Diamond Beach, Atuh Beach, Rumah Pohon, Raja Lima, and Bukit Teletubbies — a half-day loop on the south-east coast that almost every visitor underestimates.
The east coast of Nusa Penida is the side most visitors do not reach. The road from the south-western resort belt to the eastern cliffs is long, partly rough, and rarely part of a one-day trip from Bali. That is exactly why the east is still the quiet side — empty coves in mid-morning, viewpoints with no queue, and a slower rhythm that a few guests each year describe as the highlight of their stay.
Below is a practical guide to the five stops that make up the standard half-day East Island loop, and how to plan a sunrise start from Semabu Hills.
The five stops that matter
These cluster within a 10-minute drive of each other on the south-east coast. Most days you can comfortably visit all five in a half-day loop if you start early.
Diamond Beach
A pristine white-sand cove at the bottom of roughly 800 carved steps, framed by two pale limestone headlands. From the clifftop you can see the whole bay; on the sand, the cliffs tower 200 metres above you and the water goes from aquamarine to deep blue within a few metres. There is a small entry fee (IDR 10,000 per person as of 2026); basic warungs at the car park for drinks and coconuts; a steep staircase that becomes slippery in the wet season.
Best at sunrise or in late afternoon. Avoid midday: cliffs throw shadow across the sand, the staircase is crowded with day-trippers, and the light is overhead and flat. The dry season (April to October) makes the descent safer and the water calmer.
Atuh Beach
A smaller, more sheltered cove a short drive east of Diamond. The shoreline is a curved arc of white sand fringed by limestone stacks; a wooden floating platform sits out near the surf line, popular with photographers for the wide-angle shot of the cove. Less crowded than Diamond and the better pick if you want to swim when the swell is up. The cliff walls are much shorter here — about 30 metres — so the staircase is shorter and easier.
Pair Diamond and Atuh together. They are 10 minutes apart by car, share the same early-morning light, and there is a low-key warung at the top of Atuh for a late breakfast or a coconut in late afternoon.
Rumah Pohon (Tree House)
A bamboo cabin built into the cliff trees above the Thousand Island (Ratusan Pulau) viewpoint. Famous since 2017 as one of the most photographed tree houses in Indonesia. The visit itself is short — queue, climb in for a few photos, climb out — but the view over the bay and the small rocky peninsula below makes the stop worthwhile.
Best at sunrise (the bay catches the warm amber light for the first 40 minutes), or in late afternoon when the cliff faces into the setting sun. Midday is the worst window: harsh overhead light, the longest queue, and the cliff face is in shadow. Entry fee is around IDR 75,000 per person as of 2026, paid in cash to the local community.
The dress code at the photo spot has shifted in the last two years — modest clothing is the cleanest default. The site is a working cliff viewpoint, not an overnight stay, despite the 'tree house' name.
Raja Lima (Thousand Island Viewpoint)
A cliff-edge platform looking out over a row of small rocky islets just offshore — sometimes compared to a miniature Raja Ampat. The viewpoint sits on the side of a small hill, five minutes from the Rumah Pohon fork, and is a quick stop rather than a destination in itself. Sunset light is the cleanest, but the morning is also fine. Modest clifftop platforms are present, but stay clear of the unmarked edges.
Bukit Teletubbies
A line of rolling green hills south-east of the main loop, shape and grass-cover reminiscent of the show's landscape. The hills themselves are not a single viewpoint — you photograph them best from a slightly higher ridge just off the road, often on the way to or from Suwehan or Tembeling. Most day-trip-loop visitors pass them rather than stop; if you are a photographer, pull off at the obvious layby on the ridge for a 10-minute stop. Cooler, gentler counterpoint to the cliffs elsewhere on the island.
How to plan the day
The cleanest schedule from Semabu Hills is a sunrise start. Pickup at 5:00 AM, on the road by 5:15, at the top of the Diamond Beach staircase by 6:30 to catch the early light. Breakfast at the warung above Atuh once the sun is up. The Rumah Pohon photo session around 9:00 AM (before the queue gets long). Raja Lima at 9:30. Bukit Teletubbies on the way back, photo stop. Back at the resort for lunch around 1:00 PM, with the rest of the day free for the pool or a slow afternoon.
If you don't want the early alarm, the same loop also runs in the afternoon — pick up around 2:00 PM, hit Diamond for late-afternoon light, then Rumah Pohon and Raja Lima at the golden hour before returning for dinner. The light is gentler, the staircase emptier, but you lose the sunrise at Diamond and the morning photo session at Rumah Pohon.
Practical notes for the east
The road in from the central junction is partly paved, partly compacted dirt, with potholes and steep bends in places. East-side roads have improved a lot in the last two years, but a careful driver still beats a scooter here unless you are very confident. Most east-coast loop customers go with a private car and driver through Semabu Hills.
Cell signal is patchier than on the west coast. If you need to make a WhatsApp call, do it at one of the viewpoints rather than at Diamond or Atuh where the cliffs cut you off from the cell tower on the south coast.
Cash is useful. Rumah Pohon's entry fee, the Diamond ticket, and most warungs are cash-only — the closest ATM is back near Toya Pakeh.
From Semabu Hills
We run the East Island Day on the sunrise schedule as standard and the afternoon loop on request. Most guests do it as a single half-day, then spend the remaining time on the resort, the spa, or the West Island cliffs the day before. We can also pair it with a Suwehan detour on the way back if you want a full day and don't mind a slower pace. Message us on WhatsApp once your dates are confirmed and we'll work out the day's running order around the sunrise time on the date you've chosen.
See also
Each east-coast stop has a dedicated guide — read Diamond Beach, Rumah Pohon Tree House, and when to come. For the rest of the island, start with this overview and the east coast guide.
