One of the main attractions in Munduk, Red Coral Waterfall (also called Munduk Waterfall) is a narrow but strong waterfall. Getting here is an easier hike compared to the others. The actual trail is a flat, paved road with almost no uphill.
Trail Entrance
You’ll first need to go eastwards on the main road, Jalan Kayu Putih – Munduk. If you’re walking, this is probably the most uphill you’ll have to do. The trail entrance will be on the left, just past Jalan Batugalih, at a large driveway that leads to Melanting Cottages. If you have a vehicle, you can park it in the courtyard at the end of the driveway.
Hike to Red Coral Waterfall
There is a narrow paved road next to a building in the inner courtyard. Get on this path to begin the journey to Red Coral Waterfall. You’ll pass by Adila Warung on the right and eventually a Jalan Tracking Waterfall sign. Compared to the hike to Melanting Waterfall, this path is much flatter with fewer motorbikes passing by.
There will be a covered shed and offering pillar to the left of the path. There’s nowhere to sit in the shed, but it’s a place to hide from the rain or sun. The trail follows the river for a bit – you’ll notice the trench to the right of the road.
Further along, there will be a point where there is another road, slightly raised, running parallel to the road you’re currently walking on. Turn right at the intersection to get on this raised path. It’s not a long walk at this point to Red Coral Waterfall, so you should see the ticket booth within a few minutes.
Red Coral Waterfall Ticket Booth & Toilet
The admission price for adult locals and tourists is Rp. 20,000. The journey down to Red Coral Waterfall is through the small stone gates. Just past the gates are toilets which are free for visitors to use. There were two women’s stalls. Both were sitting toilets, but there was no toilet paper. Unlike Melanting Waterfall‘s facilities, there was a proper sink but no soap.
Red Coral Waterfall
It’s still a short walk from the ticket booth to the waterfall. It’s not as much downhill as other waterfalls, though. The trail will slope down through a natural foliage tunnel to the river. You’ll hear the almost musical sounds of bamboo tubes hitting the rocks as water continually flows through the hollow bamboo in a makeshift perpetual motion machine. There is another small ticket booth next to the river to catch any tourists coming to the waterfall in the alternate direction. Don’t miss the various cairns built in the river.
Red Coral Waterfall is a very narrow jet of water framed entirely by verdant green leaves. The leaves growing on the rocks hide where the water actually starts. The place for photos is on top of a rock in front of the falls. You’ll stay out of the water but still get a bit wet from the mist. Anyone can enter the pool and stand under the spray, though I imagine it would hurt standing under such a concentrated flow of water. There is a wide but rocky “beach area” in front of the waterfall.
Once finished at Red Coral Waterfall, there is a direct path to Golden Valley Waterfall from here. We did this hike via the Eco Cafe, and you can check out my hiking guide if you want to do the same route. Be warned, the Golden Valley Waterfall is quite a long walk from Red Coral Waterfall and includes much more uphill. If you want to finish your hike here, the way out involves backtracking the same route on the way in to get back onto the main road.
