A thousand falls
A semicircular curtain.
Lutfi adn — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Avrian Priyono — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Syselpunk — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Apundung — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of Indonesia's most spectacular and most photographed waterfalls, its name meaning a thousand waterfalls: a semicircular curtain of dozens of streams dropping more than a hundred metres into a deep green gorge, with the summit of Mount Semeru, Java's highest, behind it on clear days. It sits on the border of Malang and Lumajang, about three hours from Malang. From the viewpoint at the top you take in the whole panorama minutes from the car park. Going down to the gorge floor is a real adventure: very steep steps, bamboo and metal ladders and ropes, stream crossings and slippery rocks, reaching the foot of the curtain and the nearby Goa Tetes cave. Fees are modest, differing between the viewpoint and the descent, higher for foreigners, and a guide is usually required for the descent. The site may close when Semeru erupts, as it did disastrously in December 2021. The viewpoint suits everyone; the descent is for fit people only, in good shoes, and never after rain. Check Semeru's status before setting off.
A semicircular curtain.
Java's highest mountain.
Ladders and streams to the floor.
Sidomulyo, Lumajang, south of Semeru
For most visitors yes, as the panorama from above is the famous one. The descent is wonderful but tiring and slippery and takes two to three hours.