SIDEMAN, BALI: A TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE ISLAND’S SPECTACULAR EAST
Tourism in Ubud and South Bali has absolutely soared over the last decade. While some love the abundance of cafe, hotel and day club options available to visitors, others want nothing more than to avoid the tourism chaos entirely. If you’re in the latter camp looking for a more authentic Bali experience, I suggest spending time in and around the village of Sideman. This place is a gem. A two-hour drive from Ubud, Sideman serves up the perfect home base to explore the rice fields, volcanos, temples and viewpoints of the island’s spectacular east region. There’s enough tourism infrastructure in Sideman to make it comfortable for visitors, but off-the-beaten-path enough that it still feels like an authentic discovery. Below is my complete guide to this part of the island including the best sights, hikes, viewpoints, hotels, bamboo villas, restaurants and more.
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Mount Agung peaking out from behind the clouds at Lahangan Sweet. OUTFIT DETAILS: Fortunate One Store dress linked here.
WHEN TO VISIT SIDEMAN
- HIGH SEASON – July through September are the busiest months to visit the island. Tourists flock to Bali during high season for the dry weather and minimal rainfall. Hotel prices peak this time of the year.
- SHOULDER SEASON – October, November, April, May and June are the island’s shoulder months. Weather can be hit or miss, but May is consistently the hottest month of the year to visit. Visitors usually get a mix of both sunshine and storms.
- LOW SEASON – December through March is typically rainy season when crowds and hotel prices are at their lowest.
Lush green scenes hiking the Sideman rice fields. OUTFIT DETAILS: Free People dress linked here.
The rice fields in Sideman feel completely off-the-beaten-path compared to Tegalalang in Ubud.
HOW MANY DAYS IN SIDEMAN?
FOUR DAYS. The sights in East Bali are spread out across the region. You’ll need at least four days to cover everything at a relaxed pace. Anything less, and it’ll be long days where you’ll spend most of you’re time in the car commuting from place to place.
Typical scenes in East Bali.
SIDEMAN TIPS
- CURRENCY – The official currency of Bali is the Indonesian Rupiah. It’s important to have cash in East Bali. A lot of places don’t accept credit card.
- DAY TRIP VS OVERNIGHT – Most tourists that are tight on time try to visit Sideman and it’s surrounds as a day trip. This is exhausting. It’s two hours in each direction to / from Ubud, and distances within East Bali are typically 45 minutes or more. At the very least, it’s a solid six hours in the car to do this as a day trip. A completely waste of time. Stay overnight.
- FOOD – Research food ahead of time to map out where and when you’re going to eat. Unlike Ubud, the warung and restaurant options are not plentiful on this part of the island.
Gembleng Waterfall.
EXPLORE SIDEMAN + SURROUNDS
BUKIT CINTA
Bukit Cinta is one of the prettiest views in East Bali. It’s located on the side of a country road, very easy to access. The view faces a picturesque rice field panorama with towering Mount Agung in the background. The best tim e to visit is sunrise when the light is even and there are no clouds blocking the volcano.
GEMBLENG WATERFALL
It’s a short climb up a path of stone steps to reach the top of the falls, and soak in the view of sea of palm trees that engulf this part of the island. This is one of the more unique waterfalls on Bali because the pools at the top are completely accessible. It’s pretty epic. I visited Gembleng on my way from Ubud to Sideman, and the falls were empty until 8:30 AM.
LAHANGAN SWEET
Mount Agung serves up a completely unique backdrop to the treetop viewing platforms of Lahangan Sweet. The trees sit on a hilltop that has been transformed into a tourist attraction like so many viewpoints on the island. Thankfully, this one is still pretty quiet, and worth a visit for the epic panoramas. The best time to visit is first thing in the morning before the midday clouds roll in and cover the volcano.
LEMPUYANG TEMPLE
Lempuyang is a stunning Hindu temple that faces an ornate stone gateway known at Heaven’s Gate. It perfectly frames Mount Agung in the distance, and in recent years a photo inside the gate has become synonymous with a trip to Bali. Visitors show up starting at 6 AM, and by mid-morning there are hundreds of people literally waiting in a line to pose for photos. It’s an absolute zoo. This is the one place I would avoid in East Bali, but including it here because I realize it’s a bucket list destination for many people. Two items to note: You must wear a Balinese sarong, even if you’re wearing a long dress. Also, the watery reflection you see in most photos at the gate is an illusion. There’s a guy that sits in front of the gate with a mirror that generates the watery reflection when he takes the photos for tourists.
MOUNT AGUNG TREK
Glorious Mount Agung is an active volcano that sits 3,142 meters above sea level. It last erupted in 2017. The volcano can be seen from all over East Bali, but can also be trekked for adventurers who want a more up-close experience. There are different start points, the most popular are Besakih Temple and Pasar Agung Temple, and the hike can take anywhere from three to seven hours.
