Caught in the Rain at Sekumpul

雨 (Ame): Rain

Japanese

So here’s the thing about weather in Bali; it’s a wild card. It had been sunny for two weeks while Google had predicted curtains of rainfall for the entire month. I was in North Bali trying out scuba diving and some serious cliff jumping with the crew when we decided to split the four of us between two motor bikes to drive an hour from Lovina to Sekumpul Waterfall.

It was slightly overcast when we set out that morning, but we were more focused on navigating through the Southeast Asian traffic. We were relieved to make it off the main roads and onto “Bikes Only Rd.,” which was the width of a side walk. As our adventure grew more remote, the pavement ended and gave way to dirt roads and an even more narrow brick road with an irrigation ditch on one side and a cliff drop off on the other. By the time we arrived, the clouds became more dense overhead and a slightly deeper shade of gray.

Usually when you pay the entrance fee for Sekumpul, it includes a tour guide. However, one of our friends had been living in Bali for a year and we opted to head out on our own. A few minutes down the trail, we stopped at a lookout. It resembled a short wooden dock that extended out over the sloping side of the lush mountain. My friend got her drone shots while my other friend took photos on his camera.

As we continued down the trail, we noticed multiple tour groups heading in the opposite direction. Many stairs and a couple river crossings later, we emerged through an opening in the jungle to reveal the base of the 80 meter waterfall. The force was so powerful you could feel the mist from a distance. A surreal feeling settled in as we stared in awe, entirely alone. We reached the pool at the bottom and were immediately met with the cool spray. It was only when the pressure of the water droplets hitting our skin intensified that we looked up. Dark gray clouds had rolled in and a heavy rainfall blanketed the valley. We scrambled to wrap our belongings in giant tropical leaves as water rushed over the ground like a river. Of course, we didn’t take this as a sign to hurry out, but an invite to enjoy the magical moment we had all to ourselves.

The longer we stayed, the louder the waterfall grew and the deeper the pool beneath became. We explored another smaller waterfall and cave before making it back to our motor bikes.

It continued to pour on the drive back, which was the perfect way to keep the adventure rolling.