Our last side trip of our holiday was quite an adventure. I decided I really wanted to see at least one of the many waterfalls in Flores. Tengku Lese seemed to be the obvious choice due to its proximity to Ruteng. We set off by motorbike and after more winding roads we finally arrived in Nanu village just over an hour later. Then the real adventure began...you see as we got off the motorbike we could see the waterfall in the distance...distance being the operative word here. It looked really far away. When we asked how to get there a friendly face pointed a finger towards a dirt track heading off into the trees! There were no signs, no nice pathway, nothing. It was really rustic and definitely off the beaten track. We set off and admittedly the scenery was spectacular. However suddenly the track became a thin cement edge of a large waterway with drop offs on one side and the waterway below on the other. I don't have the most amazing balance due to numerous bad ear infections as a child so I found it a bit stressful. Little did I know this was nothing compared to what was to come. We turned a bend and lo and behold there was a bridge. Mind you, no one in any place that I have ever lived would actually call this contraption a bridge! It was four large plastic pipes laid on a criss-crossing metal frame with no handrail! Oh and did I mention the rather large drop beneath it into a creek below? I honestly think my heart stopped beating as I realised that we had walked for an hour already and were almost there and so turning back due to my overwhelming fear would mean a wasted trip. Therefore there really was no other solution except to bite the bullet and cross the ridiculously unstable looking bridge. I won't go into the gory details and describe in detail the spectacle I made of myself as I crossed. Let's leave it at the fact that there were plenty of screams and clutching onto my husbands hands. No one of my finest moments and certainly not helped by the group of young boys who had decided to tag along with us for the hike. They really thought I was quite entertaining! Eventually we made it across and after a bit more of a walk and a scramble up a rickety bamboo ladder we arrived at the waterfall. Tengku Lese waterfall is a two tiered waterfall and the hike leads to the bottom tier. The thunderous roar of the water and the spray of the cascading water is amazing. Swimming in the pool where the water falls is not recommended as the current is quite strong. There are pools down below where you can dip in. Make the most of the setting because there is still that same trip back and don't forget to bring some water and food to keep you going along the way as there are no shops or warungs. I would definitely recommend the trip to visit this waterfall. The hike, although not for the faint hearted is a wonderful, scenic walk through mostly untouched landscape. We didn't meet any other tourists on our journey so you are definitely on your own most of the time. Locals will help you with directions or you might bump into the same set of cheeky little boys who accompanied us.
Tengku Lese waterfall from a distance
Up close
Pool
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