Day trip to Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfalls from Senggigi

31 May 2024

Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfalls are located in the town of Senaru, which is the area most people would stay in before trekking to Mount Rinjani. In fact, most of the Rinjani trekkers would include a visit to these waterfalls either before or after their trek. Even though our group is not trekking up Mount Rinjani, the two beautiful waterfalls are worth seeing.

Senaru is located in the north of Lombok, about 77 km from our hotel in Senggigi. We had booked a chartered van with driver and guide for the day trip to these waterfalls. Our guide for the day was Jali since Omar (our guide in the first 2 days) had some family commitments and could not join us on this day.

We left our hotel at about 9 AM. It took us about 2 hours to get to Senaru. On the way, we saw plenty of villages, countryside, beaches and padi fields. We even chanced upon a large herd of goats crossing the road.

By the time we arrived in Senaru, it was time for an early lunch before trekking to the first waterfall. Jali brought us to Rinjani Lodge, a restaurant and hotel accommodation located on the borders of the Rinjani National Park. Situated on the edge of a cliff, it has infinity pools with views of the surrounding mountains, including Mount Rinjani.   The first thing that wowed us when we arrived at Rinjani Lodge was the awesome views.

Infinity pools at the lodge.

Accommodations at the lodge for trekkers to Mount Rinjani.

We enjoyed the scenic views from the observation deck and even spotted some wild black monkeys in the jungle next to the lodge. The observation deck protruded out from the cliff and was quite scary for those who are afraid of heights.  

Observation deck at the Rinjani Lodge with steep drop into the valley below. Notice the extremely low railings.

The restaurant offers a range of Indonesian and Western specialties. My wife and I prefer to try Indonesian food such as the Bebek Betutu (a local duck dish) and the Curry Chicken. The dishes were served with steamed rice, artistically packed inside a cone made from banana leaves.  Lunch at the Rinjani Lodge before our trek to the waterfalls.

Energised from our lunch, we started our trek to the waterfalls. The ticket booth and trailhead leading to both the Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfalls is within walking distance from Rinjani Lodge. Entrance fees were taken care of by our guide Jali.

Jali had made arrangement for a local guide from Senaru village to lead us to the waterfalls. Guides are not mandatory but I was glad Jali arranged for one as we would soon find out.

Our local guide (I did not get his name), armed with a wooden stick, led us down a steep path paved with concrete steps through the rain forest towards Sendang Gile. He told us the stick was to defend us from wild monkeys that lurked in the forest.

Interesting flower of a unknown plant. We saw quite a few of them. 

We could hear and see the waterfall from the trail as we approached it. It only took about 15 minutes from the entrance to the Sendang Gile waterfall.

Once we got to the foot of the Sendang Gile waterfall, we could really feel its might.

Sendang Gile is an impressive two-tiered waterfall with massive force.

We could feel the cool spray of the mist generated by the force of the falling water against the rocks beneath. Despite being the dry season (from May to October), the volume of water cascading down was quite massive.

The pool of water around the Sendang Gile waterfall is shallow at this time of year. It is hence not suitable for taking a dip.

After taking some time to enjoy the surroundings and admire the power of the fall, we continued on our trek to the next waterfall. One member of our party was not feeling well, so Jali stayed with the couple at Sendang Gile Waterfall while our local guide led the rest of the group (3 other couples) to Tiu Kelep.

From Sendang Gile Waterfall, we headed back towards the entrance and turn left at the sign for Tiu Kelep Waterfall. We saw a troop of small monkeys in the trees above but they did not bother us.

The trek to Tiu Kelep was more interesting. The first part of the hike was easy, with steps going downhill and then up to a bridge which is actually an aqueduct carrying water from the mountains to the village of Senaru. As we made our way across the aqueduct, we could see the water gushing rapidly along the aqueduct through the metal grills below us. 

At the other end of the bridge, we saw some locals with inflated rubber tires, offering rides through the aqueduct. 

Hiking towards the Tiu Kelep Waterfall. The sluice gate is the structure at the top of the stairs.

After passing a sluice gate, the hike becomes more exciting. We went through lush tropical jungle, rocky trails and had to cross the shallow river that leads to the Tiu Kelep waterfall.

Our waterfall guide lends a helping hand to ensure all the ladies and some gents negotiate the trail safely.

Before the first water crossing, we changed into our aqua shoes (already wet from the previous day’s trip to the Gili Islands) or sandals so as to keep our shoes dry.  

Changing into our aqua shoes or sandals before the crossing the stream.

