Tegenungan waterfall or Air Terjun Tegenungan as the Indonesians call it, is a beautiful and easy reachable waterfall. One of the waterfalls in the area of Ubud, so it’s easy to visit this waterfall when staying in Ubud or when you want to combine several attractions in the area (Monkey forrest, Kanto Lampo Waterfall and/or the Tegallang rice fields). We made a combination of Monkey forrest, Kanto Lampo and Tegenungan).
The distance to Ubud is about 20-30 minutes by car / scooter. Download googlemaps offline to find it when you ride a scooter or do as we did hire a private driver for a day. We found a great driver from Bali Best Day tours.
Tegenungan waterfall is a popular waterfall for several reasons. Two main reasons: Instagram and swimming.
Arrival
A large parking place is near the entrance. Parking fees for a car was in 2019 IDR 5,000 (about EUR 0.30). The price to enter the waterfall was IDR 15,000 per person (about EUR 1.00). Paying for a visit to waterfalls is popular in Bali, however I have noticed that the grounds are always very clean. They preserve the grounds very good, especially when man sees how many tourists visit the waterfalls per year in Bali. We never saw plastic bottles or other mess.
Before the kiosk to buy the tickets, there are souvenir shops and restaurants. We had a decent lunch in one of the restaurants. After paying the entrance fee you can see the waterfall immediately from several point of views.
Several photo spots are made so the waterfall and you can go together in one picture. Of course we did do this as well. Our driver took several pictures of us.
After the picturesque spots including angry bird nests, hearts made of bamboo etc (Instagram spots) stairs lead you to the waterfall. Over 100 stairs have to be taken downwards to reach the waterfall. The stairs are paved, so the walk is easy. Wearing slippers is no problem at all for taking the stairs.
Arrival at the waterfall
In front of the waterfall is a small lake where people are allowed to swim. You cannot reach the waterfall, safety lines are in the water because of the power of the water, but the waterfall is very approachable. You feel the power of the water and the splashes.
A lot of people were swimming in the water. So find the right spot for the perfect picture or wait till others are moving. The water was refreshing, so we took a longer time then anticipated to stay in the water. We played a bit in the water and took a lot of pictures. This waterfall is powerful.
Finished swimming, do not look at my hair….. Together in front of the waterfall 
Thomas in front of the life line Thomas near the waterfall Cees near the waterfall
After swimming in the waterfall we dried on the man-made beach and then we climbed the stairs back to the driver and we were ready for our lunch.
Best time to visit this waterfall is early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowd, however it is not possible to arrive everywhere early in the morning or late afternoon unless you spend weeks/ months on the beautiful island called Bali. So going in the afternoon is also a great possibility especially on a dry sunny day when swimming is very refreshing. Note that after you cooled down you have to climb over 100 stairs to go back (not difficult but keep in mind that you might get sweaty when upstairs again).
