Lubuk Hitam, the Charm of Bukit Barisan

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

People pose for a photo Lubuk Hitam Waterfall in North Teluk Kabung subdistrict, Bungus Teluk Kabung district, Padang, West Sumatra, in early December 2016. The waterfall is located 25 kilometers to the south of Padang. Despite its promising tourism potential, the waterfall has yet to be professionally managed.

The city of Padang in West Sumatra does not only have stunning beaches and sandy islets. The lush jungle of the Barisan mountain range also has its hidden charms. One of them is the Lubuk Hitam Waterfall with its three levels in Bungus district, Teluk Kabung.

The Lubuk Hitam Waterfall is located in North Teluk Kabung sub-district, some 25 kilometers or a one-hour drive to the south of Padang. On the way to the waterfall, you will travel along a winding road with hills to the left and the open ocean to the right.

The entrance to the waterfall is located on a small road on the left side of the main road between Padang and Painan, not far from the Bungus Teluk Kabung Police station. There are no specific signs at the entrance and visitors will need to be eagle-eyed to avoid missing it.

As you enter the small road, you will find a two-meter-wide concrete road surrounded by rice fields. Way ahead, there is an expanse of green hills that seem to greet visitors. Between the hills, you will see a waterfall.

After traveling through local hamlets, you will arrive at a tropical rainforest. A gush of cool and clean mountain air will sweep over you.

Alighting from your vehicle, you will need to walk for a while – not along a concrete path but a trail established by locals for those wanting to go to the waterfall.

It is a tiring walk, but it is made worthwhile by the stunning natural views along the way, the calm sounds of the river, the tweets of birds in the trees and the sounds of various forest insects.

Three levels

The Lubuk Hitam Waterfall is also called the Three-Levels Waterfall as it has three waterfalls at different levels. Reaching the first two waterfalls are relatively easy as the trail is not steep. The waterfalls, with heights of two and 10 meters, respectively, can be reached after walking through a local cacao farm for 10 minutes from the parking area.

Many visitors rest at the second waterfall before continuing onto the third one. Some wash their faces, others bathe. Many eat food that they had brought with them.

Resting for a while is important. Despite the third waterfall being only 400 meters away from the second one, it takes 30 to 40 minutes to reach it. The trail is more challenging as it has uphill and downhill slopes with an inclination of more than 45 degrees.

When Kompas visited the area in early December 2016 and in mid-March 2017, walking along the trail required a lot of energy and concentration. As portions of the trail is wet and slippery, extra care is necessary to avoid an accident. We had to stop a few times just to rest and recharge while drinking water.

After the trail goes uphill, it then goes downhill to the third waterfall. Different from the uphill section of the trail, the downhill section is not clearly defined. The only reference point is the waterfall up ahead. You will need to figure a way down on your own. Along the way down, tree trunks and protruding roots are the only things you can hold onto to avoid falling.

Nevertheless, all the tiredness and suspense pays off the moment you reach the third waterfall. The 20-meter waterfall looks so beautiful. The crystal clear fresh water falls from the cliffs way up and the sound it makes when it hits the rocks below is soothing. If you’re lucky, you will see flashes of rainbow where sun rays hit splashes of water.

Looking westward, you can see Bungus Port and the open ocean. “Going here is not for nothing. I am lucky I could see all three waterfalls,” said Haris Lisman Saputra, 23, a Pariaman resident who traveled with his brother Ibnu Yasir, 35.

Independently managed

According to Dasril Datuk Putih, Cindakir III community unit head and former head of the North Teluk Kabung Community Empowerment Center, Lubuk Hitam was first opened to the public in 1981 after a group of foreign travelers reached the waterfall. Previously, locals did not dare to go to the waterfall for fear that it was haunted.

“After it was opened in 1981, it was once closed to tourists. This was because in 1983, a person drowned in the pool of water. Two years later, the waterfall was reopened,” Dasril said.

According to Dasril, Lubuk Hitam has always been independently managed by locals. The entrance fee of Rp 2,500 (19 US cents) per person, for instance, was agreed upon in a subdistrict-level meeting of stakeholders. “Earnings from the entrance fee is used to benefit everyone, including for religious and religious holiday activities, road repairs and youth activities,” Dasril said.

He said Lubuk Hitam Waterfall was only crowded on weekends. The visitors number between 50 and 60 per weekend. However, for certain events, like during the mandi balimau (bathing in the river before Ramadhan) ritual, Lubuk Hitam can receive up to 1,000 visitors per day.

“The Lubuk Hitam Waterfall has had positive impacts for locals. Besides the earnings from ticket sales, locals have established shops in the area. In the future, we hope that related stakeholders can help us with promotion. We only rely on word of mouth at the moment,” Dasril said.

Separately, Padang Culture and Tourism Agency head MediIswandi said Lubuk Hitam Waterfall had tourism potential in that it offered an authentic kampong atmosphere, natural mountain landscape and the waterfall itself.

Thus far, as the land where the waterfall is located is owned by locals, intervention by the city administration is limited to community development programs that aim to improve local tourism management.