What To Do In Munduk – 8 Gorgeous Places You Need To Visit

Munduk Bali - Le temple Pura Ulun Danu Bratan 6 Couverture

Munduk is a wonderful village located in the central north of the island of Bali. The whole area around Munduk is even more beautiful than the village itself, and I really recommend going there on your next trip to Bali. The Munduk region is mountainous so you can enjoy great views of the Tamblingan and Buyan Lakes and visit many waterfalls.

Long story short, if you love nature, hiking and want to discover an authentic Bali that is not too crowded with tourists, you should absolutely go to Munduk! Given its mountainous location, temperatures in Munduk tend to be slightly on the lower side, which is a very convenient advantage.

Let’s jump right into this, shall we? Here are the usual transportation and accommodation tips to start with. I’ll then tell you about my favorite places in Munduk!

How To Get To Munduk

Scooter Bali Indonesie

As I said previously, Munduk is in the northern coast of Central Bali and is easily accessible from, say, Ubud for example. It takes an hour to an hour and a half to drive there from Ubud. If you’re traveling to Munduk from Kuta, it will take at least 3 hours.

As far as transportation is concerned, I went to Munduk by scooter and everything went really well for me. Roads were in good condition and there wasn’t too much traffic. If you decide to rent a scooter too, it’ll cost you about $3/4 per day.

If you’d rather hire a private driver, the trip will cost between $31 to $42 depending on the city you’ll be departing from. I know a few drivers in Bali who would love to help so let me know if you’re interested and I’ll keep you posted!

Where To Stay In Munduk

Umah De Madya 1

As far as accommodation is concerned, get up the mountainside and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the region. If you have a small budget, book a room at Umah De Madya. The staff is really friendly and you will have a wonderful view of the mountains and rice fields.

Munduk Bali - Vue rizières
Picture from the Umah De Madya

If you can afford to spend more on accommodation, the most beautiful resort in Munduk is undoubtedly the Munduk Moding Plantation Nature Resort & Spa. As you can clearly see in the pictures below, this resort is simply amazing. It is located in the middle of a jungle and the views are breathtaking, especially from their infinity pool.

Munduk Moding Plantation Nature Resort & Spa 1

If you want to have a great time in a heavenly setting, surrounded by nature, Munduk Moding Plantation Nature Resort & Spa is definitely the place to be. Many tourists visit Munduk especially for this resort because their suites are not very expensive considering the luxurious accommodation and service they offer.

Don’t forget to book early though, both the Umah De Madya and the resort I just mentioned tend to sell out pretty quickly.

The 8 Best Things To Do In Munduk

Practical tips aside, here’s a list of the places I loved visiting in Munduk. I recommend you stay at least two days in Munduk to have enough time to enjoy the village. For example, you can visit attractions 1 to 6 near the village on the first day. On the second day, you can wander further to visit the Gitgit hot springs and the impressive waterfalls of Sekumpul.

  1. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
  2. The Bali Gates of Handara Resort
  3. The Banyumala waterfalls
  4. The Twin Lakes
  5. The Golden Valley waterfalls
  6. The Melanting waterfalls
  7. The Gitgit hot springs
  8. The Sekumpul waterfalls

1. The Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

Munduk Bali - The Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

The famous Pura Ulun Danu Bratan water temple is on your way to Munduk. As you can see, part of the temple is built directly on Lake Bratan so get your cameras ready to take gorgeous shots! I must say that this is one of my favorite water temples along with the Tirta Gangga near Amed.

The Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Temple was built in 1633 and is a very important monument to the Balinese people. Dewi Danu, the goddess of water, is worshiped there, and the location of the temple was not chosen at random. Indeed, Lake Bratan is the second largest lake in Bali and is, therefore, a very important freshwater source for the entire region.

It provides water to irrigate many of the region’s plantations and the locals regularly make offerings to thank the gods for this vital natural resource.

2. The Balinese Gates of Handara Resort

Munduk Bali - The Bali Gates of Handara Resort

The gates at the entrance of the Handara hotel have become very popular thanks to Instagram. People stand in line now to do take pictures of them! If you want to see for yourself, these doors are not far from the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple. Here is the exact location.

3. The Banyumala Waterfalls

Munduk Bali - The Banyumala Waterfalls

Entrance: 20,000 rupees, which is a little more than a dollar.

