Tiu Teja is an epic single-drop waterfall with a shallow pool for swimming at the end of a scenic hike through the jungle foothills of Mount Rinjani in Northern Lombok.
Due to the rugged volcanic slopes and tropical climate, the North Lombok Regency is home to some of the best waterfalls in Lombok. I’ve explored over a dozen waterfalls on the island and in this guide, I’ll detail exactly how to get one of my favorite cascades, known locally as Air Terjun Tiu Teja.
About Air Terjun Tiu Teja
- Height: 40-50 meters
- Hike Distance: 3.6 km (2.2 mi) return
- Hike Time: 1 hour (return)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Swimming: Yes in a shallow pool beneath the falls
The Tiu Teja waterfall is located near Santong Village and requires a short hike through local banana, jackfruit, and cacao plantations to reach. Due to its remote location, this waterfall is very quiet and you will likely not see many other travelers here.
Locals told me that this name translates to "rainbow waterfall" because you can often see a rainbow in the powerful mist. I hiked to this waterfall on the way to Tiu Sekeper waterfall, which is the tallest waterfall on Lombok and shares the same trailhead.
In the past, the Indonesia Tourism Board promoted this waterfall and built some infrastructure to attract tourism. However, similarly to Mangku Sakti Waterfall, I noticed that everything has been abandoned and the path is in bad shape. I suspect this is from the earthquake. Luckily, it's still possible to reach it for adventurous travelers.
Note: Tiu Teja is known on Lombok as the "twin falls" and many of the older photos you see online feature two plunging waterfalls. However, during my recent visit in the wet season, it seems that upstream flows have changed, now concentrating the flow into a single drop.
Where is Tiu Teja Waterfall
Tiu Teja is located near the village of "Waker" (pronounced wahkher) in the broader "Santong Village" area. The waterfall runs on a river called "Kali Sedutan" at an altitude of around 580 meters above sea level according to my Garmin watch.
While the roads 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 waterfall tours or day trips that include a visit to Tiu Teja online. Therefore, the only way to get here is to rent a car or motorbike and visit the waterfall independently.
You can rent a motorbike in the popular tourist hubs of Senggigi or Kuta Lombok for around 100,000 to 150,000 IDR per day.
The starting point for the hike is beside a small parking lot for 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.
Maps Pin: "parkiran air terjun tiu teja"
Tip: If you are looking to book a waterfall tour, check out the popular Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfall and the Benang Stokel & Benang Kelambu Falls.
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.
Entrance Fee: Free
My Experience Hiking to Tiu Teja
The trailhead to Tiu Teja starts directly opposite the warung pinned above and starts off as a bumpy, concrete path. Locals use this "road" daily to transport harvests from the nearby plantations. If you are confident on the motorbike, you can ride all the way to the turn-off, making the hike to Tiu Teja very short.
However, we decided to hike from the Warung. The trail is scenic and easy to follow, climbing gently through the plantations. There is even a sign at the start. Along the way, keep an eye out for wildlife including the famous "black monkeys" living in this region.
After roughly 1.3 km (0.8 mi), we arrived at an old, abandoned building and some small open bungalows called berugak in the local language. This marks the right turn-off on the trail down to Tiu Teja by a blue handrail. If you keep going straight, you will eventually reach Tiu Sekeper. However, this path is much more difficult to navigate.
Descending Path to the Waterfall
It seems as if this waterfall was once a popular attraction since there is quite a bit of infrastructure and a concrete path with safety rails leading down to the waterfall. Although, this is all badly damaged.
Regardless, took the trail down, which featured slightly slippery steps since we were visiting in 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 around 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 this waterfall from the trailhead.
What to Expect at Tiu Teja Waterfall
As I mentioned above, I was expecting to see the famous "double" drop waterfall I'd 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.
We took some photos from the left side of the falls and then continued down for a swim and to cool off. The flow from Tiu Teja is extremely strong and creates a lot of mist spray. If you're lucky, you'll see a beautiful rainbow!
After a short swim, we climbed into the cave behind Tiu Teja. This cave is quite large and offers an awesome perspective 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!
Where to Stay in Lombok
Lombok is quickly becoming one of the best places to explore in Indonesia. There are a range of hotels, villas and resorts that offer the ultimate relaxation when visiting Senaru, Kuta, Senggigi and Tetebatu.
Below are four of the top hotel and resort picks for various budgets and travel styles in each area. Alternatively, read my complete guide to Where to Stay in Lombok.
1. Rinjani Lodge Senaru
Offering stunning views over Mount Rinjani it is hard to beat the Rinjani Lodge. Sit by the pool and relax whilst taking in the scenery whilst sipping on a cocktail under the sun.
2. Martas Windows Kuta
Just a short 400m walk from Kuta Beach the Martas Windows is a great pick for those looking for a comfortable stay in villa styled rooms with an outdoor pool and palm tree views.
3. Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort Senggigi
If you're looking for luxury the Sheraton on Senggigi Beach ticks all the boxes. With a swim up bar, two tennis courts and an on site spa it has something for everyone.
4. Les Rizieres Lombok Tetebatu
Located amongst the rice fields and within walking distance of Tetebatu town the Les Rizieres offers comfortable accommodation with spectacular views and a relaxing atmosphere.
More Lombok Travel & Adventure Guides
I hope that my guide to Tiu Teja waterfall has inspired you to visit this scenic cascade in Northern Lombok!
If you have any updates regarding the trail or the confluence of the twin waterfalls, let me know in the comments so that I can update it for other travelers! For now, check out some of my other Lombok guides below for more inspiration.
- 4-Day Boat Trip to Komodo From Lombok - read about my favorite boat trip in Indonesia
- Lombok Travel Guide - My massive travel guide with 50+ epic things to do in Lombok!
- Lombok Waterfall Guide - Discover all the best waterfalls in Lombok
- Hiking Rinjani Crater - how to hike and camp on Mount Rinjani
- Gili Trawangan - Find things to do on Gili T
- Accommodation: Find out where to stay in Lombok and read my guide to where to stay on the Gili Islands.
