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Staying at Rumah Pohon Treehouse Nusa Penida Bali (Review)
Thanks to Instagram, Nusa Penida — an island southeast of Bali — has become the place to be for any influencer worth their salt.
Apart from the dramatic coastal cliffs, another iconic sight on this island is the wooden tree house perched on a treetop, overlooking the ocean.
Known locally as “Rumah Pohon” (Indonesian for tree house), it’s one of the most popular places to stay in Nusa Penida.
Table of Contents
Which Tree House to Choose in Nusa Penida?
Apparently, there are several tree-house hotels scattered in Nusa Penida. But this was a fact I only learned after my trip.
The most popular of them is Rumah Pohon Molenteng — located on the east coast, somewhere near the Thousand Island (Pulau Seribu) viewpoint and Atuh Beach.
It seems to be the only one that’s ever been talked about and featured on travel influencers’ Instagram pages. If you’ve seen any picture of a treehouse in Nusa Penida, it’s most likely this one — which is no surprise since it has the most stunning views.
But it led me to think that it was the only tree house on the entire island.
This — coupled with the fact that there was only one search result for “Rumah Pohon” on Booking.com — assured me that I had booked the one and only.
It turned out I had booked the one on Jalan Petinggian, which is fine in its own respect, but is further inland and nothing like I expected.
Apart from these two, there are also:
- Eco-tourist Dreamstay Tree House (Suwehan)
- Gading Tree House (Jalan Pura Dalem)
- Penida Bambu Green Tree House
How to Book a Tree House in Nusa Penida
Rumah Pohon Molenteng is only available on Agoda. There are only three houses in total, and considering how popular they are, you better book early.
Penida Bambu Green Tree House is only available on Airbnb.
The other tree house hotels can be booked on Booking.com. Just search for Rumah Pohon or Tree House, or click on the links below:
- Rumah Pohon (Jalan Petinggian)
- Eco-tourist Dreamstay Tree House (Suwehan)
- Gading Tree House (Jalan Pura Dalem)
How to Get to Rumah Pohon (Jalan Petinggian)
There are no buses in Nusa Penida, so the easiest way to get around is by renting a scooter or a car (usually comes with a driver). There are a number of scooter rental shops and drivers waiting for passengers at the harbor.
A word of caution though: the roads are steep, rocky, and potholed at some parts, so only self-drive if you’re a highly skilled and experienced driver. I wouldn’t recommend renting a scooter in Nusa Penida if you’ve only just learned to drive one.
Read: Taking Scooter Lessons in Bali (Suitable for Beginners)
Alternatively, you can ask your tree house hotel if they could arrange a transport for you.
My partner and I had met another Malaysian traveler on the ferry from Bali, and we agreed to share the cost of a car with a driver. The driver took us on a half-day tour to some of the major attractions on the island.
After lunch, he drove us to the tree house. The journey was quite long (around 30 minutes or so from out last stop) and took us through winding roads up and down the hills.
Finally, he dropped us off at the Rumah Pohon car park area by the roadside. This is not where the tree house is; you still have to hike a short distance to get there.
There is a signboard pointing the way and the trail is well-marked, so there’s no way you’d get lost. You’ll likely be greeted by two friendly dogs that will show you the way (don’t worry — they’re very well-behaved).
What to Expect at Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian
Checking In
The Tree House
There were a few tree houses, some higher than the others. Ours was probably the second highest, located next to the bathrooms, but not too close.
There was a small wooden gate at the landing of the stairs to keep the dogs out and a balcony with a bench to lounge on. Inside was a double bed with pillows, a bolster, a blanket, and a pair of clean towels.
The tree house shook with every little movement we made.
There was a small table and shelf for putting your stuff on, a mirror, a single light bulb to illuminate the entire room, and a fun-sized table fan.
If you’ve got multiple devices to charge, you’re in luck because there’s more than one power socket on the wall, so you can charge your devices without having to turn off the fan or light bulb.
Not gonna lie — the room was a little too warm for comfort, especially in the middle of the day, during the hot season, and with such a teeny weeny fan. But you can keep the door and window open to add extra ventilation.
Do note that the room doesn’t come with any mosquito netting. We didn’t have any problem with mosquitoes throughout our stay, but if you tend to attract them like a magnet, you might want to bring some insect repellent with you.
If the room is still a little too stuffy for you, you can sit on the balcony to enjoy the fresh air or chill out at the reception, which also doubles as a dining area.
