East Java, Indonesia is full of massive mesmerizing waterfalls all throughout its valleys. One of the must dos in my book is the Air Terjun Kapas Biru Waterfall.
To reach the waterfall, all you need to do is head on a 40 minute trek down to the valley floor as you pass by the scenic greenery, rivers, and other waterfalls along the way.
This guide will go over how to visit Kapas Biru on your own and what to expect along the way.
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1) Kapas Biru Waterfall Facts
Below are some helpful facts about the Kapas Biru waterfall to better prepare you for a trip to the area.
If you enjoy reading about this waterfall and also want to add some more to the list, you may be interested in the guides I put up on the site for the famous Tumpak Sewu Waterfall and Goa Tetes Waterfall.
Name: Kapas Biru Waterfall / Air Terjun Kapas Biru
Location: Lumajang Regency, East Java, Indonesia
Nearest Major City: Malang
Where to Stay: Dear Traveller Guest House & Glamping
Cost: 15,000 IDR / $1.00 USD
How Long to Spend: 2 Hours
As you are approaching the waterfall parking lot from the main road, you will turn off onto a side street with the Kapas Biru welcoming sign, and can then find a spot in the parking lot.
Similar to the other waterfalls around the area, you must actually hike down into the valley to reach Kapas Biru. This will require a 40 or so minute trek down and through the valley until you reach the waterfall.
Once you have enough time enjoying Kapas Biru, it is back up to the parking lot to continue on with your day of waterfall trekking.
⇒ Take part of a trip to Kapas Biru as part of a longer Backpacking Java trip
2) Where to Stay in the Lumajang Regency
When it comes to accommodation options near Kapas Biru, there really aren’t too many out there.
Thankfully though, there is one place that I seriously cannot recommend enough – Dear Traveller Guest House and Glamping.
From beginning to end, these guys will take care of it all for you. Drivers, accommodation, food, guides – whatever you need, the owners and workers at Dear Traveller will have it covered.
After making my booking with them, I got in contact with the owners through Whatsapp, and they helped arrange a driver to pick me up from the Malang train station and take me right to the guest house. It could not have been an easier process and it was a fantastic stay overall.
» If you would like to head there yourself feel free to book your room at Dear Traveller Guest House and Glamping ahead of time
3) How to Get To the Lumajang Regency
Before getting into how to reach Kapas Biru, you will need to make your way to the Lumajang Regency first.
This is where the best of the East Java waterfalls are located, and spending a day or two exploring them all will be a great add on to your trip.
To reach the Lumajang Regency, my recommendation would be to start out in Malang and head off from there. Malang is the closest major city, where you will find a train station as well as an airport.
The easiest way to get to the Lumajang Regency would be to either have your own car/scooter or have a driver take you there. I opted for the hiring a driver route as the roads in Indonesia can get very hectic with two lane streets turning into four lane streets and many drivers ignoring the rules of the road.
From Malang expect the cost of a driver to be anywhere around 500,000 IDR or $35 USD. If you are traveling with multiple people it is well worth the cost and removes any other logistic issues.
If you do go with a private driver you may be wondering how to go about getting in contact with one.
You have a couple options here – book one through a reputable tour company beforehand, ask around in Malang once you arrive there (or any other city you may be coming from), or get in contact with your accommodation near Kapas Biru (such as Dear Traveller) who can help arrange a car.
Your other option here is to go by public transportation, however after speaking with a few people who did so, I would not really recommend it due to the bus transfers and much longer journey time.
→ Check out some of the other top waterfalls in Indonesia to add to your trip
4) How to Visit Kapas Biru
When visiting Kapas Biru along with the other waterfalls nearby, you can decide to just head to them on your own or you can have a local guide for the day, who will drive you around the area and guide you down to the waterfalls themselves.
Hiring a local guide for the day will be around $15 – $20 USD and you can split this cost among your group. When you get to your hotel, they should be able to arrange a guide to come and pick you up and bring you to Kapas Biru.
On the other hand, if you have your own scooter, you can just make your way to the waterfall parking lot on your own.
Once you arrive at the parking lot, you can decide to head on down by yourself or you could also hire a guide (if available) when you arrive.
5) Kapas Biru Location & Parking Lot
Below is a map that shows the exact parking lot location of Kapas Biru alongside the waterfall itself. If you are heading to the waterfall on your own and without a guide, be sure to follow the directions to the parking lot, not the waterfall.
Once you reach the parking lot, simply follow the path down to the valley floor and onto the waterfall itself.
6) The Kapas Biru Waterfall
When you reach the Kapas Biru parking lot and purchase your entrance tickets, it is time to start the hike down to the waterfall. The path starts out on a wooden planked pathway as you follow it down towards the valley.
After a few minutes of walking, the path will turn into some stairs (and a ladder at one point) as you slowly make your way down into the valley itself.
There are metal and wooden handrails throughout the way down, making the trek a bit easier for you. Be very careful either way as you are making the descent as it can get slippery in certain places.
The stairs will then turn more into a dirt and rocky path as you will be surrounded by the green jungle and other waterfalls further out in the valley.
Once down closer to the valley floor, you will start walking past the flowing river, farming fields, and some bamboo bridges to cross.
After 40 minutes of trekking, you will soon see the massive Kapas Biru waterfall out in front of you, surrounded by its stone walls and greenery.
If you just want to enjoy the view from a far, that is just fine. However, there are a couple other opportunities to get a bit closer to the waterfall. Note that it can get a bit more slippery and dangerous so don’t attempt to go any further if you aren’t comfortable with it.
When I arrived at the waterfall, there was a wooden log placed above the water to reach the center of the river.
Here you will find a few small natural swimming pools, where it is safe enough to swim. It also makes for a great picture op with the waterfall directly behind you.
If you are up for even more of an adventure, you can walk along the rocks on the right hand side of the river and get right up and close to the waterfall pool and Kapas Biru barreling down from above.
Once all done with your time at the waterfall, it is time to head all the way back up to the parking lot. This will be a bit of an uphill climb once you reach the point where you need to take the stairs (and ladder) back up.
After getting back to the parking lot, you can head to your hotel or onto your next waterfall for the day.
I hope this guide has helped you out a bit for your trip planning to Air Terjun Kapas Biru. If you have any additional questions or comments feel free to write them in below.
Also be sure to check out the other Indonesia itineraries and guides up on the site. Have fun out there and safe travels!
