Lombok offers visitors a huge selection of stunningly beautiful natural places to visit and has enormous potential for ecotourism. Some of the most popular tours for travellers include trekking through the jungles and rainforests, and visits to the island’s beautiful waterfalls.
Sendang Gila and Tiu Kelep waterfalls, near Senaru at the base of Mt Rinjani in Lombok’s north, are already well known tourism destinations; as is the scenic Jeruk Manis waterfall at Kembang Kuning in East Lombok. Now visitors are starting to discover two very special waterfalls in Central Lombok that, until now, have largely been the hidden domain of local people in the know.
Benang Stokel is located in the village of Aik Berik in Central Lombok, about 27 km east of Mataram and less than one hour’s drive from the capital. The village is easily reached by car or motorbike and is set amongst pretty agricultural land, with green rice fields and verdant fruit orchards. The area boasts two stunning and separate waterfalls – Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu – each within trekking distance of each other.
Benang Stokel is the first of the waterfalls and is easily accessed by a short walk from the paved parking area at the start of this national reserve. There is a small entrance fee payable, which helps maintain the park area and the limited camping facilities nearby. There are also small stalls selling snacks and drinks, and friendly young boys who work as unofficial guides and will carry your bags or picnic baskets for a small fee.
Benang Stokel features two waterfalls falling more than 30 metres down a steep cliff face covered with ferns and jungle vegetation. The waterfall to the left is the higher of the two and is more powerful. The fall on the right side splashes into a small rocky pool at the bottom. Local people have come to these waterfalls for centuries to refresh themselves in the cool and serene atmosphere and to stand under the pounding waters, which are believed to have healing properties.
Benang Stokel is now opening up as an alternative trekking route for people wishing to climb Lombok’s famous volcano, Mt Rinjani. Trekking through dense forest, the climb up to the crater rim takes between 6 and 8 hours and offers lots of variety, with the famed Tiara Dewi Anjani waterfall as one of its highlights, as well as the possibility of seeing herds of deer. The area is also home to the rare black Ebony Leaf monkey, orchids, butterflies, vanilla orchids, cocoa and coffee trees. This route has been used for centuries by hunters and local people, and is perfect for trekkers looking for a completely different angle of approach to climbing Rinjani.
After relaxing on one of the berugaks and a having a splash in the cool water, it is relatively easy to make the trek to the second set of waterfalls, around 30 to 45 minutes away. A small track leads up the incline through the jungle, twisting through the verdant rainforest of the surrounding hills. Although parts of the trek can be a bit slippery and arduous, the track is safe and can be navigated by most people. The view of Benang Kelambu at the end is worth every minute of the effort!
At the end of the dirt track, a series of rock and cement steps leads down to the base of these magnificent waterfalls. In typical Indonesian style, these are steep and unevenly spaced with treads of varying widths, making the climb back up a good aerobic exercise! As soon as you reach the steps, the view of the falls misting across the greenery of the hillside is breathtaking. This sort of scenery is reminiscent of Amazon rainforests… totally natural and simply stunning!
Kelambu means “net” in the local Sasak language and refers to the waterfalls, which spread out across the hillside like drapes or nets. There are five different waterfalls, each falling like veils through the lush ferns and jungle vines that cover the 40 metre high hillside. Large boulders embedded at different levels on the slope break the falls and provide perfect lounging places to rest and let the fresh water cool your body.
At the base of the falls the water splashes onto rocks and runs in pretty streams down the hill to the river below. It is an idyllic place to relax, climbing the rocks and sitting under the falls to cool off, letting the water splash gently over you and wash away the stress or sitting on the rocks at the base, gazing up at the sweeping sprays making rainbows above. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the shade and spend a few hours drinking in the serene beauty of this lovely spot.
Both waterfalls can get a bit crowded on Sundays and public holidays, as they are popular picnic destinations for local families, but during the week the area is a peaceful and enchanting place to visit.
