If you plan a trip to Bali, you’ll see all kinds of recommendations for Ubud and Canggu, but I want to talk to you about the Sidemen Valley in Bali and its surrounding area. Imagine waterfalls, rice terraces, and green jungles without the crazy amount of tourist traffic in the main areas—that’s Sidemen! We’ve put together all the information from our short time there in hopes of introducing more people to this incredible place (but not too many people, if you know what I mean).
Why Visit Sidemen?
Sidemen was exactly what we assumed the entire island of Bali would feel like. It’s peaceful and lush, and you can almost feel the spiritual energy. We wanted to experience a little bit of everything in our month on the island—jungles, beaches, and local culture.
When planning our trip around the island of Bali, we searched for a place to stay for a few days between our time in Ubud and our beach stay in Amed on the northeast side. It was hard to find a place. We didn’t find that much on the internet outside of the Mt. Batur area. We decided on Sidemen because we found a homestay with an exceptional rating. Sidemen, Bali is a hidden gem, and we knew the second we arrived that we had found something special.
I imagine that Sidemen is what the areas of Ubud were like a few decades ago. You will not find yoga centers or vegan juice shops. Instead, it is a quiet town higher up in the hills with lush green valleys, beautiful farms, temples, and cooler temperatures.
When is the Best Time to Visit Sidemen?
The best time to visit Sidemen, Bali, is May to October. The humidity is less intense, and you’ll have a little less rain. August is the least humid month, so if you want to avoid that – plan for it. The temperatures don’t change too much thanks to Bali’s distance to the equator. The busiest tourist month is in March, so you may see higher prices then.
Get more information about things you need to know before traveling to Bali.
Where We Stayed in Sidemen, Bali
Griya Valud
This homestay is located right on the edge of Sidemen, Bali. There are two rooms and two bungalows on the property. Both options are beautiful. We were in one of the rooms. It was clean, very comfortable and had a great patio area out front. After two weeks of an outdoor bathroom, it was nice to have one inside with a good shower.
Check current prices and book your stay here on Booking.com.
Find the property on Agoda here if you prefer that app.
Made (pronounced: mah-day) is the owner, and he greeted us at check-in with Lemongrass tea and some amazing ginger treats. He gave us a tour and let us know what activities they offer each day if we were interested.
We ate breakfast and dinner there every day. The menu had an entire page for vegetarians, and we tried four different dishes. Made apologized for the simple menu and explained it was due to the lack of variety at their local market. We laughed because the menu had great variety, and we could eat something new daily. They asked us each night if there were any fruits we wanted the next day so they could check the market before dawn.
The best part about this property is the view you get from your front door. It is just a small pond with flowers, statues, and a small relaxation platform, but it is the icing on the cake.
Other Options for Hotels in Sidemen Valley
If Griya Valud is completely booked while you’re visiting, here are a few other options you can check out. Click the links below to check prices and availability, or check this Hotels.com map for the right part of the island.
Things to Do in Sidemen, Bali
You won’t find a list of 100 things to do here like you would in Ubud. The vibe is so much different, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to do, see and explore. We mixed up our days with half adventure, half relaxation. Connect with nature and enjoy the peaceful vibe of the region.
Go Trekking
The area around Sidemen has great trekking options. On clear days, you can see Mt Agung towering in the distance as well as the closer surrounding mountains.
We chose our own path to Pura Bukit Sangkan Gunung. It’s a temple at the top of the hill with views of the surrounding areas. It took us about an hour up the roads and stairs. It was a good workout. We left early in the morning before it got hot, which I would advise no matter where you are trekking.
There are several great local guides if you want something more off the beaten path. Made was more than willing to point us in the right direction but we chose to go our own way.
Explore the Incredible Rice Terrace Views
We couldn’t believe the views in Sidemen. There are more shades of green than a person could even imagine. This was an excellent place to fly the drone. We launched right from our hotel. You’ll see the paddy fields of rice that are watered using the Subak method, which was developed in the 9th century.
We also ate lunch at two different spots with amazing views of the surrounding terraces. Warung Organic was our favorite, and it is a great place to stop for lunch.
Easy Day Trips via Motorbike
Motorbikes are the most popular mode of transportation on this island paradise. In Ubud, the traffic was pretty crazy, and we could walk everywhere. Once we arrived in Sidemen, we decided it was time to try them.
Griya Valud had a few to rent for the guests. It costs 60,000 Rupiah for a day (that translates to less than USD $4.00). They also ask that you put some petrol back in the tank for an additional dollar. After a brief lesson and a trip around the block, we put on our helmets and hit the road.
Word of Advice on Renting Motorbikes in Bali: Do not drive motorbikes if you do not feel extremely comfortable. Justin had experience driving motorcycles, and we stuck only to the quiet country roads. We saw so many accidents while traveling involving these vehicles and do not think it’s the best option for many travelers.
We chose these two different day trips from Sidemen:
Blue Lagoon Beach
This was about a 40-minute trip up and over the hill to the Blue Lagoon beach on the south shores of the island. It was mostly smaller backroads there, and we took a quicker route back with a few busier roads.
The beach is beautiful and has a nice variety of restaurants to choose from for a good lunch. This is one of the places to catch a boat to Nusa Penida, so it gets a little hectic on the main drag, but you can find a quiet corner to enjoy for an hour or two.
Besakih Temple
If you only have time for one day trip, this is the one. The trip there was about 35 minutes through the backroads from Griya Valud.
This is referred to as the Mother Temple of Bali. Parking for motorbikes is really easy – just follow the signs. Once you’re parked, you will buy tickets that include sarong rentals, a ride up to the temple (700 meters uphill), and an English-speaking guide.
The tour lasted about an hour, but you can go as slowly as you like and ask questions. Our guide was amazing and took tons of pictures for us. The temple is on the side of Mt. Agung, so we learned a bit about the country’s biggest celebrations and ceremonies and stories about the volcano itself.
Note: You will be approached at the entrance by a swarm of people selling offerings. You DO NOT need to buy them. We did and put them at the top temple, which was for the God of Nature. I am glad we did it, but it is certainly not a requirement to enter the temple.
Relax at Your Hotel
The hotels in this area are all set within the rice terraces of the Sidemen Valley. With views of the volcano and lush green farms, there’s no bad angle. Don’t pack your days too full. Take time to do some yoga, meditate, read, or write. Or just sip some tea and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells. Enjoy the pools, spa services, and other amenities that your homestay or hotel offers.
How to Get Around in Sidemen, Bali
I cannot write about Sidemen without mentioning Komang Odon. He is a friend of Made, who runs the Griya Valud, and was our driver in Bali. We feel like we struck gold because he was the person that our hotel set us up with to get us to Amed. Not only is he wonderful, he made it more like getting a tour rather than a “taxi” ride. He pointed out all the big sites on our 90-minute drive to Amed. We even used him to take us the three hours back to Legian at the end of our time in Amed.
We have stayed in touch with him since leaving Bali. If you are traveling to Bali, comment below, and I will try to connect with you. You can also visit his company website here or book your stay with our favorite hotel, and you’ll likely have him as your driver at the airport.
Final Thoughts on Sidemen, Bali
This is the perfect place for peace, quiet, and beauty. If this is what you are looking for at any part of your travel, look no further than the Sidemen Valley in Bali! Let us know if you have any questions about the area.
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