What about starting by saying that Sidemen was my favorite place in Bali. This picturesque village took my breath away and become my number one place on the island. Despite the overdevelopment elsewhere this unique region in east Bali still has the feeling as if not much has changed.
Just try to picture hills and valleys covered in lush jungle as far as the eye can see, morning mist, blooming flowers, and a place that emanates tranquility and beauty and puts you in close contact with nature at its best, this is Sidemen.
Here you can relax, contemplate the views and do some hiking trails and paths through some delicious green scenery.
In opposition to most of Bali island, that have too many backpackers, too much traffic and way to much noise and pollution Sidemen is just a piece of heaven. The small villages are surrounded by rice fields and agricultural land, small traditional Hindu temples, and rivers.
Here they grow rice, corn, tapioca, coffee, salak (snake fruit), chilies, and flowers that are used in the canang sari offerings.
Sideman is found about 90 minutes’ drive northeast of Ubud and is a fairly easy ride by motorbike.
Sideman is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of other tourist areas in Bali. The perfect place to relax, hear and feel the sounds of nature.
photography – all rights reserved – Ana Rocha
I will definitely try and get round there when I head to Bali in June. You said you could go by motorbike, is it easy to rent one there?
It’s really easy and cheap to rent a motorbike but its good to have experience riding one.
If you like nature Sidemen is definitely a must.. Wishing you a lovely trip in July 🙂
Yeah that’s fine I drive around Beijing with one all the time, so it’s fine! Thank you so much I will give it a look!
I love your very unique adventure of Bali, it’s not the generic guidebook experience and fun to learn from
thanks, glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for this post! We will be in Bali for four days next month on our way from Borneo to Australia. And, honestly, I was dreading our time in Bali due to the over-crowded/over-hyped reputation it has developed. But now we have something to truly look forward to. Sideman, here we come!
That’s great, hope you have a great time
Thanks to you, I’ve been reading SOME about Bali, which has been nothing more than an exotic place-name to me until your excellent introduction to some of its sights. It’s considered the #1 tourist destination in Indonesia, hence the crowding you reference. It’s always a welcome discovery to find a part of a favorite place that’s more off the track, and I’m pleased to read about your favorite part. Thank you for broadening the world for me.
I feel the same when I read your posts about different places in America (I’ve never been there) but each time I learn and discover something new 🙂
I went to Bali last summer, and to be fair I was super disappointed, that’s a shame I only saw this post today, This was exactly the kind of place I would enjoy.. well next time.
You always have great tips 🙂 thanks
Hi Hanna thanks so much. I know what you mean about Bali, although I found some nice places I’ve been to more exciting places in Southeast Asia.