Lombok’s jungle contains many stunning waterfalls worth visiting. I have fond memories from my childhood of exploring the jungle, swimming in natural pools, and sliding down river rock formations with friends and family. On our recent Indonesia visit, we headed out to Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu. This area contains not only these two gorgeous falls, but various other cascades and pretty river vistas accessible in a short hike. Here are some details to know for your visit!
Getting to the Trailhead
Both Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu sit near Aik Berik in Central Lombok. This area is a great spot to be for those looking to do some hiking, see waterfalls, and explore Mt. Rinjani National Park. If, like us, you aren’t staying in this region, you can reach the parking area near the falls by hiring a driver, taking a taxi, going by tour, or renting your own transport.
Car hire or taxi/rideshare:
We hired a driver for a day through a friend who still lives near Mataram. But there are companies you can find online to hire a driver through and your accommodation may also be able to organize a ride for you.
Additionally, you can hire a taxi. Bluebird is very popular here and you can order a ride through the app or wave a driver down on the street. Grab and Gojek are also rideshare options available in many areas of Lombok. If you do hire a taxi or rideshare for this excursion, we’d recommend seeing if the driver would be willing to wait for you at the falls or return to pick you up. If needed, exchange numbers to WhatsApp him when you’re done hiking because the area where the falls are is a bit more remote and there aren’t as many taxis around.
Car or scooter rental:
You can also rent your own car or scooter/motorbike in Kuta, Mataram, Senggigi, and other cities to reach the falls. The road to the parking area is narrow in spots, but pretty well-maintained.
In our opinion, the driving here is less hectic than much of Bali. But it can still get pretty busy in the larger cities.
Guided tour:
Lastly, if you don’t want to deal with finding your own transport, there are tours that offer excursions to these falls. You can find various tour options on Get Your Guide and Viator or individual tour websites. Many of these tour options will combine a visit to Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu with other sites and activities.
Fees
First, we want to note that the fees aren’t well regulated and we’ve seen various people getting charged different amounts. As a foreigner expect to pay more than the locals. We’ve also seen that solo visitors are charged more than groups. While we’ve seen varying amounts, here’s what the cost was when we visited:
- Parking: 5,000 IDR for a scooter, 10,000IDR for a car. We weren’t asked to pay this as we came with a local driver.
- 2 Waterfall Route (Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu): 90,000 IDR per person
- 4 Waterfall Route (Benang Stokel, Sesere Waterfall, Kliwun Waterfall, and Benang Kelambu): 120,000 IDR per person
- Scooter closer to falls: 35,000 IDR one way. This is if you want to hire a motorbike to take you on the rough road past the main parking area closer to the steps that lead down to the falls. It’s really not far, but this is an option if you don’t feel like walking.
Upon reaching the main parking area, you can pay for your entrance ticket in the visitor office just next to the lot. If you sense that you are being severely overcharged, don’t be afraid to say something. Overcharging is more likely to happen if you go on your own (without a driver or tour guide) and don’t speak any Bahasa Indonesia.
Guides
Furthermore, those in the office may try to tell you that having one of their guides to accompany you is required. At the moment, it is not required to take a guide, though we were glad we opted for one to visit the four falls. He was very kind and helpful in places where the path wasn’t obvious. If you’re just going to the two falls, we don’t think a guide is necessary if you don’t want one. A guide was included in the entry price, but we’d recommend a tip at the end.
Visiting Benang Stokel & Benang Kelambu
When to Visit Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu
Both Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu are beautiful falls to visit year round. May through October is Indonesia’s dry season. This time of year is more popular among tourists because of more favorable weather. The falls won’t be flowing as much during this time. We went in October on the edge of rainy and dry season and there was still plenty of water flowing. In the rainy season (November through April), the falls will have a stronger flow and the area will be more lush. There will also be fewer visitors. However, after recent rains, the trails will be slick and muddy and Sesere and Kliwun falls may not be accessible if the water level is too high.
Whichever time of year you choose to visit, we’d recommend arriving early in the morning and visiting on weekdays to avoid the crowds. These are some of the most popular waterfalls on Lombok, so they can definitely get busy. Supposedly the visitor’s office and road gate to the falls are open between 6am and 6pm, but we have heard that it frequently opens more towards 7 or 7:30am.
Hike Overview for all Four Waterfalls
Hike Type: Moderate out-and-back trail
Distance: About 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) roundtrip
Duration: Just the hike will take about 1h – 1h30m, but you may want to hang out at the various falls for a bit.
The Hike
We left Senggigi earlyish to arrive at the falls around 8am. After parking and paying the entry fee, we headed down the road with our guide. There are a couple little warungs at the beginning. We headed up this road only a short ways before turning off to the left and heading down into the jungle. Our first stop was Benang Stokel. A few water streams plummeted from a high, vegetation-covered cliff to a shallow pool below. Since we were there early and had the place to ourselves.
After taking some photos and admiring the scenery, we continued down the trail. We soon took another left off the main trail down to Kliwun waterfall. If you’re just visiting the two falls, stay on the main path towards Benang Kelambu. As we wound our way through the jungle, down some very steep sections, and walked through the water, our guide was definitely helpful in spots where the trail wasn’t obvious!
We walked up a section of river that led us to a dead-end ravine with a smaller waterfall in it – Kliwun. The enclave was chilly and damp as the water flowing from above caused wind and mist to swirl around us.
We then headed another short ways to Sesere Waterfall. This is a nice place to hang out for a bit if you want to swim as there is a flat spot to sit and a calm shallow pool to take a dip. We waded in the water here for a short while and enjoyed the sun as we chatted with our guide. He had also been making some head pieces out of palm strands as we walked and he gave them to us.
The six of us continued to the final waterfall – Benang Kelambu. This is the most famous and it is known for its beautiful ribbons of water flowing through lush plants clinging to the cliffside. It really did look like something from a fairytale.
Here, there are various paths around the falls and a couple manmade pools to swim in. Note that if ladies want to swim, you must wear a modest one-piece swimsuit or bring a sarong to cover yourself while swimming. When we arrived, there were many locals enjoying the falls. We didn’t hang out here for very long because it was quite busy at that point. But we enjoyed the falls and took some photos before heading up the steps to the path to return to the parking area.
What to Bring to Visit Benang Stokel & Benang Kelambu
Water: Stay hydrated on your hike.
Cash: Bring cash to pay the entry fee, parking, your guide’s tip, for snacks or food there, etc. Card isn’t accepted here.
Snacks: If you’d like to pack your own snacks to enjoy along the trail.
Comfortable Shoes: If hiking the trail to all four falls, we’d recommend something like Chacos, Tevas, or another shoe with good tread that you don’t mind getting wet. You’ll have to climb down steep sections of rocky trail, go up and down many steps, and wade through rocky sections of river.
Sun Protection: Much of the trail is shaded in the jungle, but we’d recommend bringing sunscreen, a hat, and/or sunglasses
Swimsuit & Towel: If you’d like to take a swim. Remember to bring a sarong if you don’t have a modest swimsuit.
Camera: If you’d like to capture these beautiful waterfalls.
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