In a clearing between the tree houses and the reception, there’s a hammock, but during our visit, it seemed to have not been used for a long time. We found a colony of ants making a nest on it.
Just before sunset, I climbed up another tree house, which was unoccupied and looked much smaller and more rickety than the rest. Probably not meant for paying guests, but the host told me it was the perfect spot to view sunset.
It got dark very fast in the forest. After dinner, we went back to our room, and — with nothing else to do — called it a night and switched off the light.
That was when we heard the strange sound. Loud, guttural squeaks that sometimes turned into cackles.
We were quite certain it was an animal sound but had never heard anything like it before. Was it an owl? A toad? An injured boar? Not that we knew what any of those animals sounded like.
Or worse — could it be a kuntilanak?
The sound seemed to have come from above. Peeking out from under our blanket, we gingerly scanned the room with our phone flashlights.
And there on the roof beam, staring down at us with glistening, round eyes was a huge striped gecko. That was our first time seeing a Tokay gecko up close. It was at least 5 times bigger than the common house lizards we were used to back home.
Being the wimpy city people that we were, we quickly hid under the covers and consulted each other. Does that thing bite? Should we just go to sleep and pretend it’s not there? Should we scream for help?
We decided to go to sleep. And silently prayed that the creature wouldn’t lose its footing and fall on us. It was a wonder how we managed to doze off at all.
When my phone alarm woke me up for sunrise the next morning, there was no more gecko.
Facilities
Right next to our tree house were the shared bathrooms. They were clean enough. Be sure to bring your own toiletries.
There was WiFi — our phones connected to it, but it had no internet access. So, it was as good as none.
Bike hire is available at the property, and they can also arrange tours for you.
Meals
The room rate is inclusive of dinner and breakfast. Dinner was a packet of nasi goreng (fried rice) with chicken, eggs, and some crackers.
For breakfast, we had a choice of instant noodles, biscuits, and some local pastries. Coffee and tea were available all day long at the reception area.
If you’re the type who needs lots of snacks to get by (like me), make sure you bring enough with you, because there are no shops nearby. Keep them in secure bags and containers. You’re practically in a forest — there will be bugs. And geckos.
Checking Out
Checking out was a pleasant surprise for us. After saying goodbye to the dogs, we discovered that we didn’t have to do the short hike back to the car park. Instead, the host took us to another side of the forest, where a zipline was waiting.
Yes, we would be ziplining back to the trailhead! How cool is that?
Our motorbike drivers, whom we already booked the night before were already waiting for us on the other side to take us to the jetty, where we would be continuing our journey to Nusa Lembongan.
The Verdict on Rumah Pohon Nusa Penida
Is Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian Worth It?
It’s important to remember that this is not a glamping experience. Do not expect a luxurious air-conditioned hideaway with an ensuite bathroom, a bathtub, and a plasma TV.
Expect bugs. Bring insect repellent. And a sense of adventure.
It’s a unique once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially for those people who, like myself, grew up in the city and have never even climbed a tree. It’s for those who want to take a break from hectic city life or 5-star hotels and go back to basics.
Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian vs Molenteng
Unlike the more popular tree house, Rumah Pohon Jalan Petinggian provides peace and solitude.
Kristin from Be My Travel Muse shared her experience staying at Rumah Pohon Molenteng, which — due to its popularity — offered little privacy, as tourists kept climbing up to her tree house to take photos.
Last I checked, it was also four times as expensive.
~ ~ ~
While I was adequately satisfied with my tree house experience, the highlight of this place — to me — was the host.
Very kind and accommodating, he clearly took great pride in keeping his guests happy. If you read the reviews on Booking.com, you’ll see that the majority of them mentioned his hospitality.
Meet this kind man and his two equally hospitable canine assistants by making your hotel reservation here.
“Rumah Pohon” Tree House (Jalan Petinggian)
Address: Jalan Petinggian, Nusapenida, Kutampi Kaler, Nusapenida, Kabupaten Klungkung, Bali 80771, Indonesia
Have you stayed in a treehouse before? Where was it? Share your experience in the comment section below.
rumah pohon ni cantik sangat from above. well, Bali memang lawa dari segenap sudut.
Betul tu, Nik. Bali dan pulau2 sekitarnya memang cantik.
Cantik view dari rumah pohon ni. Bila baca rumah pohon Marina cari facility dia dulu terutamanya bathroom. Haha. Scary jugak dengar bunyi yanh tak best
Facility dia memang basic je, Marina. Anggap macam kita pegi camping je la. Back to nature. Kalau nak yang selesa sikit, kena cari rumah pohon yang stail glamping.
