A journey through the Sidemen countryside in eastern Bali

After a few days gallivanting around the Gili Islands, off Lombok’s west coast, we headed back to Bali’s mainland and into the rice terraced hinterlands of Sidemen.

It took about an hour and a half (by pre-arranged car transport) from the Padangbai Port to reach the sleepy town, which is tucked up in eastern Bali’s hills.

The village is definitely one of the most picturesque places I’ve visited in Asia. Picture perfect rice fields and palm trees line the winding streets and the locals smile and wave as you past them by.

The river seemed to be the town’s meeting point of an afternoon. Young kids screeched with joy as they frolicked in the stream’s cool water while older boys met up on their motorbikes to enjoy a ride around town.

We were staying in a little family run homestay, Milla, up in the Sidemen town and decided to rent a motorbike (for only $7 AUD !!!) to explore the surrounding scenery on our first full day in the area. The first stop: Sidemen Rice Terrace Trekking. It’s a 3km path that loops around the region’s most scenic rice fields with views of the majestic volcano Mount Agung in the background. We were lucky enough to have blue skies and sunshine for our exploring after nearly a week of clouds and rain. Local women and their kids bathed in the manmade stream that flanked the sides of the rice fields as we wandered past. Farmers, many of them women, were already hard at work tending to their plots of land. We noticed the paths also had a few evacuation signs that pointed you in the direction of safety in the case of a natural disaster such as a volcano eruption.

After soaking up the sights we hoped back on the bike and meandered to a waterfall I’d spotted on Google Maps, the Telaga Waja Waterfall. What the maps failed to mention was that the road would turn into a very small dirt path through farming land. We pulled over and tried to make our way through on foot. A local stopped us and warned us (through Google translate) not to go near the “German’s farm and house” as they said they were not friendly and to instead find our way through the rice fields. Luckily, a local woman soon found us looking confused and lead us through the farms and into the lush, dense forest. We quickly discovered an incredibly steep and somewhat slippery path down. Her husband was coming back up with another traveller and offered to help us the rest of the way. He introduced himself as Made (the name given to the second born son in Bali). He knew some English and was incredibly lovely, giving us each a stick to help in the descent. It turns out he was a farmer and over the years he had noticed some visitors turning up trying to find the waterfall. So he ended up becoming an unofficial guide and spent most of his spare time walking up and down that steep path with curious travellers!

It was a long way down to the bottom but the views made the journey worth it. Made helped us across a rapid moving river to reach the waterfall for a dip. White water rafters sped past along a 9km stretch of river. We had a chance to enjoy a swim and soak in the waterfall before the rafters arrived to take photos. After a cool drink and rest with Made we made our way back up the steep mountain side. Once at the top we gave Made a tip and thanked him profusely for his time.

Made and Paddy enjoying a refreshing beverage near the waterfall.

After we found our way back to the bike we wound our way down the road to a local warung for some lunch with more stunning views. We ended the day at Nana's Bar and Pool for dinner and a Bintang. The restaurant had a pool overlooking the Sidemen rice fields that we enjoyed a splash in during the sunset. It was very beautiful and relaxing after a big day of exploring.

Unfortunately, I became riddled with 'Bali belly' that evening and spent the entire night up sick. Luckily we were able to extend our stay at our next stop: Ubud. We spent 5 days in a beautiful homestay recovering and relaxing before our journey onto Java.

Tips for Sidemen:

• It is very affordable to take a Grab (the local Indonesian version of Uber) from Padangbai, Ubud or Denpasar to Sidemen. We couldn’t find any reliable public bus services so used this instead. However, once you're in the town you will have to hire a motorbike or rely on taxis to get around as there are no Grab services allowed in the area.

• Riding a motorbike: Paddy and I had never ridden a motorcycle before but this felt like the best place to do it because it was so quiet. Paddy took the wheel as the driver. He took the bike for a couple of spins around the block before I jumped on the back. We rented it from our homestay for only $7 AUD for the entire day. Most accommodation options also provide motorcycle hires but there are also plenty in the town.

• I'd suggest you start your trek through the rice fields in the morning or early evening while it’s cooler. The light is also very beautiful before sunset for photographers.

• Time recommended: We spent 2 nights, which was good for a taster, but I’d love to explore even more as there are gorgeous waterfalls and other things to see further afield. If you have the time, perhaps 3-4 nights would be a good amount of time for proper exploration. The area is also known for silver jewellery making and some textiles as other options for tourists to enjoy.