When I was researching on what to do in Tetebatu, there was not a lot of information I found online.

It was always daytrippers looking to stay a day here and then move on to do their hike in Mount Rinjani.

If you love slow village life, exploring waterfalls and seeing a not so commercialised part of Lombok, you have to stay in Tetebatu for two days atleast.

Called the “Ubud of Lombok”, Tetebatu has the same fields, gorgeous terraces, affordable villas and homestays but it is far more authentic.

There’s their own monkey forest, rich Sasak culture and hidden trails for you to explore that make it worthwhile staying for two days. Here’s my travel guide on the things to do in Tetebatu village in Lombok.

Why Visit Tetebatu Village

here are some of the unique things i did in tetebatu, lombok

If you value peace and want a glimpse of Lombok before tourism has taken over the coastlines, this is the perfect place to stop.

The patchwork of green terraces and blue skies with cool offs at the waterfalls are perfect.

You should also know that during Dutch colonial times, the cooler climate and fertile land drew interest for growing cash crops like coffee, cacao, and vanilla. These plantations still dot the area.

There are a lot of cultural activities for you to enjoy. You can easily rent a scooter to explore these areas. I even rented an ebike and I found it perfect if you want to explore their back laneways!

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The Best Time To Visit Tetebatu

local kids guiding me to the waterfall amidst rice fields

I visited Tetebatu during the dry season which is from May to September. The skies were blue, and waterfalls and rice fields were at their greenest!

The rainy season is from November to March. But April & October are good shoulder months as well!

How To Get To Tetebatu Village?

Tetebatu is located in East Lombok which is about 2 hours drive from Lombok International Airport.

From the airport: You can take a taxi or arrange a private car. You can book a driver and car here
From Senggigi or Kuta Lombok: It’ll be a 2–3 hour drive atleast, depending on traffic and stops.

Since there’s no Grab taxi here, the best way to get around is via private transfer (book here) or scooter rental.

If you don’t have time, and want to still explore Tetebatu, this day trip tour takes you to all the good spots!

Where To Stay In Tetebatu?

Les Rizieres Lombok (gorgeous place overlooking the rice fields)
My Home - Lombok (family like homestay)
Vanilla Cottage (cute little cottage)
Alora House (tastefully designed with gorgeous interiors)
Kunang - Kunang (clean homestay with outdoor bathroom)

My Guide On Things To Do in Tetebatu

1. Tetebatu Waterfall

one of the waterfalls in this area: tetebatu waterfall

If you want to walk among rice fields and explore the jungle terrain with bamboo steps, the first waterfall we went to is Tetebatu Waterfall and it was pretty amazing.

There are are about two waterfalls in the area including Durian Indah waterfall.

While the waterfall is not hugely spectacular, the jungle walk to these rice fields are what made it more memorable.

You come across a series of steps with an entrance fee of (IDR 20,000) and a bunch of kids will come up to you to act as an unofficial guide to take you to these waterfalls.

🌴 Short on time? Consider booking a local guide to show you some offbeat places in Tetebatu here.

2. Attend a Bamboo workshop

This was a great stop amidst the Tetebatu rice fields. At Ukenk Bamboo workshop, you could learn how to craft cups and bowls from old coconut shells.

The owner Ukenk is a skilled craftsman who approaches each piece with a lot of care and precision.

Even if you don’t want to buy any crafts, it is worth a nice detour to learn about their traditional practices and their overall life in Tetebatu.

3. Rent an e-bike to zip around Tetebatu

renting an ebike to explore the rice fields

If you’re not comfortable with riding around Tetebatu on a scooter because some of the roads can be really narrow, I highly recommend renting an ebike from Jejak Kukakula.

They have good quality Polygon ebikes that you can rent for the whole day for 100,000 IDR (6USD). They even drop off the bikes from your hotel and can pick it up anytime.

We used it to the explore the rice fields and Monkey forests as well as waterfalls.

Just make sure to return it by 6pm as it gets dark by then — I wouldn’t recommend riding a bike here at night as the street lighting here is pretty dim and sometimes non existent.

4. Trek Through The Monkey Forest

This is not the monkey forest you’ll see in Ubud where pesky monkeys are grabbing stuff from tourists.

I found the Monkey forest in Tetebatu a nice respite from the rice fields. It is a great way to walk into the forests that’s noise-free and sometimes it is just you alone on the trail.

I loved how quiet it was. In the morning when I visited there were not a lot of visitors, the weather was cool and we managed to see some of them.

You can find two main types of monkeys: black leaf monkeys (also known as black langurs) and gray long-tailed macaques. The gray monkeys are usually shy and they often run away pretty quickly.

The entrance fee is around 30,000 IDR.

5. Visit this cute cafe in the fields - Coucou cafe

i loved this cafe in a bamboo hut - coucou cafe

Just by the exit of the monkey forest, take a small detour and head towards this cute bamboo cafe called Coucou cafe.

Started by two French girls from Corsica, they loved the vibe of Tetebatu and decided to start a cute cafe.

This was a nice place to read, relax and also take in the views of the jungle.

You should try their dadar guling pancakes and banana and peanut butter smoothies!

6. Continue exploring two other waterfalls: Air Terjun Sarang Walet & Air Terjun Tibu Bunter

one of the best epic waterfalls in tetebatu, airerjun tibu bunter

While a lot of people head towards Air Terjun Sarang Walet, I found it a bit too touristy.

Still, you should visit it because it’s not often you get to walk knee deep into wading waters and swim in a cave.

Make sure to not leave your belongings here as people have been robbed before. Just take everything with you!

After this waterfall, I would recommend walking for 20 minutes uphill and heading towards Air Terjun Tibu Bunter. The entrance fee is 25k.

I came here in the evening around 5pm and I absolutely loved the waterfall here. A lot of locals tend to come here and the way down here is pretty amazing with some steep steps.

The waterfall is 20m long and every Sunday there’s some canyoneering or rapelling you can do here.

7. Learn Traditional Hand Weaving

you can learn traditional hand weaving as part of the experience

If you love participating in something traditional, you should take a traditional hand weaving workshop where you learn how to make sarong with your own hands.

You could even try some of the garments and have a good time learning more about the Indonesian culture.

You can book a slot here at the workshop.