We came upon Rumah Pohon Tulamben by chance. We were into our third week in Amed, in the Karangasem Regency in Eastern Bali. A local friend, Susie, suggested we visit a place called Savana (pronounced Sabana). While there is very little at Savana, no town or village as such, Susie said that the views of the Mount Agung Volcano are stunning and make for some brilliant photographs. So we headed off on the scooter for the hour ride to Savana.

As we neared Savana, the cloud began rolling in over the peak of the Mount Agung volcano. We waited a while for the clouds to clear, but it was not going to be. In fact, the cloud cover kept increasing. And as we were here to take pictures of Mount Agung’s stunning peak, that was the end of our plan.

Where To Now?

Out with Google Maps, and we started the search for random places nearby. And we soon found an interesting sounding place called Rumah Pohon Tulamben. Google Maps said that it is about a 30 minutes drive back toward Amed. So off we went. After about 20 minutes of riding, we turned right from the main road onto Jalan Tukad Abu and started our ascent up the mountain towards Rumah Pohon Tulamben.  Another must-visit place in the region is Lempuyang Temple.

The Climb To Rumah Pohon Tulamben

The roads were narrow, winding country roads that climb the slopes of the Mount Agung Volcano. The roads took us through several small villages, past temples, both large and small, as we continued our ascent up the mountain. Going by the number of smiles and hellos we got from the villagers as we rode through, our guess is that not many travellers make it through this way.

The views on this road are stunning. You can view Mount Agung Volcano in all of its majesty. Driving for kilometres up a constantly climbing road, seemingly never getting any closer to Mount Agung gives you a very real sense of the massive size of the volcano. Coming from Australia, where mountains of this calibre just don’t exist, it’s a truly awe-inspiring sight.

As we get closer to our destination, we turn left down a very steep incline into a deep valley. At the bottom, a bridge that once would have connected both sides of the valley has washed away. But the locals have made a small, and easily passable detour to allow our journey to continue.

We start our steep climb back out of the valley and through another small village. The locals have built some really fun and unique walls on their properties. Well worth a look if you come this way.

Rumah Pohon Tulamben, The Tulamben Tree House

In the distance, we see a bamboo walkway stretching high across the mountainside. Rumah Pohon Tulamben, the Tulamben Tree House. Having come here with zero expectations we were really excited to see what the place offered. After paying our entry fee of 25K rupiah each we entered the long bamboo walkway. We were initially a little tentative, the bamboo walkway creaks, groans and bounces as you work your way along. But all that is soon forgotten as the spectacular views, stretching from the blue tropical waters of the Lombok Strait to the majestic Mount Agung Volcano, begin to unfold.

From the main walkway, a narrow bamboo walkway leads you to a treehouse, maybe 2.5meters square perched high in the canopy of an adjacent tree. We were a little apprehensive walking across here, as the bridge was high above the ground, but once in the treehouse, that was soon forgotten, the views were spectacular. We are surprised it’s not more popular with the Instagrammer crowd. Maybe it’s not yet discovered, or maybe too far from the tourist trails of the south of Bali.

A little further on and you reach a high bale, with sitting areas to relax and enjoy the views. Heading down the stairs from here towards the garden there is a small warung. This wasn’t open when we were there as visitor numbers were still very low due to the covid pandemic. 

The Gardens

The gardens here are beautiful, dominated by a large circular stone pyramid. The views from atop here are breathtaking views of the gardens below and the surrounding countryside. Beyond this, there is a spectacular Javanese style timber building. The dark timbers of which contrast beautifully against the backdrop of Mount Agung Volcano. It really helps to remind us of the amazing place in the world that we are fortunate enough to be visiting. You are able to stay in this building, and I imagine the peace and tranquillity afforded to those staying here at night would be priceless. If you enjoy beautiful gardens, peace and tranquillity, be sure to visit Taman Ujung while visiting this part of Bali.

Where Is Rumah Pohon Tulamben?

Tulamben Treehouse is located just outside the small mountainside village of Batu Dawa. Situated on the slopes of the Mount Agung Volcano, it is about a 30-minute drive from the heart of Amed. From Candidasa, it will take you about 1 ¼ hours. If you are travelling from further afield it will take you much longer. Ubud is about 2 ½ hours away while Kuta will take you nearly 3 hours.

Cost and Opening Hours

The cost to enter the Tulamben Tree House is 25K IDR per person ($1.75 USD or $2.50 AUD approx.) Tulamben Tree House is open seven days per week from 10 am to 4 pm.

Who Should Visit Tulamben Tree House

Tulamben Tree House can be enjoyed by anyone who attends. We would imagine that families with children would particularly enjoy this place. The kids would undoubtedly have fun exploring and clambering through the treehouses and bamboo walkways. Though parental supervision would be recommended at all times. 

There can be quite a bit of climbing up and down stairs here. However, inclined walkways, along with some judicious backtracking along the way can greatly reduce the number of stairs you need to tackle to enjoy this place. This makes it suitable even for a couple of middle-aged adventurers like ourselves!

Final Advice

Remember that you are holidaying in the tropics and the weather is hot all year round. You can easily spend an hour or so exploring the Tulamben Tree House and it would be very easy to become dehydrated. Drink plenty of water and wear a hat. Use sunscreen liberally, even during overcast days. The last thing you want is to spend half of your hard-earned vacation sunburnt. For more helpful tips to assist you in planning your Bali holiday read our 30 Best Bali Travel Tips For Your Bali Holiday.