Sidemen, Bali : where is it & how do you get there ?
Sidemen is the name of a village and a district (kecamatan in Indonesian) located on the East side of Bali, Indonesia. You’ll find it halfway between Ubud and Amed, 2 wonderful destinations – if you’re not convinced yet, read my post about Amed ! Sidemen is also located 30-40 min away from the coastal town of Candi Dasa. So overall, if you’re wondering « is Sidemen is worth visiting ? », I can assure you that not only are there many great things to do here, but as you can tell its location on the map is also pretty convenient
What to do in Sidement, Bali?
So now you must be wondering… What are the best activities to do around Sidemen ? Let’s find out right now !
1. Get lost in the beauty of the ricefields
So you might be asking yourself : what’s Sidemen even known for ? If I had to give you the shortest answer, I’d say that Sidemen’s ricefields are clearly the stars of the show. And you’ll quickly understand why, once you’ll see this infinite ocean of green surrounding the whole area… Forget Tegalalang’s rice terrace packed with Instagramers, in this ricefield you’ll be welcomed with silence, a few farmers smiling at you from afar and kids playing in the subak, the little irrigation canals. There are some famous trails that you can follow in the fields : for more info on that, ask your hotel about it. I personally just woke up at 5:30 and drove my scooter for 5 min to enjoy the sunrise on the valley…✨
2. Go waterfall chasing
Another great outdoor activity and one of the best things to do in Sidemen is waterfall chasing.
The first time I came to Sidemen, I actually had no idea I was here ! I hadn’t even check in which region I was, because I came for one particular spot. Yes, we’re talking about the Gembleng waterfall (I found the picture above on Instagram, since I unfortunately couldn’t take one myself when I was there). What you can’t see on the picture is that there’s not only one natural pool with a jungle view, but several ones ! The waterfall itself is certainly not the most impressive of the island, but this place is still totally worth the stop.
The entrance to the waterfall is based on donation, I think we gave about 20 000 rupiah each (a bit more than 1€). The spot is located just outside the village and it’s really easy to access (see the exact location on Google Maps here).
3. Go white water rafting on the river Telaga Waja
Any outdoor sports lovers here ? This next activity is for you 😉 Time to head to the Tegala Waja river just outside Sidemen for a rafting session ! I had no expectation when I tried this and quite frankly, we had a blast. The guides are super friendly, you feel totally safe and despite being shaken up the whole time (that’s why it’s fun !), you can really enjoy beautiful sceneries in the jungle, with little waterfalls and views on the ricefields and villages. Overall, there’s no doubt it’s one of the best things to do in Sidemen.
