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Sidemen rice terraces

Jalan Sidemen - Sangkan Gunung, Sangkan Gunung, Bali

Description

Sidemen is an agricultural area in Eastern Bali filled with lush vegetation, terraced rice paddies, and dotted with traditional village that have retained a genuine rural and uncommercial way of life. Highlights include the landscapes and views of the cone-shaped Gunung Agung (Bali's highest peak), and casually riding a motorbike along the narrow and often steep roads. It is often described as "Ubud 30 years ago" but doesn't have the same spiritual and artistic background so the comparison only holds in terms of scenery and road traffic.

Access & Transport

Sidemen can be accessed from all directions but most visitors will be coming in from Ubud or Southern Bali via Semarapura - count on 80mins drive. From Besakih and Kintamani, it is a straightforward 30-50mins drive, and from Amlapura / Amed it is 50-70mins.

Instructions & Recommendations

We recommend staying overnight in a homestay (guesthouse with 2-3 rooms) and hiring a local guide for a 1-2h walk in the rice paddies. At the time of this review the going rate was about Rp70,000/h for up to 3 pers.

Meta review

The area is getting increasingly known as an alternative to Ubud and getting excellent press on travel blogs. Online reviewers that were looking for quiet and landscapes are very complimentary and often recommend taking a guided hike in the fields. However, those who were touring a little more randomly agree on the picturesque aspect but tend to find staying there boring.

Environmental & Social

No carbon footprint other than transport for getting there. Tourism brings much needed economic activity to the area and is still sustainable in terms of volume

Conclusion

Sidemen is out of the way and clearly not everybody's cup of tea but, if the idea of traffic and over-touristed attractions makes you feel slightly nauseous, then this is one of the best antidotes Bali has to offer travellers. Some beautiful, lush vistas - recommended for a one-night stay on the way to/from Amed/Tulamben.

Key positive

Gorgeous landscapes

Authentic traditional village life and not busy

Key negative

Not many activities

Suitability

No restrictions but visitors with reduced mobility will find it challenging to explore off-road and most homestays will not be accessible

About this Rating

TYPE

Onsite

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:1h 15m

est. visit time:3h

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightNo

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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