Rice terraces, crafts, food and getting there, from our team 20 minutes away in Selat.
Updated November 2026
Sidemen is a farming valley in Karangasem, East Bali, where rice terraces climb toward Mount Agung, Bali’s highest volcano. Go if you want rice field walks, weaving and silver workshops and quiet village roads rather than beach clubs and shopping. Travel guides put it about an hour from central Ubud and about 1 hour 40 minutes from the airport (Honeycombers Bali). We live and work in Selat, 20 minutes from Sidemen, and this is what we tell our own guests.
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Yes, if you like slow travel. Sidemen has no big shopping streets, no nightlife and only a handful of restaurants. What it does have is a wide valley of rice terraces that local families still farm, weaving workshops where cloth is still made by hand, silversmith classes, and views of Mount Agung on clear mornings.
A travel writer for the Sydney Morning Herald called Sidemen “a quieter, more immersive Bali for those who relish a slower mode of travel” (Sydney Morning Herald). Sidemen is probably not for you if you want cafes on every corner, yoga studios and a busy evening scene. In the same article, other travellers complained there was “not much to do”. We think that is the point, but it is worth knowing before you book.
Sidemen is both a village and a district (kecamatan) of Karangasem Regency, on the southern side of Mount Agung, about an hour from central Ubud and about 1 hour 40 minutes from the airport. The main road runs north from Semarapura, the town of Klungkung, through Sidemen and on to Iseh (Discover Bali).
Camaya is not in Sidemen. We are in Padangaji, in the neighbouring district of Selat, a 20-minute drive away. That makes Camaya a practical base for exploring Sidemen and the rest of East Bali. For the wider region, see our East Bali guide.
About an hour from central Ubud by car or scooter. From Ubud to Camaya, allow 90 minutes. Our private transfer from Ubud centre to Camaya costs IDR 450,000, incl. tax and service.
About 1 hour 40 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport. From the airport to Camaya takes about 2 hours, and our airport transfer costs IDR 700,000, incl. tax and service.
Camaya is 75 minutes from Amed by car, and Sidemen is 20 minutes from us, so many travellers combine the coast and the valley in one trip. Our transfer between Amed and Camaya costs IDR 700,000, incl. tax and service.
These are the times we give our guests. Traffic and temple ceremonies can add time.
| From Camaya to | Drive time |
|---|---|
| Sidemen | 20 minutes |
| Tukad Cepung Waterfall | 35 minutes |
| Tirta Gangga | 40 minutes |
| Amed | 75 minutes |
| Lempuyang Temple | 75 minutes |
| Ubud | 90 minutes |
| Ngurah Rai International Airport | 2 hours |
You need one or the other. The roads are narrow but mostly paved and quiet. Every stay at Camaya includes one scooter. If you would rather not ride, we can book a driver for you: a half day (5 hours) is IDR 600,000 and a full day (9 hours) is IDR 1,000,000, both incl. tax and service.
Camaya tip: There is no ATM near Camaya, so bring enough cash for warungs, entrance fees and small shops. We accept credit cards at Camaya itself.
The best things to do in Sidemen are walking the rice terraces, watching or making silver jewellery and endek cloth, and taking day trips to East Bali’s temples and water palaces. Mornings are usually the clearest time for walks and views of Mount Agung.
Yes, and walking is the best reason to come. Near Sidemen village, a small bamboo hut at Pucak Luah Santi collects a small fee for a walk of about three kilometres through the terraces to a viewpoint over the town, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Paths cross private farmland, so a local guide helps you avoid walking through someone’s working field.
Closer to Camaya, our own guides lead two walks:
See all our experiences at Camaya.
Camaya tip: Book either walk at least one day ahead, and go early. Mornings are usually the clearest time of day in the valley.
From almost anywhere in the valley, if the clouds allow. Mount Agung is an active volcano and the highest point on Bali, at about 3,031 metres. Balinese Hindus see it as a replica of Mount Meru, the centre of the universe, and Besakih, the island’s most important temple, sits on its slopes (Wikipedia: Mount Agung). Mornings are usually clearest, and in the wet season mist often rolls in during the afternoon.
