Putting together a waterfall guide for Indonesia is tough, because there are so many great waterfalls in this country and it’s hard to pick the top ones.

A lot of the best waterfalls in Indonesia are located in Java, Sulawesi, and Sumatra, but even the smaller islands like Bali and Lombok have some great ones too.

In fact, pretty much every island in this country has at least a few stunning waterfalls if you do a bit of exploring. You can click the links in this guide for more info and directions to some of them.

This is not a complete list of Indonesia’s top falls, but these are just a handful of the biggest and nicest ones we’ve seen so far in our many travels around this country!

Sumatra Waterfalls

1. Ponot Waterfall (North Sumatra)

This might be the biggest Indonesia waterfall of all, with a height of more than 250 meters (820 feet).

Ponot Waterfall is a giant 3-step waterfall near the famous Lake Toba in North Sumatra, and you can visit it on a day trip from east Toba with about 2 hours of driving.

You can see it from the parking lot, or hike to the base of the falls in about 10-15 minutes.

2. Sipiso Piso Waterfall (North Sumatra)

Sipiso Piso is one of the nicest falls in Sumatra, and also one of the tallest waterfalls in Indonesia.

It’s a 120-meter giant that flows into the famous Lake Toba in North Sumatra, surrounded by farms and highland scenery. It definitely belongs on any road trip itinerary for Lake Toba or Sumatra, or you can even visit it on a day trip from Medan.

The hike down to the bottom of the falls is also worthwhile if you have time. It takes about 30-40 minutes each way, and you can get some even better pictures at the bottom.

3. Mursala Waterfall (North Sumatra)

Mursala waterfall is unique for flowing directly into the ocean! You don’t see that very often.

This one is nicknamed the King Kong waterfall because of its similarity to a waterfall on ‘Skull Island’ in the movie King King (2005), although I think you only see it in the extended edition.

Mursala island is a small, remote island off the west coast of Sumatra, and it’s not easy to get there. The only way to visit it is on a boat trip, and the seas can be rough!

 

Sulawesi Waterfalls

4. Piala Waterfall (Central Sulawesi)

The Piala Waterfall is a big turquoise waterfall with multiple cascades, located in the Banggai area of central Sulawesi, near the town of Luwuk.

This one reminded me a bit of the famous Kuang Si Falls in Laos, which also has turquoise colored water and lots of separate cascades and natural pools where you can swim.

It’s easy to visit Piala Waterfall from Luwuk since it’s right outside of town, and the drive only takes about 15 minutes.

This waterfall is still mostly unknown to international tourists, but plenty of locals go there, so if you want to beat the crowds then you have to go in the morning, preferably on a weekday!

Piala Waterfall in Luwuk, Sulawesi

 

ETC….