The Nusa Penida Treehouse, also known as the Rumah Pohon Treehouse, has become somewhat of an instagram phenomenon. Lemme start out by saying I don’t think all “instagram” photo spots are worth the hype. Whether the treehouse is, is totally up to you. The photos at the treehouse are pretty spectacular, but by no means do I feel like it is an absolute must on a Nusa Penida itinerary. If you’d rather save your rupiah (IDR) & skip the photos in favor of just enjoying the views from the area that’s 100% acceptable too!

Most tourists who visit Nusa Penida do so via one-day tours on speed boats from Bali. If you’re limited on time, a day-trip is a great way to see a highlight or two of Nusa Penida. On the other hand, I cannot express enough how worth it it is to spend a few nights on the surreal island. Not only will you get to see more of the breathtaking spots (& when I say breathtaking I mean HOLY SHEEET this is the most beautiful island I’ve ever been to), but you’ll get to do it without being surrounded by the day’s tourists. 

Maybe your plans are already booked and it’s too late to adjust to stay for a few nights! I gotchu covered. If you’re only on the island for a few hours, I’d recommend either hiking down to Kelingking Beach and visiting Broken Beach, or tackling the stairs to Diamond Beach and visiting the Rumah Pohon Treehouse. You definitely won’t have time to fully enjoy both. I don’t think just going and SEEING Kelingking Beach or Diamond Beach is enough. For a complete experience you really should trek down to one of the beaches and enjoy it for a few hours (assuming you are physically capable of doing so). Kelingking is more physically taxing, and takes less time, but IMO makes it the more fun one to explore. .

Whether you’re there for the day or a few nights, you’ll still need transportation to explore. Nusa Penida is NOT a small island. The easiest way to get around the island is by either hiring a private driver or renting a motorbike. Keep in mind that prices are a bit higher than on Bali’s mainland, so expect to pay roughly 500,000 IDR for a driver or 80,000 IDR for a motorbike per day. 

Another thing to consider when trying to decide how you’ll get around, are the roads. Nusa Penida is infamous for it’s horrendous roads, but as of VERY recently they’ve really made an effort to improve them. Many of the roads are brand new, like still smelled like fresh asphalt new. Butttttt you should definitely still expect to have to drive over some of the bumpiest roads you’ve ever seen. So bumpy that my butt bones were sore for like 2 days (sorry if that’s TMI). The roads are also VERY narrow, so you will need to be extra careful when going around corners because your motorbike and a normal Bali sized car won’t both fit around those tight bends. 

Word to the wise: when navigating around Nusa Penida on your own USE GOOGLE MAPS. OMG. I can’t express to you how freaking frustrated I was with myself for not downloading Google Maps before we got to Nusa Penida. Unlike mainland Bali, most of Nusa Penida’s roads are brand new. For some reason, this means they weren’t on Apple Maps yet, but they were on Google Maps! Up until this trip, I was a loyal Apple Maps user. This loyalty resulted in us wandering aimlessly around Nusa Penida for like an hour trying to figure out how to get to Kelingking Beach without any cell service. Don’t worry, we got lost, accidentally ended up at Broken Beach, found our way again, and eventually found Kelingking about 2 hours later than planned. 

Okay!! Now onto the fun stuff, here’s things you need to know before you visit the famous Nusa Penida Treehouse:.

Getting to the Treehouse

1. The Treehouse is Close to Atuh Beach and Diamond Beach

The Nusa Penida treehouse is located on the eastern side of the island, about an hour to an hour and a half drive from the harbor. Since it’s quite a drive from the harbor, you will want to plan ahead before making your way over there. I would recommend pairing it with either an adventure down to Atuh Beach or Diamond Beach. IMO Diamond Beach is far more beautiful, but Atuh Beach has chairs, umbrellas, and cafes where you can get cold drinks and snacks. Which one you choose is totally dependent on what type of experience you’re looking for. If you have all day, you could definitely enjoy both!

2. Go Before 8am or After 3pm to Avoid Crowds

As I mentioned before, most people only visit Nusa Penida during the day. These daily visitors typically head back to Bali around 4-5pm, leaving most areas vacated after 3pm. The best time to visit the “hot spots” is before these visitors arrive, or after they head back to the harbor. We went to the treehouse around 3-3:30pm and were the only ones there! Not only does it make it feel like you have the island to yourself, but it’s logistically easier to do what you want to do without waiting in line or feeling super rushed.

3. The Walk Down to the Treehouse is No Joke

Surprise!! More stairs in Nusa Penida. Every time you think you’re done walking up and down stairs, there’s more. So just take your time! The steps down to the treehouse are nothing compared to the 40 minute trek down to Kelingking Beach or the 15-20 minute walk down to Diamond Beach, but they are definitely still a workout. I’d estimate it took us around 10 minutes to walk down, and slightly more to get back up. Fun fact – our driver, Eka, bounced back up the stairs in like 6 minutes making us look totally out of shape! I think he was just showing off..

