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    Sidemen
    Village

    Sidemen

    Sidemen is located in a valley in eastern Bali, overlooked by the Gunung Agung volcano. Terraced rice fields, Songket weaving workshops, and quiet villages make the valley an alternative to bustling Ubud.

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    9. Sidemen
    Sidemen is located in a valley in eastern Bali, overlooked by the Gunung Agung volcano. Terraced rice fields, Songket weaving workshops, and quiet villages make the valley an alternative to bustling Ubud.
    Sidemen is a rural district in the Karangasem regency, about one and a half hours east of Ubud. Accommodations are scattered along a road on the valley slope above the rice terraces, many with views of Mount Agung. There are few shops and no nightlife; dining is at the accommodations and a few warungs. The valley is ideal for hikes through the fields, visits to weaving workshops, and as a tranquil base for Besakih, Klungkung, and the East Coast.

    Sights in Sidemen

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Kertha Gosa (Semarapura)
    rheins / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
    Temple

    Kertha Gosa (Semarapura)

    Open Hall of Justice of the former Klungkung Kingdom from the 18th century, set in a garden with a water pavilion. The ceiling paintings in Kamasan style depict scenes from the epic Bhima Swarga, including the punishments for sinners in the afterlife.
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    Tenganan Pegringsingan
    Kresnanta / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
    Attraction

    Tenganan Pegringsingan

    Village of the Bali Aga, who preserve pre-Hindu traditions, near Candidasa. Behind a wall lie parallel rows of houses around a central square. Only here is the double-dyed Ikat fabric Geringsing woven.
    Open in Google Maps

    Sights in Sidemen

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Kertha Gosa (Semarapura)
    rheins / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
    Temple

    1Kertha Gosa (Semarapura)

    Open Hall of Justice of the former Klungkung Kingdom from the 18th century, set in a garden with a water pavilion. The ceiling paintings in Kamasan style depict scenes from the epic Bhima Swarga, including the punishments for sinners in the afterlife.
    Open in Google Maps
    Tenganan Pegringsingan
    Kresnanta / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
    Attraction

    2Tenganan Pegringsingan

    Village of the Bali Aga, who preserve pre-Hindu traditions, near Candidasa. Behind a wall lie parallel rows of houses around a central square. Only here is the double-dyed Ikat fabric Geringsing woven.
    Open in Google Maps

    Restaurants in Sidemen

    1

    Warung Tirta Unda

    Warung on the main road through Sidemen with Balinese and Indonesian dishes and valley views.
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    2

    Anandinii Organic Garden & Kitchen

    Vegetarian restaurant on the road to Tebola with dishes from its own organic garden, juices, and views over the fields.
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    3

    Asri Dining

    Restaurant in Tebola hamlet, serving Indonesian cuisine with a terrace above the rice fields, and clear-weather views of Agung.
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    Food & Drink

    Many eateries in the valley cook with homegrown ingredients.

    Balinese home cooking

    Warungs serve Nasi Campur, Sate Lilit, and valley vegetables, often with views over the rice terraces.

    Salak

    The sweet-sour snake fruit is cultivated in Karangasem and sold at roadside stalls.

    Culture and Character

    Weaveries and Rice FieldsSidemen is known for its weaveries, where women create Endek and Songket fabrics on wooden looms, interwoven with gold and silver threads, worn during ceremonies. Many workshops are open to visitors. In the 1930s, the painter Walter Spies temporarily lived in the neighboring village of Iseh, attracted by the landscape at the foot of Mount Agung.The valley is cultivated by Subak cooperatives, which distribute water from the Unda River through canals to the terraces. Besides rice, chili, peanuts, and the thorny snake fruit Salak grow here.

    Exploring locally

    Getting ThereFrom the Airport: 1.5 to 2.5 hours by driver, depending on traffic. From Ubud, about one and a half hours.Further Travel: Padang Bai, with boats to the Gilis and Lombok, is within driving distance.Getting Around SidemenLocally: Public transport is unavailable. Drivers, scooters, or hiking guides are usually arranged by your accommodation.Hiking: Paths lead through the fields; the trails are often narrow and slippery. A local guide knows the routes and explains the agriculture.

    Trips & Activities

    Pura Besakih

    The Mother Temple on Agung's slopes is about 45 minutes north.

    Klungkung

    In Semarapura, south of Sidemen, are the Kertha Gosa Hall of Justice with painted ceilings, and the town's market.

    Tenganan and the East Coast

    The Bali-Aga village Tenganan, the beach towns Candidasa and Padang Bai, and the Tirta Gangga water palace are reachable in under an hour.

    Accommodations in Sidemen

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    Nearby

    Ubud
    Chainwit. / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Ubud

    Ubud, in the highlands of Gianyar, is considered Bali's cultural center. Palace, temples, art museums, and evening dance performances are close by, surrounded by rice terraces and river valleys.
    Nusa Lembongan
    User:(WT-shared) Burmesedays / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

    Nusa Lembongan

    Nusa Lembongan is a small island between Bali and Nusa Penida. White bays, mangroves, seaweed farms, and a relaxed island life define it, and the neighboring island Nusa Ceningan is accessible via a yellow suspension bridge.
    Amed
    Marklchaves / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Amed

    Amed refers to a chain of fishing villages located on Bali's northeast coast. Dark pebble beaches, colorful outrigger boats, and coral reefs just offshore make it a prime destination for snorkelers and divers.
    Bali

    Bali

    Bali is Indonesia's sole majority Hindu island. Temple festivals, offerings, and dance shape daily life, rice terraces and volcanoes the interior. The south is heavily touristed, the east and north much quieter.
    Nusa Penida

    Nusa Penida

    Nusa Penida, southeast of Bali, is a barren limestone island with spectacular cliffs. Kelingking Beach, Diamond Beach, and the manta rays off Manta Point attract day visitors, while the island's interior remains rural.