5 Bali spots worth the long drive (waterfalls, a beach, and one clifftop)

Sekumpul sits in Sekumpul Village, Sawan district, Buleleng regency, up in the north of Bali. People call it the most beautiful waterfall on the island, sometimes the biggest too, and once you're standing across from it, both claims feel fair. The water drops from multiple points into the same valley, and depending on which trek you pay for, you'll see two or three of those falls up close instead of just the one everyone photographs from the viewpoint.

At the ticket booth you get three choices. Pay 20,000 IDR and you stay at the viewpoint, no trekking, no guide needed. Pay around 150,000 IDR for the medium trek and a guide takes you down into the valley to Sekumpul itself and the one locals call Hidden Waterfall, an hour or two round trip. Pay around 250,000 IDR for the long trek and Fiji Waterfall gets added on, another ten minutes on foot. A guide is required for both trekking options now. You'll want one anyway. The path down runs about 324 concrete steps, then river crossings and a jungle trail that stays slippery even when it hasn't rained in days.

Budget 2.5 to 3 hours from Ubud, Canggu, or Seminyak, closer to 3 hours from the airport. Go in the dry season, April through October, and get there early. Gates open at 8am, and the parking lot starts filling by 9. Bring cash, bug spray, and shoes you don't mind ruining. You will get wet.

Gunung Payung sits on the Bukit Peninsula in Kutuh village, tucked between Pandawa Beach and Nusa Dua, close enough to Uluwatu that you could fold it into the same afternoon. Figure 30 to 40 minutes from the airport, under an hour and a half from Canggu.

The real catch is the staircase. Something like 300 to 400 steps carved into the cliff separate the parking area from the sand. A shuttle runs for around 10,000 to 15,000 IDR return if your knees would rather skip it, but it stops around 7pm, so don't miss the last one down or you're climbing out in the dark. Entrance itself is only a few thousand rupiah at the gate, sometimes up to 20,000 depending on who's collecting that day.

Once you're down, the water runs that pale turquoise color everyone wants, boxed in by limestone cliffs on both sides. It's mostly a surf spot, not really built for a long swim, so treat it as a photo and sunset stop rather than a swimming beach. Bring your own water and snacks. There's a warung, but it isn't always open.

Bukit Asah is a grass covered hill above the ocean in Bugbug village, Karangasem regency, on the east side of the island. From Denpasar it's about an hour and a half to two hours out through Sanur and Candidasa. Already staying around Candidasa? It's only 7 kilometers away, an easy add-on rather than a special trip.

There's no waterfall here and nothing at the bottom worth mentioning. What you get is a wide, open plateau facing the Indian Ocean, Nusa Penida visible in the distance, and Mount Agung behind you on a clear day. People camp here overnight specifically for the sunrise, though a sunset visit without a tent is worth the trip on its own. It stays quiet mainly because it hasn't made it onto the standard tour bus routes yet. Virgin Beach and Bias Tugel are both close if you want to stretch this into a half day. Weekdays are noticeably calmer than weekends.

Tukad Cepung is in Tembuku, Bangli regency, about an hour from Ubud and closer to two hours from Kuta or Seminyak. This is the waterfall behind most of the photos where sunlight drops straight through a cave opening and lights up the water like a spotlight.

That effect only shows up in a specific window, usually 9 to 11am on a clear morning. Show up at noon and you'll still get a solid waterfall inside a cave, just without the beam. Entrance runs somewhere between 15,000 and 30,000 IDR, paid in cash at the booth.

Getting down takes 15 to 20 minutes on stone steps, then a stretch where you're wading through water that's ankle to shin deep most of the way, waist deep if you push further toward the falls. It's more of a wade in, take photos, wade out kind of stop than a swimming spot. The stairs are steep and uneven going back up, so this one's rough for anyone with knee or mobility issues, and not a stroller situation at all.

Poh Gading is the newest name on this list and still the least visited, which is exactly the appeal. It sits in Kemenuh village, Sukawati district, Gianyar regency, close enough to Ubud that you could pair it with a morning at the rice terraces. The water feeds into the Petanu River over a series of stepped volcanic pools, shaped as much by decades of local farmers redirecting the flow as by the river itself.

About 60 steep stairs take you down from the parking area. Entrance is a 30,000 IDR donation rather than a fixed ticket, and the site runs from 8am to 6pm. A small warung near the entrance sells coconuts and snacks, useful since there's not much else around. Because it's still finding its feet as a tourist stop, expect fewer crowds and a rougher path than the more established waterfalls on this list. Bring shoes with actual grip.

None of these are drive-yourself-and-hope-for-the-best places. The roads narrow fast, signage gets inconsistent outside the main tourist strips, and Sekumpul genuinely needs a local guide for the trekking part regardless. If you'd rather skip the wrong turns and the guessing over entrance fees, message us on WhatsApp and we'll build a route around whichever of these fit your trip.