Agung last erupted between 2017 and 2019. Indonesia’s volcanology agency publishes the current alert level on MAGMA Indonesia, which is worth checking before you travel.
Yes. We arrange a Make Your Own Couple Rings workshop with Agung Silver in Sangkan Gunung, Sidemen. You melt, mould and polish your own design and take your handmade silver rings home. The jewellery is custom made with you, and engraving is part of the custom design.
Times are flexible and can be booked on request. The class usually takes 2 to 3 hours in total, depending on what you create, and the price depends on your design, so we confirm it with you before you book. Advance booking is required, and our team can help with directions or transport.
Sidemen is known for two hand-woven cloths. Endek is an ikat cloth whose threads are dyed before weaving, and songket is a ceremonial cloth woven with gold or silver thread (Discover Bali). At the Pelangi weaving workshop, you can watch endek being made on wooden hand looms and buy cloth to take home. Please ask before photographing the weavers.
Yes. Gembleng Waterfall, on the winding road south of Sidemen, drops in stages into natural pools. Tukad Cepung, a waterfall between high cliffs, is 35 minutes from Camaya. We arrange half-day and full-day tours there at IDR 475,000 for one to four people, incl. tax and service, plus entrance fees.
We arrange tours to all four for one to four people. Prices are incl. tax and service; entrance fees are extra.
Lempuyang can get very busy. Ask our team about the best time to go before you set off.
Yes, on the Telaga Waja river. Our rafting trip is suitable for beginners, takes about 4 hours in total, and includes transport, equipment and lunch. It costs IDR 600,000 per person, incl. tax and service.
Yes, as a full-day sunrise trip that starts in the early hours of the morning. Ours includes a private transfer, a guide and entrance fees, at IDR 1,700,000 for one person (IDR 2,600,000 for four), incl. tax and service.
The closest restaurant to Camaya is our own, Camaya Terrace, which serves all-day dining. There are no other restaurants within walking distance of Camaya, so most of our guests eat with us or ride into Sidemen village.
Camaya Terrace serves breakfast, lunch and dinner looking over the rice terraces. The menu mixes Balinese and Indonesian dishes with international favourites, and we cater for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets if you tell us your needs. Camaya Terrace is open to everyone, not only to people staying with us.
Sidemen has a rainy season and a drier season. Using the nearest long-term figures we could find, for Denpasar, the rainy season runs roughly from mid-November to late March, with January the wettest month, and August is the driest month (Weather Spark: Denpasar).
The Sidemen valley sits higher than Denpasar and the coast, and it is a little cooler. At Camaya, nights are naturally cool, which is why our houses use fans and mosquito nets rather than air conditioning.
Sidemen itself has no long-term weather record. The figures below are averages for Denpasar, the nearest location with published monthly numbers, from Weather Spark (1980 to 2016). Denpasar is on the coastal lowland, so expect slightly cooler temperatures in the Sidemen valley, and rainfall that can differ in the hills. A rainy day here means at least 1 mm of rain.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°C (87°F) | 25°C (77°F) | 262 mm | 18.2 |
| February | 31°C (87°F) | 25°C (77°F) | 234 mm | 15.7 |
| March | 31°C (88°F) | 24°C (76°F) | 150 mm | 12.6 |
| April | 31°C (88°F) | 24°C (76°F) | 89 mm | 8.6 |
| May | 31°C (87°F) | 24°C (76°F) | 51 mm | 5.9 |
| June | 30°C (86°F) | 24°C (75°F) | 36 mm | 4.1 |
| July | 29°C (85°F) | 24°C (75°F) | 30 mm | 3.6 |
| August | 29°C (85°F) | 23°C (74°F) | 15 mm | 2.2 |
| September | 31°C (87°F) | 24°C (75°F) | 28 mm | 3.0 |
| October | 31°C (88°F) | 24°C (76°F) | 56 mm | 5.9 |
| November | 32°C (89°F) | 25°C (77°F) | 117 mm | 11.3 |
| December | 31°C (87°F) | 25°C (77°F) | 211 mm | 16.0 |
For the best chance of clear Mount Agung views and dry paths, come between May and October. July, August and September have the fewest rainy days in the table above, and Weather Spark rates early July to mid-September as the best time for outdoor sightseeing in Denpasar (Weather Spark).