If that was me, I would have been stayed under the cover and will not be checking out the laughs. Let it be. Huhu. That’s one scary experience wei.
Hahaha. It was just a gecko. And there were two of us, so I had more courage than I would have had if I were alone.
alamak. yg scary part tu yg paling aida takotkan if stay sini ha ha ah ha 🙂
tapi tu la, view dari balcony tu, ya Allah, indah! saujana mata memandang. then, memang x pernah stay kat rumah atas pokok kan, so kalau la dpt kes ini umpama create memori baru.
mak aii! tinggi! ha ha ha ha aida ni satu hal = gayat! da naik, ntah ntah tak boleh turun dah, ummi 🙂
Hahaha, yang tinggi tu cuma rumah yang tak berpenghuni tu je, Aida. Tu saya saja2 je panjat, nak tengok sunset. Rumah pohon kitorang tak tinggi macam tu. Tapi kena bersedia la nak share rumah tu dengan serangga atau cicak. 😀
cantik pemandangan dari rumah pohon ni. waulupun facilities biasa2 je, tapi kalau saya sendiri tak kisah, sebab pengalaman2 mcm ni best 🙂 tak sabar bila boleh travel nnti 🙂
Memang best kan, Khairil, bila sesekali dapat pengalaman macam ni. Rasa macam adventure sangat. 😀
tak pernah lagi dok rumah atas pokok camni, memang teringin pi nusa penida ni, dulu pernah sampai ke bali je. moga ada rezeki nak ke sini
Lepas border buka nanti, cuba la, Bae. Nusa Penida ni memang cantik dan rasa lebih adventure daripada Bali.
Bestnya rumah pohon ni. Mesti sejuk kan? Bali ni dalam wishlist sebab tempat dia semua cantik2
Waktu siang, panas, Marsha. Dengan kipas cinonet tu. Haha.
Such a great experience right! Something so different from the staycation that we normally had during the trip.. I would love to try this too!
True, Kitkat. I always love trying unique accommodation and this is my first time staying in a tree house. 🙂
Memang ada ekk rumah atas pokok.. Siap ada letrik plak tu.. time malam mesti sejukk kan Ummi, boleh bayangkan sunyi sepinya dengan kicauan burung dan cengkerikk.. dan pagi kabus tebal lihat dr atas, nyamannyaaaa
Malam tu tak terasa sejuknya sis, sebab kitorang masing2 menyorok bawah selimut, takut cicak. 😀
Tetiba rasa gayat ! Tapikan…serius kalau dok atas tu tengok pemandangan sure ralit kan ?? Cam rasa takmo turun. Dan bila baca entry ni kan .. dah terasa hembusan bayu tu kat hidung..fresh !!
Ya, kak Sal. Pemandangan kat situ memang meralitkan, terutama sewaktu sunrise dan sunset. Tak tinggi sangat pun sebenarnya rumah pohon yang kami duduk tu. 🙂
Teringin nak ke sana juga. Tengok pemandangan pun cantik belaka. Mesti tenang kalau dapat bercuti kat sana kan. Bila lah dapat pergi merantau. Tak sabar!
Tenang sebab Nusa Penida ni belum lagi sepopular Bali, jadi tak ramai orang sangat. Cuma transport susah sikit la. Kena sewa & drive sendiri atau upah driver.
Ada berangan juga nak menginap di rumah pohon (tapi bukan di bali, dalam malaysia je). Tapi tak cukup yakin selamat tak bawak anak kecil sekali? Thanks umi share pasal rumah pohon. Seronok duduk atas pokok walaupun tak dapat view yg paling cantik, tapi pengalaman tu tetap berharga 🙂
Hmm.. kalau bawak anak kecik tu, saya tak berapa pasti, Nur. Tengok jenis rumah pohon la. Ada yang lebih mewah dan selesa, ala2 glamping. Kalau yg mcm ni, susah sikit kot. Nak kena hike lg, pastu kena perhati la budak2 tu, takut jatuh ke apa.
Oooh awesome Ummi! This may not have been the treehouse you expected from the pictures, but I really love the one you ended up in – plus you didn’t have to put up with crowds of influencers taking photos! 😀
I loooove that your stay finished with a zip line!
This looks like an amazing place to stay in the end.
p.s. did you think of a name for the gecko!?
