Thanks to their beauty and pristineness, the allure of waterfalls as tourism spots cannot be understated. Such commendable qualities can be found in Ogi Waterfall, a mesmerizing waterfall in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. Somewhat unknown to many people due to its hidden location and relative lack of fame, the waterfall nonetheless provides an unforgettable experience for visitors who manage to visit the waterfall during their holidays.
Description
Bajawa in Ngada Regency, Flores may come across as a small and boring town on the island. However, the town slowly gains prominence in the province for having many tourism spots, with Ogi Waterfall being one of them.
Apart from the nearby Mount Inerie and Wolobobo Hill, the waterfall becomes a go-to tourism spot in the regency thanks to its dazzling views and experience. With an 80-meters tall height, this waterfall slowly becomes famous to tourists from all over the place who are looking for tourism spots that aren’t too overcrowded yet.
Location
From Bajawa, the largest town in the regency, the waterfall is located about 7.5 kilometers from the town’s center. Due to the regency being mostly occupied with highlands, the waterfall is situated in the middle of the green mountains that surround Bajawa.
The waterfall itself is located in the northeast of Bajawa and Wolobobo Hill, another famed tourism spot in Bajawa, Flores.
Route
Luckily for travelers, the close distance between Bajawa and Ogi means that they don’t have to go that far just to visit the waterfall. To go to Ogi Waterfall from Bajawa, visitors may go by car or motorcycle for about 30 to 40 minutes.
The road to Ogi is filled with shaRpand winding roads, so visitors may need about 30 to 40 minutes just to visit the waterfall, despite the relatively close distance. However, the fatigue from traveling such roads is worth it once the visitors finally manage to enjoy everything the waterfall has to offer.
Amenities
If you’re interested in visiting the waterfall, you can buy some food and drink supplies in Bajawa if you’re going to stay there for the duration of the holiday.
Upon arriving at the waterfall, you can see that the waterfall’s management has provided 4 resting lounges for the visitors. Two of these lounges are equipped with roofs, while the remaining two are only equipped with chairs and tables.
Furthermore, since the waterfall’s pool is rather spacious, visitors can also swim in it as well. Not to mention, there are gazebos apart from the lounges the visitors can use to rest and enjoy their meals with a direct view of the waterfall.
When to Visit
There is no specific time when visitors are allowed to visit the waterfall or not. Whether you want to visit the waterfall in the morning or daytime, there is no relative difference between the timing if what you’re aiming for is the temperature.
As the waterfall is located in the middle of the forest, the temperature is not as hot as other places around Bajawa. Because of that, you’re free to visit the waterfall anytime.
How to Get to
In order to go to Ogi, you can rent a vehicle to go to the waterfall with ease. In Bajawa, you can rent a vehicle for Rp100.000 per day because there is no public transportation from Bajawa to Ogi and vice versa.
Upon renting a vehicle, you can use Google Maps or ask the local civilians about the easiest route to go to the waterfall. From Bajawa to Ogi, it takes about 30 to 45 minutes when using a vehicle, but on the bright side, the already paved road makes it easier to traverse the sharp-winding roads.
After arriving at the waterfall’s vehicle parking spots, it takes about 1 km for visitors to walk from the parking spot to the waterfall itself. The ticket price for visitors in Ogi is as follows:
- Adult visitors (Rp5.000/person)
- Child visitors (Rp3.000/person)
- International tourists (Rp20.000/person)
- Motorcycle parking ticket (Rp3.000/unit)
- Car parking ticket (Rp5.000/unit)
Conclusion
Despite the seemingly difficult terrain to traverse, the experience of visiting Ogi Waterfall during your stay in Flores will be highly worth it. All the fatigue that you’ve had from the Bajawa-to-Ogi trip will surely be paid off with the amazement and relaxation upon seeing the waterfall.
