Nungnung Waterfall (Air Terjun Nungnung)

Pelaga Village / Petang, Bali, Indonesia

About Nungnung Waterfall (Air Terjun Nungnung)

For Subscribers Only. See Membership Options.

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Nungnung Waterfall (or Air Terjun Nung Nung) was perhaps one of the most impressive waterfalls that we’ve encountered in Bali thanks to its unusually tall, high volume, mist-producing plunging flow.

It’s widely reported to be about 50m tall in the literature (though I saw another source saying it was 80m tall), which made it one of the tallest permanent waterfalls in Bali.

Nungnung_058_06192022 - Nungnung Waterfall
Nungnung Waterfall

In addition to its height, apparently its high elevation position downslope of the Danau Beratan Lake also made it one of the highest elevation (if not the highest elevation) waterfalls in Bali at 900m.

In order to witness this hidden waterfall, we had to go on a pretty strenuous upside down hike that descended some 486 steps over 125m of elevation loss within roughly 750m or so.

While the distance was modest, this steep path was full of hazards as the concrete steps were very slippery in spots, especially where the path sloped (as opposed to steps).

The conditions were exacerbated given that it had rained overnight prior to our visit in mid-June 2022, which was apparently still the rainy season on the south-facing slopes of Central Bali.

Experiencing The Nungnung Waterfall

Nungnung_021_iPhone_06202022 - Sunrise as we looked towards Mt Agung (right) and Mt Batur (left) from the Nungnung Waterfall car park
Sunrise as we looked towards Mt Agung (right) and Mt Batur (left) from the Nungnung Waterfall car park

From the car park (see directions below), we managed to get an early morning view eastwards towards both Mt Agung and Mt Batur (before the clouds rolled in again).

The price of admission to the Nungnung Waterfall (the ticket kiosk was right by the car park) was IDR 20k per person as of our mid-June 2022 visit.

Then, we descended a steep road 150m to its bottom where there was an ornate start of the steps leading to the Nungnung Waterfall flanked by some warungs to the left (keep right to descend the steps).

Then, we proceeded slowly for the next 750m or so down a seemingly endless series of steep steps that were steep enough to force us to go sideways in several spots.

Nungnung_019_06192022 - Mom carefully descending the many steps leading down to the Nungnung Waterfall while surrounded by low-lying clouds clinging to the high elevation slopes
Mom carefully descending the many steps leading down to the Nungnung Waterfall while surrounded by low-lying clouds clinging to the high elevation slopes

It didn’t take long before we were pretty much surrounded by a high elevation jungle with a few strategically-placed shelters along the way.

In a couple of spots, there were some deformations to the railings flanking the many steps along the way, and that was due to the odd rock falling downslope (not a surprise given how steep the terrain here was).

Eventually at the bottom of the descent, we crossed a footbridge over the Ayung Stream, which appeared to be sourced from seepage beneath the Danau Beratan Lake as a spring.

Once across the bridge, the path flattened out momentarily and followed the east side of the stream upstream before making its final descent across from a side waterfall and ultimately arriving before the Nungnung Waterfall.

Nungnung_029_iPhone_06202022 - Closer look at the impressive Nungnung Waterfall from its spray zone on the other side of the Ayung Stream
Closer look at the impressive Nungnung Waterfall from its spray zone on the other side of the Ayung Stream

Although you can view the Nungnung Waterfall from the east side of the Ayung Stream, there was a bridge that allowed us to go to the other side and get closer to the blasting mist zone fronting the waterfall.

There was also another path past some rubbish bins beneath the steps leading closer to the side waterfall nearby.

While it might be tempting to swim in the large plunge pool before the Nungnung Waterfall, the high volume of the Ayung Stream and the confined mist along with threat of rockfalls made it not a good idea during our mid-June 2022 visit.

So once we had our fill of this secluded waterfall, we then had to get back all that elevation loss (apparently upside-down hikes were quite the norm throughout Bali’s waterfalls) to regain the car park.

Nungnung_089_06192022 - Looking up at the steep steps and neighboring waterfall as we had to get back all that elevation loss on the way back to the car park for the Nungnung Waterfall
Looking up at the steep steps and neighboring waterfall as we had to get back all that elevation loss on the way back to the car park for the Nungnung Waterfall

All things considered, we may have walked about 1km round-trip (the GPS went crazy given the lack of satellite visibility throughout the excursion), and we spent a little under 90 minutes away from the car.

Authorities

The Nungnung Waterfall (or Air Terjun Nung Nung) resides in the Badung Regency by the Pelaga Village near the lakeside town of Bedugul in Bali Province, Indonesia. It may be administered by the Badung Regency local government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting this website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.

Trip Planning Resources


Nearby Accommodations

This content is for subscribers only. See Membership Options.

Tagged with: pelaga, petang, badung, bali, indonesia, hidden, steps, upside down, ubud, singaraja,



Visitor Comments:

Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...

No users have replied to the content on this page


Share your thoughts about what you've read on this page

You must be logged in to submit content. Refresh this page after you have logged in.

Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:

If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...

No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall


Have you been to a waterfall? Submit a write-up/review and share your experiences or impressions

Review A Waterfall

Nearest Waterfalls



How To Build A Profitable Travel Blog In 4 Steps

Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.