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Sidemen
Rice valley below Mount Agung (East Bali)
About Sidemen
Sidemen is a green valley in East Bali, with rice terraces climbing towards Mount Agung. Life here still follows the farming and temple calendar, and the villages weave traditional songket cloth. Small villas and eco-resorts look out over the valley, and footpaths lead through the fields.
Best for: Nature lovers, hikers & slow travelers
- Mount Agung views
- Rice-terrace walks
- Songket weaving
- Eco-resorts
Sidemen at a glance
- Beach: None (0/5). No beach; the east coast is about 30 minutes away.
- Nightlife: None (0/5). None.
- Prices: $$ · Moderate. Moderate: small villas and eco-resorts, simple local food.
- To the airport: 62 km · 1½–2 h. By road to Bali airport (DPS), in usual traffic.
- Climate: A little fresher · 350 m
Ratings
- Calm-water swimming: None (0/5)
- Surfing: None (0/5)
- Diving & snorkeling: None (0/5)
- Sunsets: Fair (2/5)
- Restaurants & cafés: Poor (1/5)
- Culture & temples: Very good (4/5)
- Nature & landscapes: Excellent (5/5)
- Yoga & wellness: Very good (4/5)
- Family-friendly: Good (3/5)
- Peace & quiet: Excellent (5/5)
- Remote work: Poor (1/5)
- Walkability: Good (3/5)
Rated from 0 (none) to 5 (excellent), compared with Bali's other areas.
Resorts in Sidemen
- Samanvaya Luxury Resort & Spa: Sidemen, from about $250 a night
- Wapa di Ume Sidemen: Sidemen, from about $150 a night
Sights in Sidemen
- Sidemen Rice Terraces (rice terraces). The Sidemen valley is a long run of terraced rice fields along the Unda river, with Mount Agung rising at its head on clear days. Footpaths lead between the fields, small temples and weaving villages, and local guides lead half-day walks. Mornings give the clearest views of the mountain; the valley is about an hour and a half by road from Ubud.
- Kertha Gosa (palace). Kertha Gosa is the old hall of justice of the Klungkung kings, in the center of Semarapura, about half an hour south of Sidemen. Its ceilings are painted in the Kamasan wayang style with scenes of the afterlife, including the punishments awaiting wrongdoers, and the Bale Kambang pavilion beside it stands in a moat. A small museum on the grounds covers the royal family and the 1908 puputan.