fees as high as 50,000Rp per person per waterfall. Another common tactic is to request 20.000Rp citing 10.000Rp admission fee and 10.000Rp donation to the local school. It’s unlikely any of the money finds its way to the school so treat this as a scam. Also a scam is any contention that you must have a guide – you absolutely do not. You may also be required to pay a parking fee at each car park, usually around 5.000Rp per scooter or 10.000Rp per vehicle. If you’re travelling in a private car, the drivers usually take care of the parking fees.

Git Git Waterfalls are located approximately 10km north of Singaraja just off the main road connecting the city with Bedugul.