- I stayed at a resort in Sidemen, a more rural part of Eastern Bali, for under $50 a night.
- While in Sidemen, I enjoyed a private bike tour and incredible waterfall views.
- I’m happy I chose to skip more popular spots in Bali, which helped me avoid crowds of tourists.
Before I visited Bali, I was convinced by posts on Reddit and TikTok that it was little more than a crowded playground for influencers trying to get the perfect photo for Instagram.
Knowing that many of its popular areas, like Seminyak and Kuta, have struggled to deal with high levels of tourism (and the pollution and damage that can cause) in the past few years only added to the image I’d created in my mind.
I don’t travel just to snap photos, and I enjoy getting to explore without crowds, so when I finally visited, I decided to head to a less popular and more rural region of Eastern Bali: Sidemen.
I’d heard about Sidemen from a friend who had visited Bali a few months prior. After seeing images of the area’s lush green landscape and reading about its incredible waterfalls and laid-back feel, I was sold.
My resort in Sidemen felt like an excellent value
Jamie Ballard
When I arrived in Sidemen, I was delighted to find the lush valley was filled with rice terraces, artisan silver workshops, and otherworldly landscapes.
I stayed at Cepik Villa Sidemen, a resort where I paid $45 per night for an air-conditioned bungalow with a king-sized bed and complimentary breakfast each morning.
It had a pool, a rooftop spa, a yoga pavilion, and a restaurant where I had the best nasi goreng (an Indonesian fried rice dish) of my entire trip.
The luxe-feeling hotel, which only has six rooms, was surrounded by rice terraces. It looked immaculately maintained, and I even saw staff walking the grounds multiple times a day to tend to the wide variety of tropical plants.
A highlight of my stay was a private tour of the area with a local guide
Jamie Ballard
My favorite activity at Cepik Villa Sidemen was a private scooter tour of the area with a staff member at the hotel who was born and raised in Sidemen.
Early in the morning, I hopped on the back of his scooter, and we drove about five minutes to the local market, which was already bustling before 8 a.m. I bought and tried things I’d never heard of, like snakeskin fruit, a sweet-and-sour fruit with scaly skin.
After exploring the market, we hopped back on the scooter and wove through the beautiful surrounding scenery until we reached Gembleng Waterfall.
My guide dropped me at the base of it, where I walked up a steep series of steps to access a few small pools that the waterfall feeds into.
I didn’t see a single other person hiking up the steps or lounging in the pools during my visit. Looking out over the valley with the sound of the waterfall behind me, I was struck by how beautiful the area was and how lucky I was to have the view all to myself.
After that, we stopped to taste locally brewed Arak (a strong Balinese liquor) and visited Pertenunan Pelangi, where I watched crafters go through the complex process of designing, dyeing, and weaving colorful fabrics.
Choosing the right spot to base your stay in can make all the difference
Jamie Ballard
As it turns out, I’d underestimated Bali and how much it has to offer.
Much to my delight, Sidemen felt so much different from the crowded, influencer-filled Bali I’d expected — yet it still felt luxurious and beautiful.
Unlike some of the other places I visited in Indonesia, Sidemen offered me a unique opportunity to connect with the landscape and the people.
I don’t think I could’ve had the same personalized, private experiences in a more crowded place.
Although I don’t necessarily dislike “touristy” destinations, I think there’s something to be said for straying from the most popular recommendations online and seeking out something a little different.
I’m sure there are many reasons Bali’s trendiest destinations draw so many visitors — but I feel my choice to spend time in a lesser-known part of the province was a good one.
