Trekking in Sidemen: Our Review & Tips

Sidemen is famous for its picturesque rice terraces that continue for miles, creating an unusual sense of symmetry in nature.

There are some great viewpoints where you can see Sidemen's terraces from afar and even self-guided walking routes to explore. But our favourite experience so far has been taking a guided Sidemen trekking tour.

Interested in trekking in Sidemen? Here's everything you need to know, including a full review of our experience with Adi from Sidemen Trekking.

Self-Guided Trekking in Sidemen

While there are loads of rice terraces around Sidemen, many are privately owned and actively farmed, so you shouldn't just start wandering around them on your own. However, there are some dedicated walking trails you can follow.

The main public walking trail through the rice fields begins here on the outskirts of Sidemen Village. On our latest visit, there was a 25,000 IDR ⓘ fee per person to enter the fields, which we paid in cash at the small roadside booth at the trail entrance.

The signposted trekking route was easy to follow and continued for roughly 3km through the terraces, with a pretty cafe halfway round. It took us just over an hour to do the full round-trip without a stop.

We only came across a few other people on the route, and got to enjoy some beautiful views over the terraces, with farmers tending to the fields in the distance. We also got to see some of Sidemen's famous bamboo villas up close.

The self-guided trek is lovely for a scenic afternoon stroll in Sidemen, but you won't get the local insight that comes with visiting with a local guide.

Trekking in Sidemen With a Guide

For the best experience exploring Sidemen's rice terraces, we'd strongly recommend taking a guided trek. We booked a Sidemen trekking tour with Komang Adi, a local guide from Sidemen, and loved the entire experience.

Before the trek, we met Adi at the local market, where he showed us some of the produce grown in the region. We then set out on a walking route through the paddies with Mount Agung in the background, taking around 2.5 hours in total.

The trek itself wasn’t strenuous and was mostly flat with a few small hills. Most of the time, the route we followed wasn’t even a proper path (we followed the irrigation channels), and it certainly wasn’t on any mapping apps. We wouldn't have discovered this route without a guide.

Adi was friendly with all of the local farmers, which made us feel at ease walking through their fields and taking photos while they worked.

Adi also taught us about local agriculture and the rice growing process, as well as other aspects of rural Balinese life, like family, religion, marriage, and local traditions. He was a fantastic guide and the experience was worth it for these interesting insights alone.

Meeting Point

The meeting point is Pasar Sidemen which simply means Sidemen market. This is the local fruit and vegetable market in the centre of Sidemen village.

We got lost trying to find the start point! We went to the ‘Pasar Sidemen’ pin on Google Maps, only to find it was in the wrong location.

Don’t make the same mistake as us. Just head to the market, which is next to the main junction in the centre of the village (here is the correct Google Maps pin).

If you have your own scooter, there's plenty of space to park it along the roadside for free.

Finish Point

The finish point is at Warung Ume Anyar (Google Maps pin). If you have a driver, you can arrange to be collected from here around 2.5 hours after the start time.

We had our own scooter which we'd left at the start point. Adi was more than happy to give me a ride back on his scooter to the start point while Emily waited at the warung and enjoyed the view from the top floor terrace.

What To Wear?

We’d recommend wearing trainers or hiking boots when trekking in Sidemen, especially if you're going off the beaten path with a local guide - it’s quite the adventure!

The paths on our trek weren't well defined, and we were often walking along muddy trails and hopping across irrigation channels. Still, it was a dry day and we managed to stay relatively clean.

While you probably could do the walk in flip-flops or sandals, they wouldn’t be our first choice, especially if it's been raining recently.

Aside from this, you can wear normal Bali hot-weather attire, like shorts, t-shirts, vests, etc. Activewear isn't necessary.

What To Take?

Water, sunscreen, and sun hats are essential for a 2+ hour trek in Bali. You’ll pass several small shops at the start of the walk, so there are opportunities to refill water or buy snacks. You'll definitely want to bring strong mosquito repellent too.

If you’re visiting during the rainy season (usually November to March), we'd also recommend packing a lightweight rain jacket or poncho as the weather can change quickly in northern Bali. Luckily, the weather held out for our trek, but a storm arrived just 30 minutes later!