Tumpak Sewu is an impressive waterfall located in Pronojiwo, East Java. A hidden gem amongst foreign tourists. After visiting the Iguazu Falls, I feel I’m (more than) a little spoiled for waterfalls, but I found Tumpak Sewu very impressive. There is just something about its dramatic location. You can join a tour to visit Tumpak Sewu, but it’s not necessary. Here I will walk you exactly through how to visit Tumpak Sewu without a tour.
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Table of Contents - Pronojiwo: How to visit Tumpak Sewu without a tour or guide
Where is Tumpak Sewu exactly
Tumpak Sewu is located in Pronojiwo. Pronojiwo is a sub-district in the Lumajang Regency in East Java, Indonesia. The Pronojiwo district consists of 6 different towns, the town of Pronojiwo is the closest to Tumpak Sewu.
How to get to Tumpak Sewu/Pronojiwo
Getting to Pronojiwo by yourself is a little more complicated compared to other places in Indonesia, as it isn’t very touristy. Most people who do visit, are from the area and have their own transport or go on a tour from Malang. It’s totally possible to go independently though, and I recommend it so you have more time for the waterfalls. Malang is still quite a drive away.
The only way to get to Pronojiwo is from Malang. Don’t try to do anything else (like we did 🙈). The only public transport to Pronojiwo goes from Malang and the road between Probolinggo (Bromo) and Lumajang is very damaged due to an eruption of Semeru and floods. Locals already told us this, and we met a guy traveling by motorbike from Bali, who confirmed this. He did manage to get through, but said he had to cross what were basically rivers, and the road was in such a bad condition, it took him a very long time. So it’s better to just go via Malang.
By Tour
Okay, so I know this blog post is about visiting Tumpak Sewu without a tour or guide, but I’m just putting the option out here. If at any point while reading this post you feel joining a tour might be better suited for you, know there is the option. Day trips to Tumpak Sewu leave from Malang. We didn’t spend any time here ourselves, so I’m not sure how easy it is to find an agency walking around. But ask your accommodation about tours/agencies or check Google. Make sure to skip the first options like Viator and GetYourGuide. These are always a lot more expensive compared to local agencies. Plus, with local agencies you can normally negotiate the price too, to get a better deal.
By Public Transport
The way to get to Pronojiwo by public transport, is by bus from Malang. We took a train from Yogyakarta to Malang, and looking at the map, we thought it made more sense to get off at the town of Kepanjen and hop on the bus from there. The bus doesn’t pass through here though, so we took a Grab to Dampit. The bus does go to Dampit, but the schedule is not very reliable, and our bus never rocked up. We waited for over an hour until it was nearly dark and then ended up having to go with motor taxis the local traffic police arranged for us. Grab and taxi cars are not available here.
There is no guarantee that we would have been able to get on a bus from Malang of course, but at least we would know. Maybe it would have left if there were enough people, maybe it was on the way and was just a little more delayed. We don’t know. So better head to Malang and you’ll know for sure what’s happening.
By Motorbike
If you’re comfortable driving a motorbike, you could also just rent a bike in Malang. If you have a lot of luggage, I recommend staying a night in Malang. That way you can leave most of your luggage here and just go with a small bag. The road from Malang to Pronojiwo goes up and down and is super windy! Your back will thank you if you take as little weight as possible.
Where to stay in Pronojiwo
As the main draws in Pronojiwo are Tumpak Sewu and Kapas Biru, I’d stay close to these falls. Especially if you’re coming by public transport. If you have a motorbike, you can be a little more flexible as to the area to stay. Searching for accommodation in this area can be a little tricky. If your using a platform like Booking.com or Agoda, search for accommodation in Lumajang instead, or just use Google Maps.