Our guide offered to carry our backpacks for the water crossing but we told him we could manage. The water was mostly ankle deep only. Just need to watch out for slippery rocks and strong current. 

First water crossing for the day. 

It was amazing to see our waterfall guide going through the terrain with bare feet. There are some parts of the rocky trails that were lined with sharp chicken wires on top and he just walked right on them.

Enjoying the thrill of hiking through rough terrain.

The path to the Tiu Kelep Waterfall is not well-marked but it is not easy to get lost. Just follow the trail along the river to the waterfall. Having said that, it was good that we had a guide to show us the best path to take.

There are several water crossings before we arrived at the falls. We got more confident after completing the first water crossing. Overall, it took about 40 to 50 minutes to reach Tiu Kelep Waterfall.

Tiu Kelep Waterfall is impressive! It offers a fantastic photo backdrop. Our guide added value by helping to take numerous photos at the waterfall. The area near the waterfall has high humidity and there is a constant stream of misty water spray from the waterfall. Non water-resistant cameras or phones could be easily damaged by the wetness. The ground at this place was also soaking wet so our guide carried a few of our backpacks on his shoulders while taking the photos!

Our guide was careful to shield the lens and openings of my friend’s mobile phone with his hands before taking quick shots. 

Couple photo with Tiu Kelep Waterfall as backdrop.

Group photo taken by our guide.

Our guide knew the best angle and places to get the good photos.

Photo of the day.

The aqua shoes provided good traction on the slippery rocks.

The wet rocks were very slippery and we had to be careful. One of my friends slipped once and suffered a slight abrasion on his ankles. 

After we had enough of the waterfall, we returned via the way we came.

Our guide insisted to help carry some of the backpacks. 

On the way back, one of the guys went for a dip in the rock pool and I followed suit. Big mistake!

I realised that I had my wallet and mobile phone were in my hiking pants after I stepped into the water. As a result, my phone went dead and could not be revived. I lost all the photos taken on this trip. 

I made the mistake of jumping into the stream to take a dip at this point.

Swam with my wallet and Samsung Galaxy S10 in my pocket.

Drying ourselves and changing back to our hiking shoes before trekking back to Rinjani Lodge.

After the last water crossing, we took time to dry ourselves and changed back into our hiking shoes.

After the fun, we trudged back up the steps to the entrance and then back to Rinjani Lodge where we met up with the rest of the group.

From there, we took the 2 hours drive back to Senggigi. By the time we arrived back at Senggigi, it was already dark.

We decided to have dinner at the Ocean Blue Seafood Restaurant. This restaurant is owned by a Malaysian Chinese and serves seafood cooked in Cantonese style. This is also one of the few restaurants we saw that displayed live fish, crabs and lobster in tanks for us to choose from. 

After dinner, we requested our driver and guide to bring us to Fresh Mart Senggigi, an upscale grocery store chain, to buy some beer, wine and snacks.

We ended the day with a get-together to enjoy some beer, wine and snacks in my hotel room.

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Free and Easy at Jeeva Klui Resort in Senggigi, Lombok

1 June 2024

After two hectic days of exploring Lombok’s waterfalls and islands, we had a day to chill out at the Jeeva Klui Resort.

We started the day with breakfast, served in the resort’s restaurant named The Wareong. The restaurant is located on the oceanfront verandah overlooking the swimming pool, the beach, and the ocean beyond. Guests could also sit under the Banyan tree on the beachfront deck as an option but we preferred to eat in the restaurant.

View from our dining tables in the resort’s restaurant named The Wareong.

On the resort island of Bali and Lombok, wareong or warung refers to a small traditional restaurant that sells local food, as well as Asian or Western food. The Wareong in Jeeva Klui serves ala carte buffet breakfast that includes Western, Indonesian and Asian dishes. Over the 4 days of our stay in Jeeva Klui, we practically tried every item in the menu.

While the Western dishes like Egg Benedict, Pancakes, Egg Omelette were nice, we particularly enjoyed the local Mee Rebus, which tasted more like Mee Soto Ayam than the Mee Rebus commonly served in Singapore.

Jeeva Klui’s Mee Rebus – chicken noodle soup with vegetables, poached egg and fried shallots. Served with optional kichap manis (sweetened aromatic soy sauce, originating in Indonesia)

The local Lombok coffee is also worth a mention. The coffee is made from robusta beans grown on the volcanic soil found on the slopes of Mount Rinjani and then roasted with rice. It is served unfiltered in a tall cup. The trick is to let the sediments settled a little before drinking the sooty coffee.

