Madakaripura Waterfall
Beautiful and powerful Madakaripura waterfall is one of the waterfalls in the area of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. It’s the biggest waterfall in East Java. The water has cascades from the dense forest above. You need to go 20 minutes and climb the cliffs before you can see the main waterfall. But the stunning glory of rumbling water going down from the cliff is worth the effort for sure!
To be precise, the Madakaripura is a set of seven waterfalls, the biggest cascade of which falls from a height of 200 m. The bottom part of waterfall is no longer flowing streams of water, it turns into a mist of cold prickly rapid splashes.
A Spot for Nirvana
According to Negarakretagama, an ancient Javanese poem and chronicle, the land around Madakaripura Waterfall was given by the king to Gajah Mada, a legendary military commander and sage. Gajah Mada is believed to have used the waterfallas his favorite meditation spot. And eventually, it is here that he attained muksha – freedom from the worldly illusion and eternity in a place of death; what most Westerners would know under the Buddhist term “nirvana”. While there’s no shrine near the waterfall, the spot is considered sacred by kejawen (Javanese Indo-animism) believers. On auspicious dates, such as 1 Suro, night vigils and prayer rituals are conducted here.
Road to the Main Cascade
To get to the canyon with a 200-meter waterfall you have to walk about a kilometer along a mountain river, and then another 500 meters along the river under other four waterfalls. Yes, that’s right, the one and only road goes through rocks under cold waterfalls. So prepare raincoats, camera protection and comfortable shoes which are going to be totally wet. It’s better to roll up your pants and jeans because the depth of the river can be up to the knee.
Local people offer everything you may need on parking: umbrellas, raincoats, slippers and guide service. The road itself is quite safe, so you don’t really need a guide, but locals don’t like those who refuse to pay. So it’s your choice: saved money or good relationships. Like usual in Indonesia, the guide will not tell you stories, but he will help to cross the river and insure in dangerous areas. The price is negotiable; usually it’s about 50,000 rupees per person or about 100,000 rupees for a guide.
You can find warungs on the parking lot and after the bridge where “dry path” ends. A toilet is available only on the parking lot.
Budget
Prepare some money for this trip to Madakaripura. In addition to transportation, porters and entrance tickets and consumption and accommodation. The place to stay that we recommend and close to the waterfall is located in the Bromo area or staying in a tourist area around Malang and the Batu area. Public transport fares or motorbikes to Madakaripura do not reach Rp. 25,000. But if you rent a car from Probolinggo, it usually costs around Rp. 150,000 (PP, including drivers and fuel). For tickets to enter the Madakaripura waterfall, Rp. 5000 per person and if using a local guide service is charged Rp. 50,000 per porter. Of course this rate is not as expensive as when vacationing with children to Kidzania Jakarta, which requires funds of hundreds of thousands of rupiah per person during weekends.
What to Bring
Why is it very important to bring a change of clothes here? Of course, because traveling to a waterfall like Madakaripura is not pleasant if you don’t experience wetness. Put replacement clothes and pants into your backpack. No need to worry about heavy loads because there is a porter who will help carry and maintain your items. To avoid splashing water, several stalls provide umbrellas for visitors to rent.
Documentation preparation. What a shame it is unfortunate if you don’t bring photographic equipment while visiting this most beautiful waterfall. Document your trip with a video and photo recording camera.
Madakaripura Waterfall is one of the tourist areas you can visit after the visit to Mount Bromo. With grandeur, is the perpetual waterfall will pour the water at any time in the “giant tube” which was in the depths of the Tengger Mountains valley.
How to Reach There
Unfortunately there is no public transportation that go to the waterfall. So you can either rent a car, hitchhiking or travel within a group. Since the site is located near the Bromo volcano, the travel to Madakaripura Fall usually combine with a trip to the valley of volcanoes in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park and journey to the “Indonesian Mordor” – Ijen volcano.
Read here how to get to the Cemoro Lawang village (the main transit point of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park) from Surabaya International Airport in East Java and from Bali island.
From Cemoro Lawang village go to Tongas town. Go about 6 km after Sukapura. Near Sapih village you’ll see the road sign to turn to Madakaripura Falls on the left side of the road.
Tour Packages We Have
Here are some tour packages that cover Madakaripura Waterfall. There are one day trip which comprises of trekking at Mount Bromo and visit the Madakaripura Waterfall. There are also 3D2N tours cover more attractions like the famous blue fire lake at Mount Ijen. Or you can also try out our most recommended tour package which is the Mount Bromo and Ijen Tour (4D3N). Below are some links for the tour packages, please check them out if you have the interest to exploreMadakaripuka Falls.