We’re now visiting one of the most beautiful spots in the entire region. The Banyumala waterfalls consist of 4 main waterfalls located in an absolutely magnificent natural park. There’s a small path that will, at some point, lead you to the waterfalls. If you pay close attention, I’m sure you will spot coffee trees on your way there.

The walk to the waterfalls was very enjoyable because the park was clean and well-maintained. I’m sure you’ll find the nice smell of the soil, the chirping of the birds and the beautiful colors of the flowers to be a sense-stimulating experience and a magical moment!

It takes about 20 minutes to get to the first waterfalls so get ready to be blown away! It takes about 2 hours of hiking to enjoy the whole site. You may get tired at times because you’ll have to climb a few hills but the landscapes will be worth all your efforts!

4. The Twin Lakes

Munduk Bali - Twin Lakes 1

There are two more lakes in Munduk. Buyan Lake is the one you see in the picture above and Tamblingan Lake is the one you can see below.

Munduk Bali - Twin Lakes 1

These two lakes are located side by side and you can see both at the same time from the Twin Lakes observatory (exact location). If you are interested, there are treks that start off the observatory. You can join them if you like!

5. The Golden Valley Waterfalls

Munduk Bali - The Golden Valley Waterfalls

We’ve wandered around Munduk, now we finally get to the village itself to visit the Golden Valley. This is a very charming place, a must-visit in Munduk to say the least. You will have to stop on the main Munduk road and go down a few steps to get to the road leading to the valley.

Munduk Bali - The Golden Valley Waterfalls

You kinda feel a bit like Indiana Jones crossing this bridge, don’t you? 😀

Just like the waterfalls of Banyulama, the hike is really great and there were no tourists around.

Go to the large wooden cabin in front of you and get ready to be blown away!

Munduk Bali - The Golden Valley Waterfalls

This hike will take you about an hour to complete.

6. The Melanting Waterfalls

Munduk Bali - The Melanting Waterfalls

The Melanting Falls are also one of Munduk’s must-see attractions. You have to know that the way to get there is not as obvious as to the previous waterfalls. Head here first. Then take the small path that you see on the map and follow this exact route.

Chemin pour aller aux chutes d'eau de Melanting

Feel free to use this app to avoid getting lost: Offline Maps. Avoid taking shortcuts; I have tried several ones and the best way I found is the one you see above. As you can see, there is about a mile to cover so I’d say you need two hours to hike to the falls and back.

Once there, you can get closer to the waterfalls. There’s an inexplicably strong energy about this whole place. I had to have a brief meditation session at the foot of the waterfall! It’s actually one of the most memorable moments I spent in Munduk. 🙂

7. The Gitgit Hot Springs

Munduk Bali - The Gitgit Hot Springs

Entrance: 20,000 rupees, which is a little more than a dollar

Hiking in and around Munduk is very enjoyable but nonetheless exhausting! I suggest you relax for a while in the next attraction. The Gitgit hot spring! Which I stumbled upon as I was trying to find my way around, so to speak. They are located 17 km northeast of the village of Munduk.

As you get there, you will have to cross a beautiful valley for about ten minutes to finally reach the natural hot springs of Gitgit. Maybe we all understand the principles of geothermal energy, but it’s always a surprise to dive into hot water in the middle of nowhere. 🙂

The hot spring is wonderful and the feeling of being in this hot bath in the countryside is truly something to be experienced. This was actually one of my favorite spots; I really enjoyed relaxing here before my last visit to the next waterfalls in Munduk!

8. The Sekumpul Waterfalls

Munduk Bali - The Sekumpul Waterfalls

This trip to Munduk ends with a visit to the very impressive waterfalls of Sekumpul. They are 97 meters high! To visit the Sekumpul waterfalls, you have 3 options:

  1. Watch the waterfalls from an elevated observatory site. Entrance: 20,000 rupees or about a dollar.
  2. Go for the Medium Trek which includes the visit (and the refreshing swim!) to the Twin Waterfalls (picture above) and the visit of the Hidden Waterfall. A local guide will be with you all along. Entrance: 125,000 rupees or about $9.
  3. Go for the Long Trek which also includes a visit to the Fiji waterfall. Price: 200,000 rupees or $14.

Munduk Bali - The Sekumpul Waterfalls

If you are departing from Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu or Ubud, and are interested in visiting the Sekumpul Waterfalls in one day, you can also book this tour online.

Our visit to the Munduk, Bali is over, guys. Great place, isn’t it? 😀 Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

See you around for new adventures in Asia. 🙂

MF

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