Can You Climb or Pose for Photos on Sacred Trees in Bali?

Climbing is not allowed, and photos have limits too. Bali Governor's Circular No. 7 of 2025 bans foreign tourists from climbing sacred trees and from disrespectful behaviour at holy sites, including taking photos without proper clothing. Violators can be deported, as several Russians already have been. Checked on 31 October 2026.

The Kayu Putih tree cases in Tabanan

The tree that keeps appearing in the news stands at the Kayu Putih attraction in Bayan customary village, Tua village, Marga district, Tabanan. It is around 700 years old, according to Barron Ichsan, then head of immigration at the Bali office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

In April 2023, a 40-year-old Russian identified as LK, who held an investor stay permit, was detained on 12 April and deported on 16 April after a nude photo of her on the tree circulated, CNN Indonesia reported (17 April 2023). The photo had been taken in 2021. Officials themselves said she acted out of ignorance rather than intent, and the deportation went ahead anyway.

A year earlier, in May 2022, a Russian married couple were deported for posing naked on the same tree. Outside Tabanan, another Russian was deported and underwent customary sanctions after an indecent photo on the sacred summit of Mount Agung, Tempo reported. Governor Wayan Koster said at the time that desecrating a holy site is not settled with an apology but with immediate deportation.

The legal basis today

• Bali Governor's Circular No. 7 of 2025, replacing Circular No. 4 of 2023, announced on 24 March 2025 (detikBali). Its prohibitions include entering the sacred area of a temple except to pray in Balinese dress and when not menstruating, climbing sacred trees, and disrespectful acts at holy sites including photos without proper clothing. The Satpol PP civil police monitor compliance and Bali Police are asked to act on violations.
• Article 75(1) of Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration: immigration can impose administrative action, including deportation and an entry ban, on foreigners reasonably suspected of endangering public order or of not respecting or obeying the law. No court verdict is needed.
• Customary sanctions from the local desa adat, usually an obligation to pay for a purification ceremony. The amount is set by the village; there is no fixed rate.

How do you recognise a sacred tree?

There is no official list to check. Common signs: black-and-white poleng cloth or yellow cloth wrapped around the trunk, canang offerings at the base, a small shrine (pelinggih) nearby, or the tree growing inside or beside a temple. Large banyan and pule trees near temples are almost always sacred. If in doubt, treat it as sacred and ask the caretaker or priest.

Can you still take a photo in front of one?

Generally yes, as long as you are modestly dressed, do not sit on the roots or the shrine, and no ceremony is under way. Some temples ban photos in certain areas; follow the signs and staff. Sarong and sash requirements are in our article on temple dress rules.

If you hire a photographer for a shoot in Bali, remember that in the cases above it was the person in the photo who was deported. Old posts can also cause trouble: LK's photo was taken two years before action was taken. Other common reasons for deportation are covered in why tourists get deported from Bali, and the full set of holiday rules is on the Bali rules page.

Small things people wrongly treat as harmless

• Hanging a hammock, swing or fairy lights from branches near a temple.
• Using poleng cloth or offerings as photo props.
• Carving names or sticking stickers on the trunk and roots.
• Flying a drone low over the tree during prayers.

Not all of these are listed one by one in Circular 7/2025, but each can be read as disrespecting a holy site, and residents' complaints usually start with things like this.

FAQ

Is climbing an ordinary tree on the beach banned too?

Circular 7/2025 only mentions sacred trees. Coconut palms on the beach are not covered, though beach managers or hotels may have their own safety rules.

If I did not know the tree was sacred, can I still be punished?

Yes. In the 2023 case, immigration said the violation was unintentional, and the deportation still went ahead.

Where can violations be reported?

According to detikBali, the Bali provincial government runs a WhatsApp hotline, 081-287-590-999, for reports of breaches of Circular 7/2025.