What to bring to Pronojiwo
Besides your usual luggage, there are a couple of things that will come in extra handy for your trip to Tumpak Sewu. Because you’ll get wet. On the way down to the canyon heading towards the plunge pool and when you’re getting close to the plunge pool you’ll get soaked! Which is fun and refreshing, as long as nothing that shouldn’t get wet does. So make sure to pack:
- A raincoat/poncho
- A drybag or other waterproof bag
- Shoes that provide enough grip and can get wet (my running shoes were perfect)
- An ActionCam (GoPro) or a waterproof bag for your phone to take photos
- Clothes that can get dirty and wet
Getting around Pronojiwo
As I mentioned before, Pronojiwo is not very touristic and most people who do, have their own transport. We didn’t see any rental companies to rent a motorbike. I have to say we also didn’t look very hard, as both Tumpak Sewu and Kapas Biru (another beautiful waterfall here worth a visit) were within walking distance of our accommodation. If you prefer to rent a motor
Visiting Tumpak Sewu
There are a few different sections at Tumpak Sewu from where you can admire the waterfall. Depending on your fitness level and sense of adventure you might want to visit all or pick one or two. Especially getting down is a little tricky, but well worth it in my opinion!
You can get to all of these sections of Tumpak Sewu without a tour or guide. I will walk you through the route that we took, but you can always change things around based on your preference.
The Panorama Platform
This is the most popular part of Tumpak Sewu and this is where the famous postcard picture is taken from. Do note that the best pictures, on which you can clearly see Semeru in the back, are taken with a drone. Don’t let this put you off though if you don’t have a drone. Views are still awesome and if the mountain is clear, you will still see it in the background. Make sure to visit the panorama platform first, and early in the morning. This way you will 1. beat the crowds, and 2. have the best chances of a cloudless Mount Semeru in the background.
The entrance to this part of Tumpak Sewu is marked on the map below. Here you’ll have to pay 20.000 Rp (about 1,20 EUR/ 1.30 USD) to enter + parking if you’re coming by bike.
Getting down to the plunge pool
Getting down is where the adventure (and the fun) starts. The walk is steep and slippery, and includes going down a small waterfall. This is where your waterproof bag comes in handy! It’s not as scary as it sounds, there is a robe and the water doesn’t flow superfast. You can easily see the rocks below on which you can step. I do recommend wearing water shoes or other shoes that can get wet. I used my running shoes which provided enough grip and I don’t mind getting wet. They dry quickly.
Once you get down, you have to pay another 20.000 Rp. Here you can get up close to the waterfall and really feel it’s power. If you weren’t convinced yet you needed a waterproof bag, you will be. 😉You will get soaked.
Once you’re down, you will see ladders on the opposite side of the river. Make a mental note of these, as you can head up this way, passing by another viewpoint on your way out.
The other viewpoint
Once you’re ready to head back up, make your way to the ladders you saw on the opposite side when you got down. You can go up here. You will get to enjoy views from the other side and you can exit from here. This way is a little easier, as it’s less technical. It’s basically just ladders. Do get ready to work those leg muscles though, it’s a long way up! So if you didn’t like the sound of the first option to go down, you can also do it the other way around, or go up and down here (you pay 20.000 only to go down to the waterfall) Then you can always just visit the panorama platform on the other side using the other entrance if you’d like.
Tip: If you didn’t like the sound of the route down from the panorama platform to get to the base of the waterfall, you can also make your way to the other entrance (or the exit in this article) and go down the ladders. You will pay the entry fee (+ parking if you have a bike) upstairs, but won’t need to pay once you’re down.
Other things to do in Pronojiwo
While in Pronojiwo to visit Tumpak Sewu, don’t miss out on Kapas Biru! This waterfall is not as famous as its big brother, but it’s a really beautiful one! It’s not as wide, but tall and surrounded by beautiful vegetation. It’s a very picturesque waterfall and it’s possible to swim in the pools in the river. There is only one way down to Kapas Biru, so it’s a lot more straight forward to get here. The path is easier too, as you don’t need to go up and down waterfalls or what feels like thousands of ladders. It does have some steep parts and it can get slippery though.
Besides these two, there are many more waterfalls in the area you could visit. We would have liked to visit Coban Sriti as well, but unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great. We got a lot of rain, so we didn’t have time for this one.
A bonus for us was having the awesome views over Mount Semeru. Keep your eyes open around town for when the clouds clear! The best chances are in the early morning. If you want to get a closer look, enquire about tours at your accommodation.