Lombok coffee – unique tasting thick dark sooty coffee.

After breakfast, one couple went to burn calories in the resort’s gym while the rest of us went for a stroll on the beach.

We could hear the roar of the surf breaking on the reef located a hundred meters from the shore. The sand on the beach is slightly dark, mostly due to sediments washed into the sea from Lombok’s black lava rock.

The black sand beach next to Jeeva Klui Resort.

Surf breaking on the reef offshore.

Although the beach is a public beach, we had the beach almost to ourselves.

There are numerous warungs located in a large coconut patch on the side of the resort.  Since this is a weekend, some local families could be seen picnicking in this area.

Some warungs are starting their charcoal stoves, getting ready to serve lunches that includes BBQ seafood, noodles etc.

Stall displaying a large variety of Indonesia 3-in-1 coffee mixes.

Having some fun around a coconut tree.

On our way back to the resort, we joined some locals relaxing by the sea.

Swinging on the beach.

This cafe made use of stray slippers to decorate the entrance.

Words of wisdom.

A local girl enjoying the breeze by the sea.

After the relaxing stroll on the beach, we went for a dip in the resort’s infinity edged pool. The pool is the pool is nearly 25 meters in length and is good for those who want to swim some laps. However, it is about 1.5 m deep throughout. With no shallow area, the pool is not so suitable for kids to play. There is actually another pool by the resort’s gym but that pool that is “adult-only”.

Our friends from the gym came and joined us in the pool. Instead of swimming, they chilled on the lounge chairs and help take photos of us.

After the morning walk and swim, we went for a 2-hours massage at Orchid Day Spa & Beauty Salon, located in downtown Senggigi. This was the same spa we went to on Day 1.

Brochure from Orchid Day Spa and Beauty Salon.

Getting to and from the spa from the hotel was by Bluebird taxis. These are the cheapest and most reliable taxis across Lombok. The hotel reception helped us to call for 2 taxis for our group of 8 persons.  The fare was by meter and cost less than 35 IDR per taxi.

I was actually impressed by the well groomed taxi drivers dressed in smart Bluebird uniform. They are enterprising too. They told us to call them after we finished our massage so they could drive us back to the resort.

After eating out in the last 3 nights, we had a chance to try the dinner served at The Wareong on our last evening at Jeeva Klui Resort. We had made prior reservation for our group of 8, so we were all seated together in a long table.

Dinner at The Wareong in Jeeva Klui Resort.

We were served by a very friendly waiter named Komang who explained and recommended the Indonesian dishes for us.

Komang told us he originated from Bali and in Bali, his name meant 3rd child. This was where all of us learnt about the interesting naming system in Bali.

In general, Balinese people name their children depending on the order they are born, and the names are the same for both males and females. The firstborn child is named Wayan, Putu or Gede, the second is named Made or Kadek, the third child goes by Nyoman or Komang, and the fourth is named Ketut. If a family has more than four children, the cycle repeats itself.

May wife and I ordered the Ayam Sauce Taliwang (Lombok’s Grilled Chicken), Gulai Bebek (Indonesian Duck Curry), Kakap Sambal Matah (Fried Fish) and the Prawn Bisque. Since all the main dishes came with rice, Komang offered to inform the kitchen to replace some of our rice with vegetables since we do not need so much rice. The food was so good that we regretted a little that we only ate dinner here once.

Ayam Sauce Taliwang – Grilled marinated chicken, sauteed vegetables and water spinach salad. 

Gulai Bebek  – Duck Curry dish.

Kakap Sambal Matah – Fried baby fish, sauteed garlic vegetable and sambal matah.

  Prawn bisque with minute pan seared tiger prawns and herbed cream. This really tasted like Lobster Bisque, if not even better.

We were fortunate that there was a live music performance on this night at The Wareong. According to Komang, live band performance only happens on Saturdays.

The band was made up of two guys on guitars (one on acoustic and one on electric). They belted out excellent music from 7 PM till almost midnight, non-stop. They accepted requests from diners and one of my friends went almost berserk with request after request of her favourite songs. You know the electric guitarist is good when he can perform a guitar solo of Hotel California that sounded like the real thing. Even the restaurant and kitchen staff were swaying to the music as they do their chores.

June 1 was also the birthday of one guy in our group. The staff at the restaurant made him a birthday cake to celebrate his birthday.

Our birthday boy took a bite of the cake before we could snap a photo.

Delicious dinner with excellent live music at The Wareong was a great way to mark our stay at the Jeeva Klui Resort.

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