True, Josy. It was an amazing experience in the end — the treehouse, the meals, the host, the zipline, even the gecko. Haha. No I haven’t thought of a name yet. Maybe ‘kuntilanak’ — after the Indonesian mythical creature that I initially thought it was. 😀
oh how I miss Bali now! Have not stayed at a treehouse before, that’s a wonderful experience to us
Yes, it would be a unique experience if you’ve never stayed in a treehouse before, Rane. 🙂
The views are certainly wonderful. Is there any access to the sea?
I am glad you enjoyed it – as for me, I am not sure if I could deal with bugs, the occasional nightly visiting gecko and, most of all, the lack of A/C.
Ah yes, the lack of A/C can be a bit of a problem, especially if you plan to stay in during the day. Perhaps you could check out the other treehouses — some of them look pretty modern.
The one I stayed at is not near the sea, but Rumah Pohon Molenteng (the popular one) does have a direct access to the beach.
This looks like such a cool experience! I have always wanted to stay in a tree house like accommodation and this one looks perfect! The ziplining at the end would be the perfect way to end a stay here.
Yup, it was a cool experience, Melissa. The ziplining was the perfect ending. I hope you’ll check it out when you go to Nusa Penida. 🙂
Wow this is really a authentic treehouse not those poshy poshy ones, hope to visit Bali again soon.
Exactly, Kelly. I don’t think I’d vibe with the poshy poshy ones, unless they don’t come with a poshy poshy price tag. 😉
Wowo…so special to enjoy a treehouse staycation, i wish to try too if have a chance in my future travel journeys. cheers, siennylovesdrawing
I hope you’ll get that chance to experience a treehouse staycation, Sienny. 🙂
Such a beautiful view! I’ve always wanted to experience living high up on a treehouse like this, probably can put in my bucket list. Just for that experience, siap dengar bunyi gecko lagi hehe nasib baik binatang bukan makhluk lagi satu errkkk!
Haha, tu la kan, nasib baik binatang, walaupun agak menakutkan juga la gecko tu, sebab kitorang tak pernah tengok gecko sebelum ni. Apa pun, memang pengalaman yang menarik. Harap Yanie pun dapat rasa satu hari nanti. 🙂
I’ve been wanting to stay in a tree house for a while now! I feel like the moving of the tree house with every movement would make me really nervous though
It’s actually not so bad, Julia. You get used to it after a short while. 🙂
I was all ready to go until you mentioned that you felt the house shake with every little movement. And then the gecko. Nope. It looks lovely, but I am too much of a city person and like to feel like I am on firm ground.
Hahaha, totally understandable, Lynda. I’m a city person too, but I don’t mind a change of scenery every now and then. 😀
I would absolutely love to go to Bali. The tree house seems like a great vacation to disconnect!
True, Venaugh. It’s indeed a great place to stay at if you wish to unplug and disconnect for a bit. I hope you’ll get to visit Bali and the surrounding islands soon. 🙂
Quite an adventurous staycation! Tree house and then the gecko. I would have been scared to death. The food looks yummy. Well, great experience in Nusa Penida. 🙂
Thanks, Jan. I think I would have been really scared too had I been alone. I don’t like reptiles. 🙁 Other than that, it was great!
What a cool experience. Lots of positives despite the influencers. Bali and its islands are on my list to visit when I can finally leave Australia.
The one that I stayed at wasn’t too touristy and didn’t have any so-called influencer trying to take selfies there. I hope things will get better soon so you can visit Bali and the surrounding islands. 🙂
What an interesting place. I hadn’t heard of Nusa Penida before, but I definitely want to explore beyond Bali when I go to Indonesia. It’s too bad that the treehouse you booked wasn’t the one you were expecting, but it sounds like an interesting experience regardless. I would like the solitude as well, and I would be really annoyed to book the most famous one only to have people constantly nearby trying to take pictures.
Yup, this one is pretty secluded, Kevin. So if you want some solitude, this would be the perfect place to go. Everything turned out well in the end and we really enjoyed our stay. 🙂
Ni antara tempat dalam senarai akak nak pergi tahun 2020. Tak sangka dah masuk tahun 2021 ni jangan kata nak ke luar negara nak ke luar daerah pun payah. Tapi syok sangat tengok Ummi stay kat sini. Lagilah kat rumah pokok tu. Memang lagi tinggi lagi best sebab boleh nampak pemandangan yang sangat cantik.
Hmm, sedih kan, kak Saidila, bila semua travel plan kena cancel dalam masa dua tahun ni. Takpe la, ada rezeki nanti boleh pergi sini. 🙂
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