TZTumpak Sewu Waterfall (also known as Coban Sewu) is arguably Indonesia’s best waterfall. It is by far one of the most impressive waterfalls I’ve seen and I absolutely adore the hike downwards because of how “natural” it was. It gave me a good chance to put my balancing skills to the test.
The hike:
We were first brought to view the waterfall from the top, and I thought that was it. Oh boy, how naive was I! The next thing I knew we were already on the descend downwards to the bed of the waterfall.
The track was very natural and nothing fancy. I was not expecting to see the track made up of wooden sticks or planks, bamboo, ropes and rubber tyres. Hence, my best advice to you is to wear comfortable clothing that allows you to stretch easily.
Be prepared to get dirty and wet as you may be required to step into small trails of running water at times just like this! Don’t worry, the water is really clean and refreshing though!!
Go slow and steady because you don’t want to slip and end up falling down the steep track. The track is really dangerous given its altitude and looking at how it is built. All in all, it is not meant to hold people once they lose their footing.
After approximately 30 minutes of descend, we were greatly rewarded with an AMAZING view of the waterfall! The air was refreshing and made better with the awesome company. It was a complete bonus that our guide was literally our part-time photographer because he knew the best angles for us (and the waterfall). I’ll let the picture do the talking!
How to prepare for the hike?
1. Be prepared to get wet, wear the right clothes and bring a lightweight jacket as it may be cold since it’s located quite high on a mountain too
2. Wear shoes with good grip. I personally wore my waterproof Birkenstock and it proved to be the best shoe to be in as it gripped so well on wet rocks and soil.
3. Waterproof casing for your phone to capture amazing photos on your hike down because well, there’s really a good chance for your phone to get wet at a waterfall
How did we get around Surabaya:
We signed up for a private tour package with one of the local tour groups in Surabaya and I cannot ask for a better private tour guide and itinerary. If you are interested in the private tour I signed up for and have further questions, just drop me a message or otherwise, contact them directly to book a tour!
