Kebo Iwa Waterfall, Mengening: Newly Opened, Route from Ubud

Kebo Iwa Waterfall in Banjar Tegal, Mengening village, Kubutambahan, Buleleng, officially opened to visitors on Saturday 26 September 2026, together with Batu Meteras Waterfall in the same village. It is about 62 km from Ubud via Kintamani, so leave early and allow two to two and a half hours each way.

According to the official Kubutambahan district website (26 September 2026), the district head opened it on behalf of the Buleleng regent, and the village, its BUMDes enterprise and the local tourism group spent around Rp600 million on the access road, ticket booth, toilets and landscaping. The village head said the access road was hit by a landslide during construction. Buleleng's culture and tourism office has included it in plans for a Mengening tourism village. Do not confuse it with Pura Mengening in Tampaksiring or the Kebo Iwa sites in Gianyar; this one is in north Bali.

Why you need to be careful here

On 20 November 2025, before the official opening, a 15-year-old local drowned after being pulled into a whirlpool in the plunge pool while helping his younger brother. Kubutambahan's police chief estimated the pool at about four metres deep (NusaBali, 21 November 2025). A day later, a man watching the search fell from a cliff roughly 20 metres high, and Buleleng Police described the rocks around the falls as slippery. So: do not swim near the falling water, do not stand on the cliff edge for photos, and this is a poor choice for small children or non-swimmers, especially now that the rainy season has started.

A day route from Ubud

• 6.30am leave Ubud via Tegallalang towards Kintamani.
• 7.30am quick coffee stop at Penelokan, then head down towards Kubutambahan and follow Google Maps to Mengening village.
• 9.00-10.30am at the waterfall. Come early because there are no published opening hours yet, and the valley light is better before noon.
• 11.00am drop to the coast and visit Pura Meduwe Karang in Kubutambahan.
• 12.00pm lunch and a dip at Air Sanih.
• 2.00pm return via Kintamani, reaching Ubud around 4.30pm.

From Canggu it is about 91 km. Leave by 5.30am and allow more than three hours each way, because map apps are usually too optimistic on the Kintamani road. If you have time left, Kapas Waterfall in Tamblang is in the same district. A calmer option is to spend the night in Lovina or Singaraja, for instance with an AccessiaPass hotel voucher, then leave at 8am and arrive in about 45 minutes.

Tickets, hours and getting there

• Location: View on Google Maps. Map pins for new places are not always accurate, so ask locals in Banjar Tegal.
• Tickets and hours: the ticket booth is built, but prices and opening hours had not been published by the district or the media as of 31 October 2026. Bring small cash.
• Transport: a rental car with driver is safer than a scooter if you are not used to the steep descents from Kintamani.
• Instagram: we found no official account yet; search Instagram for recent visitor photos.
• Bring: sport sandals, a change of clothes and a bag for your rubbish.

FAQ

Can you swim at Kebo Iwa Waterfall?

We found no written ban, but the November 2025 drowning happened in this pool. Stay in the shallow edges and follow staff instructions.

What about Batu Meteras Waterfall?

It opened the same day, but as of 31 October 2026 no official source describes its access or ticket. Ask at the Kebo Iwa booth.