Things to Do in Tulamben When You’re Not Diving

I’ve spent 30 days in Tulamben across three separate trips, and I’ll be honest: if you aren’t here to dive, you might want to reconsider.

Tulamben isn’t a typical Bali holiday town.

Most people come here for one reason: the USAT Liberty shipwreck. And honestly, so do I. Every time I’ve come back to Tulamben, it’s been purely for diving, not for sightseeing.

If you’re not diving, I probably wouldn’t base myself here. There’s no nightlife, no beach clubs, and by 9pm it’s quiet.

But if you are diving, Tulamben has a very specific rhythm that I’ve grown to love. Dive early. Eat at a local warung. Nap. Maybe explore a bit of East Bali. Then do it all again the next day.

Here are my favourite things to do in Tulamben between dives.

Snorkel the USAT Liberty Wreck

Most people associate the USAT Liberty shipwreck with diving, but you can actually see a lot of it just by snorkeling.

I usually went in the morning or just before noon. By afternoon, it often gets busy with day trip divers and snorkelers coming in from other parts of Bali. Early is quieter and feels much more relaxed.

From the surface, you can already see large parts of the structure below you, especially on clear days. And if you’re comfortable duck diving down a few meters, you’ll see even more detail. It’s not just vague shapes, you can make out proper wreck structures.

If you’re planning a session here, check out my full guide to snorkeling in Tulamben for the best entry points and safety tips.

There’s also plenty of colorful reef fish in the shallower sections of the Liberty, so even without scuba gear, it feels lively. I never had issues with boat traffic while snorkeling there. The water was generally calm at the surface when I went and across my three stays, mornings were consistently calmer.

The only part that can be difficult is the shore entry. Like most entries in Tulamben, you’re walking in over round volcanic pebbles, which can be unstable. Go slow and wear 5mm hard-sole booties if you have.

Would I recommend it for absolute beginner swimmers? Probably not. The wreck sits a bit out from shore, and while conditions were calm when I went, it’s not a shallow, protected lagoon. There are easier snorkeling spots in Bali for beginners.

But if you’re a confident swimmer and not diving, snorkeling the Liberty is absolutely worth doing.

Slow Down Between Dives

Tulamben isn’t a place where you’ll fill your afternoons with sightseeing.

Most of my days here follow a simple pattern: dive in the morning, eat at a local warung or my resort, rest, and then either dive again or take the afternoon off.

There aren’t endless cafés or shopping streets to explore. And by around 9pm, the village is quiet.

It can feel a bit boring if you’re not diving much. But if you’re here to dive properly, the slow pace actually works in your favor. You recover, hydrate, and repeat.

Tulamben is built around diving. Everything else is secondary.

Visit Tirta Gangga

After a few days of early morning dives and walking in and out over those black pebbles, I really needed a proper break, so I visited Tirta Gangga.

It’s about a 40-minute drive from Tulamben, so it’s easy to reach. I went in the morning after a chill breakfast, which I’d definitely recommend. It was already getting quite warm while I was there, and I honestly wouldn’t want to walk around in the afternoon heat.

It’s more touristy than Tulamben, obviously, but I still enjoyed it. The stepping stones across the koi ponds are actually really fun to walk over, even if you feel a little bit like a tourist while doing it. After diving several days in a row, it felt nice to just wander around somewhere green and quiet.

You can easily do this as a half-day trip. For shorter distances around Tulamben like this one, I usually rent a scooter. But if you prefer hiring a driver you can do that too.

Visiting Tirta Gangga is not something I’d travel across Bali for. But if you’re already staying in Tulamben for diving, it’s nice to see.

Visit Lempuyang Temple

Lempuyang Temple is one of the most famous sights in East Bali, mostly because of the “Gates of Heaven” photo with Mount Agung framed in the background.

It’s about an hour’s drive from Tulamben, depending on traffic and where you’re staying.

I did go, but I didn’t do the iconic photo.

There were just too many people waiting in line, and I didn’t feel like waiting around for 2 hours just to get that photo. The temple itself is nice to see, and the setting is beautiful, but for me it felt overhyped compared to how quiet and low-key Tulamben usually feels.

If getting that exact photo is important to you, you’ll need patience. If not, I’d treat it as a quick stop rather than the main reason for your day.

Would I go back just for Lempuyang? Probably not.

But if you’re already exploring East Bali, it’s easy enough to include.

Stop at the Rice Fields Around Abang

On my way to Tirta Gangga, I randomly passed rice fields near Abang and we just stopped the scooter.

We just wandered around a bit and took it in. And for me, it was absolutely beautiful.

It’s not the dramatic, super-curated rice terrace scene you see in places like central Bali. It feels more local and open. When I was there, it wasn’t busy at all, which made it even better.

You could easily turn this into a proper half-day activity, or combine it with Tirta Gangga or one of the temples in the area and make a full day trip out of it. Or you just stop spontaneously like I did, which honestly felt more special.

If you’re staying in Tulamben for several days, this is the kind of small detour that gives you a different perspective of the area.

Spend Some Time in Amed

If Tulamben starts to feel a bit too quiet, I like heading over to Amed. It’s definitely the more lively place out of the two, and it’s where I go when I need a “real” coffee after a few days of the instant coffee (Kopi Tubruk) that rules most Tulamben dive resorts.

It’s about a 25-minute scooter ride south, but the atmosphere changes completely. There are actual cafes like Rimba or Amed Espresso where you can get a proper brew and a smoothie bowl. It still feels relaxed, but not as dead as Tulamben can feel in the evenings.

I really like coming here for a change of atmosphere. The bay at Jemeluk is beautiful, especially around sunset, and you can easily spend a few hours just walking along the beach or sitting at a viewpoint with a cold drink.

It’s still very dive-oriented, so don’t expect beach clubs or big nightlife. But compared to Tulamben, it feels more like an actual small coastal town rather than just a dive base. If you’re staying in Tulamben for several days, this makes a nice half-day or evening trip to “re-join” civilization for a bit.

Is Tulamben Worth Visiting If You Don’t Dive?

Tulamben is super remote. I personally wouldn’t come here if I wasn’t diving.

There’s no nightlife, restaurant options are limited, and after 9pm it’s genuinely hard to find food outside your resort. After a few days you’ve kind of seen what there is to see, the whole place revolves around diving.

That said, if you’re actively looking for somewhere quiet, slow, and far away from the busy parts of Bali, this might actually be your thing.

But for most people, Tulamben makes sense because of what’s underwater.

How to Actually Get Around Tulamben

Tulamben is essentially one long road. While people say it’s “walkable,” that depends entirely on where you’re staying and whether you’re carrying a 15kg camera rig.

• Walking: If your resort is right in front of the USAT Liberty, you can walk to the wreck and a handful of warungs. But be warned: there are almost no sidewalks, and walking along the main road at night feels like an extreme sport with the passing trucks.
• The Scooter (My Choice): For my 30 days here, a scooter was essential. It’s the only way to quickly grab a decent coffee or head 20 minutes south to Amed for sunset. Expect to pay 80,000–120,000 IDR (€4.70–7.00 / $5.20–7.80) per day.
• Hiring a Driver: If you’re heading to Tirta Gangga or Lempuyang, don’t self-drive a scooter for an hour unless you’re very confident. A half-day driver costs around 400,000–500,000 IDR (€24–30 / $26–33)