What You Need to Know About the Treehouse

4. There’s a Fee for the Nusa Penida Treehouse Photos

You know all those cool “birds nests” and photo op spots all over insta in Bali? Yeah, you have to pay for those. It’s basically someones job to sit by them and ask for cash before you climb up for the ~perfect~ shot. The fees are usually pretty small and range from around $1 – $7 USD. There was actually a cool one at Diamond Beach I was going to do but when he said 100,000 IDR I was like heck no. Then we got to the treehouse LOL. So, spoiler alert, there’s a fee for taking photos at the treehouse. An attendant usually sits there in a chair with a glass box beside him for tourists to drop their “donations” in. It’s around 50,000 IDR per person, or approximately $7 USD for 2 people.

5. There’s a Time Limit on Your Photo Opportunity

You didn’t think that $7 was gonna get you all day did you?? After paying your photo fee, you are given 3 minutes per person to take photos on the treehouse steps. For 2 people, they allow 6 minutes. I’m not sure what time of day they show up or leave to monitor the treehouse, so if you really need more time you could try to go early in the morning or later in the evening, but just be aware you may piss off some of the treehouse’s overnight visitors.

6. You Can Sleep at the Rumah Pohon Treehouse

The treehouse is actually a little cabin you can reserve to stay at if you choose to do so. Note it is, uhh “how you say”, rustic (Office reference, get it??). Aka: just about as simplistic as it gets. A tiny bed, old fan, and shared bathroom. Not to mention, this is the famous treehouse, so people will be on your steps all day, sunrise to sunset, taking photos. If you’re interested in my advice, I’d say stick to a quick visit and sleep elsewhere. The treehouse will set you back around $40 USD a night, slightly less than what we paid to stay in a really nice Airbnb with breakfast, an infinity pool, and a clean and private bathroom. 

7. There is More Than One Treehouse at Thousand Island Viewpoint

If you do decide to stay in the treehouse, be careful when you’re reserving it. There are a few treehouses in the same little gravel cul-de-sac down there that are available to book. If I decided to rough it and stay here, I would be massively disappointed if I thought I was staying in THE FAMOUS treehouse, only to find out, ehhh no I’m in the one across the way. .

8. You Can’t Enter the Treehouse Unless You’re Staying There

Since people actually pay to stay there, you can’t go all the way up the steps or inside of the treehouse unless you booked it for the night. The locals roped off the porch of the treehouse from the public, basically telling you don’t be rude AF, someone may be trying to enjoy their “private” room. This really isn’t an issue though because the best photo spots are from the stairs up into the treehouse, not on the tiny balcony. .

What You Need to Know About Thousand Island Viewpoint

9. The Nusa Penida Treehouse is Located at Thousand Island Viewpoint

After admiring the treehouse, head past it up the additional set of stairs (shocking, I know). At the top of the stairs you’ll find the Thousand Island Viewpoint! Towards the end of the walkway, there is a small shine for offerings, as is common all around Bali. Walk JUST past the shrine, not too far of you’ll step off the cliff, and enjoy some of the best unobstructed views I’ve ever seen. The photos from the edge of the viewpoint look like you’re directly on the edge of the cliff, but it’s not as scary when you’re up there! If you are afraid of heights though, maybe just stand back behind the shrine… 

10. There’s a Shaded Hut at the Thousand Island Viewpoint

These small huts are found all over Bali. I’m not sure the actual purpose, but our driver on Nusa Penida, Eka, told us they are meant to offer a shaded resting spot for the drivers. Either way, they provide some much needed shade after countless steps, and a great place to sit down, drink some water, soak up those turquoise views, and mentally prepare yourself for the stairs back up. .

Additional Tips and Tricks

11. Buy a Bottle (or Two) of Water at the Warung

Near the Nusa Penida treehouse parking lot there is a small Warung (cafe) with a fridge full of cold drinks. Before or after (or both) you head down, buy a bottle or two of refreshingly cold water. Trust me, you’ll want it after all those stairs. In general, this is something I recommend you do any chance you get, for two reasons:

• You’ll need it. It is humid as hell in Bali, and you will be sweating your butt off every day. The last thing anyone wants is to be dehydrated and out of energy. My husband likes the Pocari Sweat drinks (some sort of ion drink I think?). I think they taste like gross salt water so I stick to just regular ol’ Aqua.
• Buying drinks anywhere you can is a small way to spread the wealth. It’s not much, but it’s an opportunity to financially contribute to as many families and communities as possible, instead of only supporting the multitude of Circle Ks.

12. Take TONS of Photos

I always think I’ve taken wayyyyyy too many photos until I get home and try to tell stories to family and friends. I end up realizing all the small details I missed that I wished I had photos of. It’s hard to explain how BIG the steps are up and down these walkways without photos of them! Err on the side of caution and just take 1,000’s of photos everywhere you go. You can always delete them! It’s a lot harder to go back and grab that one shot you didn’t pause for 2 seconds to snap. 

13. Be Present

Sometimes when we’re traveling we’re so focused on bouncing from spot to spot we forget to slowwww down and just enjoy the MAGICAL scenery around us. The natural “attractions” in Nusa Pendia are truly some of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen, and it’s honestly hard to appreciate while you’re there in person, but please try to!! One day you’ll look back at photos in complete disbelief you were actually standing in such a breathtaking place. 

Planning a trip to Bali? Make sure to read up on things to know before hiking Mount Batur at sunrise!