SIDEMAN RICE TERRACES
Sideman is home to beautiful lush rice fields that are open to trekking for a small fee. The fields aren’t quite as sweeping as Tegalalang, but the serenity of Sideman makes up for it. There are no swings, bird’s nests or tourist boutiques in these terraces, and tourists are far and few between. The trek is generally flat, but there’s a lot of sun exposure if you’re hiking on a hot day.
TAMAN AJUNG WATER PALACE
Beautiful water palace built in 1919. Taman Ajung surrounds three large ponds with its fantastic stone bridges, lush pathways and archways. This palace also has lovely views of Mount Agung.
TIRTA GANGGA
Formerly a Balinese royal palace, Tirta Gangga is now a beautiful water garden filled with Hindu sculptures, fountains, flowers and koi fish. There are stone steps scattered throughout the pond for visitors to walk amongst the floating statues and feed the fish. Vendors sell bottles of fish food outside the entrance to Tirta Gangga.
The views from here are incredible.
Tirta Gangga is pretty water palace in East Bali.
SIDEMAN HOTELS
Camaya is the OG of bamboo villas in Bali. It was one of the first, and remains one of the prettiest. The design of the space is beautiful, as is the stone pathway that leads to a flower filled plunge pool. Both face beautiful rice field panoramas that you see 24/7 because the house opens up to the view (no walls). This place is popular and books up months in advance. Note that this is an open-air villa – no A/C, no walls and there will be bugs.
Not the most epic bamboo house in Bali, but this one is a more affordable option. Ellena House still offers all the elements of bamboo house stay including a revolving leaf door, outdoor flower bath, rain shower, relaxation nets and an open-air concept. Note that this is an open-air villa – no A/C, no walls and there will be bugs.
It’s a gnarly drive to reach Laputa Villa that sits on top of a mountain overlooking Sideman. When you hike the rice fields, you can literally see the lone bamboo villa sitting at the top of the peak. That said, the views from the bamboo house over the valley below are pretty epic. There are a couple villas to choose from, Laputa Villa #2 is the more epic of the two (it has a tree platform that is amazing for photos). Note that this is an open-air villa – no A/C, no walls and there will be bugs.
A collection of rustic chic bamboo villas located in the heart of Sideman. The open-air villas face stunning views of the rice fields. The villa designs vary a bit at at Magic Hills, but all are very picturesque. Note that this is an open-air villa – no A/C, no walls and there will be bugs.
Samanvaya is one of two upscale boutique options in Sideman. This adults-only resort offers 18 rooms, and 6 different room types riddled with Balinese design elements including carved wood pillars, stone fixtures, thatched ceilings and ornate sculptures. The resort boasts two infinity swimming pools that overlooking epic views of the Sideman rice terraces.
Veluvana is another bamboo house overlooking Sideman Valley. It is a one-bedroom space that includes a revolving leaf door, rainforest shower, fish pond, hanging net and views of Mount Agung.
One of the only proper hotels in Sideman, and it’s solid. Wapa di Ume is located in the heart of Sideman perched above the rice paddy fields. The boutique hotel offers a mix of rooms and villas, as well as an on-site restaurant that is one of the best food options in Sideman. Also, a set of stunning sparkling infinity pools sit over the rice fields.
Magic Hills is home to a handful of private open-air bamboo villas.
SIDEMAN RESTAURANTS
SLEEPING GAJAH KITCHEN
One of the better restaurant options in Sideman where the food scene is a bit lacking. Sleeping Gajah Kitchen serves a mix of Indonesian and Western dishes in an open-air space that faces the valley rice fields. The restaurant is located in Wapa di Ume Sideman.
ASRI DINING BY SAMANVAYA
Another solid restaurant option, located across the street from Sleeping Gajah Kitchen. Asri Dining also serves a mix of local dishes, as well as Western options in a very cute space inside Samanvaya. The drinks here are also very good.
Seafood for lunch at Sleeping Gajah Kitchen, inside Wapa di Ume Sidemen.
Lunch at Asri Dining by Samanvaya.
GET AROUND SIDEMAN
Whether you’re visiting Sideman by day trip or as a multi night adventure, it’s best to hire a driver in advance to map out your plan of attack. I spent two full days exploring East Bali with driver / guide Made Budi, and because we planned the itinerary in advance, we were able to pack a lot into a short amount of time. If you need a driver for anywhere on Bali, I highly recommend Budi. He knows the island so well, and he actually helped me with all my photos on Bali too. He can be reached by DM on Instagram or via WhattsApp +6281805317679.
I explored all of East Bali with Made Budi. I highly recommend hiring a driver / guide if you plan to explore this part of the island.
GET TO SIDEMAN
Sideman can be reached by car from all over Bali. Most visitors arrive from Ubud or South Bali, and driving time can take two to three hours depending on traffic.
There are so many dreamy spots like this along the roads of Sideman.
I bought fresh passion fruit every day.
