Yeh Mampeh: A Beautiful & Uncrowded Bali Waterfall
Tucked away in the small village of Les — one of many little-visited villages along Bali’s wild and less-traveled North Coast — you can find the beautiful waterfall of Yeh Mampeh… if you know to look for it.
While it’s certainly not hard to find, with plenty of signage on the roads directing you to the waterfall parking area, you won’t find it on most people’s lists of best waterfalls in Bali.
And thank God for that—Bali desperately needs some lesser-visited waterfalls that won’t turn into an Instagram brawl.
That’s not to say it’s not gorgeous. It is. A beautiful 40-meter (130-foot) cascade tumbles from a cliff amidst a Jurassic Park-level lush wall of vines and trees. It’s stunning.
This post will explain how to get to Yeh Mampeh waterfall in northern Bali, why it’s worth visiting, and offer a few tips to make your travels there even better!
Table of Contents
How to Get to Yeh Mampeh
Yeh Mampeh is located between the two main diving areas of Amed and Pemuteran. We happened to be staying at The Tiing Tejakula Villas, in the small village of Tejakula along the main road.
It was a quick 10-minute drive that should cost 100K IDR (~$7) if you’re stopping on the way to another destination or 200K IDR (~$14) roundtrip.
Here are some nearby areas and how long a drive you can expect from each.
- Amed: 1 hour
- Singaraja: 1 hour
- Kintamani: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Lovina: 1 hour 15 minutes
There is no public transportation to the waterfall, as with anywhere in Bali, and it is too far off the beaten path to be included on any guided tours.
Be sure to arrange it with a local driver or your accommodation, unless you plan to visit it by scooter. Parking costs 5K IDR (~$0.30) for a car and probably a bit less for a scooter.
Yeh Mampeh Hours & Costs
It costs 30K IDR (~$2) for foreigners and 10K IDR (~$0.60) for Balinese locals to visit the waterfall. All funds go to the improvement of the waterfall.
After visiting over a dozen waterfalls in Bali, this is the best-maintained waterfall I’ve seen, so the money is put to good use despite the relatively small number of visitors (and thus smaller amount of funds going into the project).
This is one of few waterfalls in Bali that I think can safely see a bit more tourism without it damaging the local community.
The hours are 6:30 AM to 7 PM daily, so you can visit any time of day. We visited around 11 AM and it was perfect.
Note, though, that weather in this part of Bali can change rapidly. We had tried to visit the day before around 2 PM and it immediately started downpouring so we had to try another day.
The Hike to Yeh Mampeh
Calling this a “waterfall hike” is rather generous… it’s really more of a walk. It’s about 1 kilometer in each direction along a mostly paved path.
There are some businesses along the way — two warungs, Warung Ra and Warung Made, and a massage hut, Healing Massage Iluh — so the people working here have scooters, and the path is wide and flat enough to accommodate scooter traffic.
There are also toilets along the way, which you can use as a changing room if needed.
For the last 200 meters or so of the hike, it becomes a little more rocky and muddy in places, but it’s still not a difficult hike.
While not necessarily advisable, I made the hike in rubber flip flops without a problem. But I do that all the time because I hate getting my running shoes wet since it takes a full week to dry out properly in the Balinese humidity.
There are two bridges: one bamboo suspension bridge that is a bit longer and one more makeshift bamboo bridge that is just a few feet long and leads you over a stream. They’re a bit wobbly, but that’s part of the fun!
The waterfall is beautiful, a powerful single-drop waterfall that rushes with water even in the dry season. The water tumbles from a 40-meter drop, about 130 feet, and cascades loudly into a river below.
There’s a small pool below where you can dip your body in, but it’s not necessarily deep enough to properly swim in. You can also stand under the flow of the waterfall and let the water massage your shoulders: a truly free Balinese massage!
This hike is suitable for families with small children so long as you don’t need to bring a stroller the entire way. Unfortunately, like most waterfalls in Bali, it is not wheelchair accessible.
It’s good for people who aren’t in excellent shape, as you only need to walk for about 15 minutes, and there are no sharp inclines or steep steps.
There are also lots of really beautiful plants and flowers along the path which makes it a great place for photographers (and for people like me who like to play at being a photographer as soon as I get out of breath on an incline).
Hiring a guide is possible at the ticket desk, but it is not required. The path is very well-marked and well-kept, so you only need to hire a guide if you want insight into local customs, plants, myths, etc. — which we’ll get into now in the next section of this post!
Spirituality and Yeh Mampeh
Halfway to the waterfall, there’s a sign that says Secret Yeh Anakan. Off to the left, you can find an area with three fountains where you can perform a melukat ritual. You can book a guide to help you perform the melukat here via the village’s website.
Melukat is a Balinese ritual where you can do ablutions in the fountain after leaving an offering. The makings for the offerings are sold at Warung Made, such as fruits, rice, incense, banana leaf, candies, etc., which you’ll encounter along the way.
If you want to leave an offering and perform the ritual, I suggest going with a guide — book it here via the village’s lovely website. This helps support the village’s efforts to be seen as a worthy tourism destination in Bali and provide local jobs, stemming the migration of Northern Balinese to the tourist-packed south.
Your guide will help you perform a melukat ritual in a respectful manner, including leaving an offering and experiencing the cleansing power of the waters.
And you’ll be in good company if you do. Many local Balinese from nearby villages come to this area to perform the melukat and give offerings for the deities believed to be present in the area… and all over Bali’s nature.
The Balinese religion is a unique combination of Hinduism and animism, found nowhere else on earth, so it’s quite unique and beautiful to witness.
After leaving offerings and completing the first stages of the melukat ritual, local Balinese stand in the waterfall to receive blessings and good health before meditating in the water’s rush.
Please be respectful of those who come here to pray and let them perform their rituals and prayers without disturbing them before going to the waterfall yourself.
Final Thoughts Before Visiting Yeh Mampeh
Travel responsibly: Do not leave any trash behind — there are three canisters so you can even sort your waste which is a rarity in Bali and shows just how much care the local community puts into the upkeep of this special waterfall.
Pack thoughtfully: It’s not a difficult hike, but you’ll want to wear clothing you feel comfortable moving around in and a bottle of water. Closed toe or hiking sandals are recommended but not required. A bathing suit is a good idea if you want to go in the water. A rain jacket would be a good idea in case the weather changes quickly… which it did rapidly on our first attempt. I also suggest bug spray.
Behave respectfully: This waterfall is a local favorite and while they certainly welcome tourists (otherwise I would never write this post), there are many Balinese who come here to perform spiritual rituals like the melukat. Do not fly a drone, dress in a very skimpy manner (bathing suits are fine, thongs are not), or play music from a speaker.
Enjoy and please leave this waterfall just as beautiful as when you first found it!
Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. Her blog posts merge her background as an educator with her experience traveling to 70+ countries to encourage ethical, meaningful travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. Now a full-time traveler, she has lived in Prague, Sofia, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
