Next stop was Sidemen, a town only 35 km from Ubud… which somehow took almost two hours to reach. And that’s only partially true, because we never actually made it into the town with our driver. But we’ll get to that.
The roads weren’t even that crazy. Edward didn’t complain once about being carsick, which is the new international standard for “not that bad.” People just drive slow and there’s traffic everywhere. It reminded me of Costa Rica, but with fewer potholes and more scooters.
On the way, we asked our driver to stop at a waterfall that looked nice online. And yes, the waterfalls were gorgeous… but the crowd of Instagrammers ruined the vibe. There was a lineup of over an hour just to take a photo. Not one photo, but a full photoshoot of yoga poses, flowing dresses, hair flips, and “deep spiritual connection with nature” looks. We tried to squeeze in a shot between two groups and it still took 10 minutes of waiting. It felt like we were cutting in line at Disneyland, except the attraction was a puddle of water and people doing warrior pose.
As we were finally approaching Sidemen, the car came to a full stop. After waiting a bit, the driver asked around and came back with news: a funeral procession was happening in town, and the roads were closed for the next 1–2 hours. So we did the only logical thing. We grabbed our suitcases and started walking. We dragged our luggage through a giant crowd of people carrying massive ceremonial statues. It was immediately clear why no car was getting through. We walked about 500 metres but it felt like three kilometres because of the hills, heat, and sun. Eventually, the hotel staff found us. The hotel was still a few kilometres away and the kids were done with walking in the midday sun. Which is how our kids got their very first scooter ride in Bali. They were thrilled. The parents… less so. They didn’t have helmets and we suddenly felt like the worst people in a “things not to do in Bali” YouTube video.
Sidemen was exactly the Bali I pictured before we came. Ubud was nice, don’t get me wrong, but I preferred every single moment outside the town rather than inside it. As Joey mentioned, Ubud is busy, loud, and has approximately zero space to walk without risking being run over by scooters, cars, or monkeys.
Our hotel in Sidemen was lovely and sat right beside the rice terraces. The view from our infinity pool was amazing. So yes, we spent a lot of time relaxing by the pool. We also treated ourselves to another massage. Hard to say no when an hour costs less than $20. That’s cheaper than a sandwich in Ottawa.
We did a guided walk through the rice terraces, and I loved it. Real farmers, real work, real rice. The Tegalalang terraces near Ubud were nice in their own way, but they felt like someone asked, “What if agriculture… but make it Instagram?” Swings everywhere, flying carpets, ziplines, and—because why not—someone is now building a pool. A pool. In a rice field. Here, though, it’s just rice plants. No photo ops, no TikTok props—just the quiet landscape we wanted. Unfortunately, Emma was absolutely not impressed with this decision. She was fighting a cold and the heat and humidity were relentless even in the morning. She didn’t appreciate the scenery as much as we did. She keeps reminding me that summer is her least favorite season. I keep reminding her that we’re spending more than four months in Southeast Asia, so she better learn to negotiate with sweat and it will get better.
Although we would’ve been perfectly happy spending our entire Sidemen stay chilling by the pool, we did venture out to see a few things. First stop: Lempuyang Temple, also known as the “Gate to Heaven.” In reality, it is a stunning, historical, spiritual place… with a side order of tourist circus. The shuttle ride up is basically a roller coaster without seatbelts, and on a clear day you can get jaw-dropping views of Mount Agung (we got a solid wall of cloud instead). And yes, it has become an Instagram hotspot. We lucked out because it’s off-season in Bali right now, so we “only” waited one hour to take our photos. In the summer, people wait up to three. Three hours. For a few photos. Completely bonkers.
Next up was Lahangan Sweet, where you usually get epic panoramic views of Mount Agung and its surroundings. But by the time we left the temple, the clouds had already started moving in. We had that sinking feeling — the “yeah, we’re absolutely not going to see anything” feeling — but we went anyway. The drive up was one of the steepest we’ve ever done. Our driver actually turned off the air conditioning because his car needed every ounce of power just to get up the hill. That’s how steep we’re talking. When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to at least see the landscape. Mount Agung, however, was still playing hide-and-seek. Just as we started taking pictures, a cloud swept in and — boom — we were inside a giant white washing machine. Visibility instantly went from “hey, this isn’t bad!” to “I can’t see my own hand.” We barely made it back to the car before the sky opened up and absolutely dumped on us.
The food here has been fantastic. We ate at restaurants with views that looked like postcards, and most meals came at prices that made us blink twice. Feeding the whole family for under thirty dollars was totally normal. Indonesian cuisine is flavourful and comforting, though there is one constant: rice with every dish. It quietly appears beside everything, like it’s part of the furniture. So we mix things up once in a while to keep our taste buds from getting lazy.
If you’re a nature lover looking to escape Bali’s busiest tourist zones, Sidemen and the nearby countryside are your sweet spot. Beautiful rice fields, great local food, and scenery that opens right onto Mount Agung. It was the Bali we’d imagined.
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