The rainy season has its own appeal. The valley is at its greenest, and February and March are our quietest months, so it is easier to find a free house. Plan walks for the morning, because mist and rain tend to arrive in the afternoon, and bring shoes with good grip.
Choose Ubud if you want restaurants, cafes, yoga studios, shopping and a lively town. Choose Sidemen if you want rice terraces without the crowds, quiet roads and village life.
| Sidemen | Ubud | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Rural farming valley | Busy cultural town |
| Eating out | A handful of warungs and resort restaurants | Many restaurants and cafes |
| Traffic | Quiet roads | Often congested |
| Best for | Walking, crafts, views, rest | Culture, food, shopping, wellness |
You can also do both. Camaya is 90 minutes from Ubud, so a few nights in Ubud followed by a few nights near Sidemen works well.
Camaya Bali is a practical base near Sidemen: seven open-air bamboo houses and one Balinese cottage in Padangaji, Selat, a 20-minute drive from the village. The houses look out over rice fields, and most of our guests are couples. For a comparison of areas across the island, see our guide to where to stay in Bali. For the rest of the region, see our East Bali guide.
Compare all eight houses side by side, or check dates and book.
Every stay includes breakfast, turn-down service, one scooter and free Wi-Fi. Check-in is from 3:00 PM and check-out is by 12:00 PM. Our team speaks English and Indonesian.
For a special day, we serve a floating breakfast in the heated outdoor jacuzzi of every house except Sayang, where it is served in the small private dipping pool, and Nirvana, where it is not offered. It costs IDR 350,000 per couple, or IDR 720,000 with a bottle of sparkling wine, plus 21% tax and service, and needs one day’s notice. We also arrange flower baths, private dinners in our hilltop bamboo pod, couples massages and proposal setups.
Please read this before you book.
If that sounds right for you, our FAQ answers the rest.
If you would like to walk to warungs, the weaving workshop and the terrace trail, stay in Sidemen village itself, which has small guesthouses and homestays as well as a few larger resorts. If you need air conditioning or a closed room, choose a hotel with enclosed rooms. If you want the sea every day, Amed is 75 minutes from Camaya.
Camaya Bali is in Padangaji, Selat, Karangasem, East Bali, a 20-minute drive from Sidemen.
Camaya Bali
Banjar Dinas Pandangaji Kawan Desa Padang Aji Kedesaan, Pering Sari, Kec. Selat, Kabupaten Karangasem, Bali 80862, Indonesia
Selat, Karangasem, East Bali, 20 minutes from Sidemen
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Yes. Sidemen is about an hour from central Ubud by car, so you can walk the terraces and visit a workshop in one day and drive back. If you want a slow early morning in the fields, when Mount Agung is most often clear, staying overnight near Sidemen works better.
No. Sidemen is an inland farming valley. The nearest coast we use as a base is Amed, which is 75 minutes from Camaya by car.
No. There is no ATM near Camaya, so bring enough cash for warungs, entrance fees and small shops. We accept credit cards at Camaya itself.
Yes. Paths near Sidemen village cross private farmland, so a local guide helps you avoid walking through a working field (Discover Bali). Near the village, a small bamboo hut at Pucak Luah Santi collects a small fee for a walk of about three kilometres (Sydney Morning Herald).
Yes. The Sidemen valley sits higher than Denpasar and the coast, and it is a little cooler. Nights at Camaya are naturally cool, which is why our houses use fans and mosquito nets rather than air conditioning.
Yes. Camaya is 75 minutes from Amed and 20 minutes from Sidemen, so many travellers spend time on the coast and in the valley on the same trip. Our transfer between Amed and Camaya costs IDR 700,000, incl. tax and service.