Benang Kelambu Waterfalls

Benang Kelambu is on the southern slope of Rinjani near Aik Berik, and its form is unusual: rather than falling over a lip, the water emerges from springs part way down a cliff and comes through the vegetation growing on the face, so it drops as a broad thin curtain of separate strands through leaves - kelambu means mosquito net, which is what it looks like. It falls in two tiers into shallow pools that can be stood under. A few hundred metres away is Benang Stokel, a more conventional pair of falls into a deeper pool, and the two are visited together on a walk of twenty minutes or so through coffee, cacao and banana plantation. Guides from the village are usual. The trail continues towards other falls higher up the mountain for those who want a longer day.

Highlights

• Water through vegetation - springs emerging mid-cliff and falling through leaves.
• A curtain in strands - the mosquito-net effect the fall is named for.
• Benang Stokel alongside - the conventional pair of falls a few hundred metres away.
• Plantation walking - coffee, cacao and banana on the path in.

When to go

April to October; flow is strongest at the end of the wet season. Half a day.

Before you go

The walk in is short but slippery and muddy. Guides at the entrance can be insistent. It is on Rinjani's flank, so cloud and rain arrive quickly. Flow thins in a dry spell.

Nearby

Rinjani rises above; Mataram and the west coast are west.

Key facts