Waterfalls in Senaru

Guides for waterfall trips

Payment fees to guide visitors to the first waterfalls are frequently demanded by local touts and guides. At times these activities can be quite aggressive and demanding. This behaviour is not officially sanctioned by the regional tourism authorities and a guide is not formally required to visit the waterfall sites. The majority of these informal guides have little if anything to contribute to the visit other than to demand a payment.

Access to the primary waterfall of Air Terjun Sendang Gila is by way of an established pathway and steps and requires no special skills or knowledge as this pathway leads directly and quite unambiguously to the primary waterfall destination. The fixed price entrance fee is posted at the ticket booth at the top of the steps leading down to the waterfall site.

If unsuccessful in gaining direct payment from a visitor the local touts and informal guides often demand a payment from the driver or guide who brought the visitor to the site. The extraction of this payment may be done in a manner that is not immediately apparent to the visitor. Some of the accompanying guides and drivers who escort visitors to the Senaru area may explain this to the visitor, others may not.

A reputable and suitably experienced guide is recommended to walk to the second waterfall. The use of a local guide is not required as most of the established and reputable Lombok tourism guides who take visitors to Senaru know this area well. It is essential to have a guide for Air Terjun Tiu Kelep as this third and more distant waterfall has a requirement for suitable climbing skills and equipment.

If a serious disputation develops with the local self proclaimed guides at Senaru then explain to them that you will leave the site and travel to an alternative location.