The view that skyrocketed Nusa Penida on Instagram
Rumah Pohon Treehouse is one of the most iconic locations on Nusa Penida Island. After being discovered it quickly became Insta-famous.
The Treehouse was actually a simple rustic accommodation on Airbnb, but it became famous as a photo spot. You used to be able to book the Treehouse and stay there. Nowadays visitors are allowed and the sole photography business brings more money to the locals running it than Airbnb-ing ever did.
Just a little stroll further is the Thousand Islands Viewpoint that leaves you awestruck. The view is incredible, you can even see a small empty beach sitting at the bottom of the cliff. It’s paradise.
Get a local SIM card. While getting around we relied heavily on Google Maps for directions. We recommend Airalo eSIM, so you’ll have data transfer as soon as you land.
Note! Your mobile phone has to be eSIM compatible to use this option.
The Thousand Islands Viewpoint
The Thousand Islands Viewpoint offers a breathtaking panorama that leaves visitors in awe. It’s just a little stroll further from Rumah Pohon Treehouse (and the waiting line for the pictures). the viewpoint is perched atop a cliff, providing an expansive vista of the turquoise waters dotted with numerous small islands resembling a thousand islands, hence the name. From this vantage point, you can marvel at the stunning contrast between the deep blue ocean, the lush greenery, and the rocky formations.
The nearby Diamond Beach
Diamond Beach has become popular thanks to the iconic staircase, carved into the cliff, that leads to the Beach. The crystal-clear turquoise water, dramatic cliffs, and stunning rock formations make Atuh and Diamond Beaches a photographer’s paradise. Both are undoubtedly among the top sites in Nusa Penida. The Diamond Beach got its name from the diamond-like rock structures scattered around, but there’s one rock that really stands out. It is in close proximity to Rumah Pohon Treehouse and Thousand Islands Viewpoint, only 3 minutes’ drive by scooter. Read more about this in the full blog post: Diamond Beach on Nusa Penida.
The nearby Atuh Beach
Atuh Beach is, along with Diamond and Kelingking Beach, the crown jewel of Nusa Penida Island. It is literally neighbouring Beach from Diamond – when on top of the ridge you’re overlooking Diamond Beach on the right and Atuh Beach on the left. It offers a stunning white sand beach surrounded by the huge cliffs and remarkable rock formations. An arch sits directly out from the shore while several islets string off in the distance. Come here to enjoy an epic sunrise from an astonishing viewpoint. Read more about it here: Atuh Beach on Nusa Penida.
How to get to Treehouse & Thousand Islands
Rumah Pohon Treehouse and Thousand Islands Viewpoint are located on the far East Coast of Nusa Penida, little sister of more known Bali, Indonesia. The island is quite big and it can take over an hour to cruise from one side to another depending on where your accommodation is located.
I’ve pinned the location of Treehouse & Thousand Islands on the map of Nusa Penida below, so you can see where it is in relation to either your accommodation on the island or other points of interest.
- One of the best ways to visit many of the best Nusa Penida’s epic sites in one day is on this Ultimate Nusa Penida Day Trip Tour from Bali – they pick you up in the morning from your accommodation in Bali, take you across to Nusa Penida Island by speedboat, and then bring you back to Bali in the evening after an incredible day of adventures. Remember to tell them which spots are on your Nusa Penida Bucket List and they will make it happen!
- You can also rent a scooter and drive around the island yourself.
Price for rental: Rp 70k – 100k (US$5) a day.
NOTE! The roads on Nusa Penida are, mildly said, in bad state. Lots of holes, ignorant van drivers, gravel parts… We’d avoid this option if you’re not experienced scooter driver. - The option we once did (and would highly recommend it) is you can rent a car on Nusa Penida with private driver – great option to visit multiple spots safely in a day with a group of friends.
More information about Nusa Penida Island.
Tips:
- There is no rule as to when to arrive to the Rumah Ponoh Treehouse – there can be a queue at any time of the day. Usually we’d say to arrive early, but this is a famous sunrise viewpoint, so mornings are actually the most crowded.
- Most beautiful are of course sunrises, if the weather (clouds) cooperates.
- Late afternoon or dusk time is the least appropriate time to visit, unless you have the night-setting camera. In this case you’ll have a completely unobstructed view and zero light pollution since the location is on the far East and the closest island is Lombok in the distance.
General information about Treehouse & Thousand Islands:
- Rp 5000 parking fee for scooter, Rp 10,000 for car
- Rp 25,000 entrance fee (same ticket for Treehouse and Thousand Islands Viewpoint)
- Rp 75,000 per 2 minutes to take pictures on Treehouse’s Stairs
- You can pay extra Rp 50,000 and stay extra 2 minutes, etc.
- Waiting time to take pictures on the famous stairs can be 1 hour.
- There are multiple stairs leading to the point, as well as rocky and uneven path. Mind your step!
- Try not to be disturbed by the amount of trash laying around. Even though you pay the entrance fee (and thousands of other visitors do too) nobody picks up the trash people leave behind.
- There’s around 1 hour drive from the main harbour Toya Pakeh to Rumah Pohon Treehouse parking lot.
- There is scarcely any other view from the parking lot area, so if you wish to see the view, paying an entrance fee is a must.
BEST NUSA PENIDA DAY TOURS FROM BALI
If you are staying in Bali… you can join a group and take a day trip on a speedboat to explore the highlights of Nusa Penida. Trips usually take whole day, but everything is organised. So you can literally wake up in Bali, they pick you up in your accommodation, you grab a speedboat to Nusa Penida, you can snorkel with Manta Rays and visit lots of the amazing beaches and viewpoints … in just one day.
Manta Ray Snorkelling Tour on Nusa Penida (from Bali): Snorkelling with Manta Rays is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one of the best wildlife encounters we’ve had in our lives. The Manta Rays are majestic and friendly animals with a wingspan of 5m. The gentle giants cruise around you while you snorkel amongst them.
This tour includes pick-up and drop-off from your accommodation in Bali and all transports and tickets are included.
Nusa Penida Highlights Tour (from Bali): This tour is the most highly reviewed Nusa Penida tour there is. You’ll visit all the best spots, like Angel’s Billabong, Kelingking (T-Rex) Beach, Broken Beach, Rumah Pohon Treehouse & Thousand Island Viewpoint. Also included is snorkeling at Crystal Bay! It’s a total win and we highly recommend it.
MORE NUSA ISLANDS BLOG POSTS
There are loads of adventurous things to do on Nusa Penida, but we also wrote detailed guides for all of the epic things you can do on Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. You can explore more of our guides by clicking one of the links below.
