Tetebatu is a lovely village in the east of Lombok. Tetebatu is known for its beautiful green surroundings with many rice fields. It is advisable to stay at least 2 nights here so that you can do the most enjoyable activity of all: making a hike through the phenomenal surroundings with a local guide. Be surprised by one of the most beautiful areas in Lombok.
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What to do in Tetebatu? Go hiking with a local guide
The best activity to do in Tetebatu is to take a day hike with a local guide. During this amazing hike you will get to know local Lombok. Your guide will pick you up around 08:00 am, after breakfast. Then you walk to a really small village, where the women roast coffee beans and grind them into powder. Everything is done by hand and it is a labor-intensive process. Of course you get to taste a nice cup of fresh ‘kopi Lombok’.
You then continue walking to another small village, where an older lady makes her own pure coconut oil. She does this by mixing the coconut rind with water and then – with the help of a tea towel – wringing it out dozens of times. We tried this ourselves and can tell you that it is very tough. This lady is really strong! After the coconut milk is sufficiently drawn, it is poured into a huge pan. This has to cook for 4 to 6 hours before it creates a layer of pure coconut oil, which can be sold to locals or tourists. Again, this process is so intense and it is bizarre to think that she does this every day.
After you say hello, it’s time to actually go hiking. You literally walk among the rice fields overlooking Mount Rinjani, how cool is that! After walking for a while you see the locals working in the rice fields. They plow through the mud and stand bent over for hours to plant the rice and clean up the trash. These people know what hard work is. Meanwhile, the guide tells hundreds of stories about local life, people and customs in the village.
Air Terjun Sarang Walet waterfall TeteBatu
Late in the morning you will arrive at the Air Terjun Sarang Walet waterfall. This waterfall is hidden in a cave so you have to walk through the water for quite a bit and step over rocks to get there. It is wise to bring flip-flops/sandals for this section as it feels very unstable barefoot (we didn’t bring flip-flops/sandals and eventually made it, but it is more comfortable to just have something on your feet). The waterfall itself is not super special but the whole cave around it and the rays of light falling into it make it look magical. Therefore, the Air Terjun Sarang Walet waterfall should definitely not be missed during your visit to Tetebatu.
After refreshing in the waterfall, it is time to continue hiking. This is where our personal favorite part breaks in. You walk further and further from civilization and see nothing but green around you: trees, rice fields, bushes and grass as far as you can see. It is so incredibly enjoyable to walk through this while listening to the cheerful chatter of your guide.
Monkey Forest Tetebatu
In the afternoon you will arrive at the Monkey Forest in Tetebatu. This is (fortunately) not comparable to the Monkey Forest in Ubud, where the monkeys (macaques) are fed daily and are therefore so cheeky that they try to take everything from you. The Monkey Forest in Tetebatu is home to black langur families, who are a bit more shy than the macaques. Your guide must therefore do his best to spot them, they are free to go wherever they want and never sit in the same place for 2 days in a row.
It is wonderful to behold these beautiful animals in their natural habitat. They don’t care about humans and completely do whatever they feel like doing. The only thing you have to watch out for is that they don’t give you a golden shower ;).
After the monkey forest, it is time to walk back to your accommodation in Tetebatu. On the way you have lunch at a Warung so you have enough energy to last the last hour. Around 15:00 you will return exhausted but satisfied, time to go for a swim!
Tip: use our 2-week Lombok itinerary to guide you through the beautiful island.
Eddy, the guide in Tetebatu
We ourselves have been on the road with Eddy, a fantastic guy. He constantly has a smile on his face, talks with lots of love and passion about his family and Indonesia and besides that he just has lots of nice stories to tell. He is also interested in you and takes the time to take pictures, sit somewhere, relax or whatever you feel like. We can honestly say that this has been one of our most enjoyable hikes during our years of world travel.
You can book directly with Eddy by contacting him on WhatsApp: +62 823 3950 7806. You pay 250K (€15) per person.
Also visit Other waterfalls in Tetebatu
Besides this hike, there are a few more fun activities in Tetebatu. For example, there are more beautiful waterfalls in the vicinity of Tetebatu to visit: the Semporonan waterfall, Jeruk Manis waterfall, Benang Stokel waterfall and Benang Kelambu waterfall. The latter is the most beautiful of all if you ask us.
Driving around Tetebatu is also an activity in itself. We combined our visit to Tetebatu with a self-guided ‘Lombok loop‘: 4 days of driving the motorbike around the island of Lombok and a visit to Sembalun and Senaru. If you did not come by motorbike yourself, it is definitely recommended to also rent one from your accommodation in Tetebatu for a morning and just drive around. See the Rinjani from every angle and you will continue to be amazed by the beautiful green nature around Tetebatu.
