Why Honeymoon in Sidemen?

Sidemen is a traditional Balinese village hidden between the rice fields at the foot of the spectacular Agung volcano in East Bali. Sidemen is off the beaten path, not many tourists visit this place, and that is part of its charm. People claim it compares to how Ubud was 25 years ago before mass tourism arrived. While we haven’t been in Bali long enough to confirm that claim, we do love visiting Sidemen!

Undiscovered Bali!

Sidemen is Bali in its purest form. Rice terraces, waterfalls, a wild river (great for rafting!), and an authentic local village where local crafts are performed. We believe it is great for a honeymoon as you can completely wind down, relax and join your time together here. Best of all, you won’t have to compromise on comfort: the spectacular luxury Wapa Di Ume Resort allows you to enjoy Sidemen in style! We share some more suggestions for honeymoon hotels in Sidemen below.

Silver Jewelry Making

We actually made our Wedding Rings at Agung Silver in Sidemen! We made our wedding rings at Agung Silver in Sidemen.A great romantic honeymoon suggestion: Sidemen is known for its silver crafting. There’s a traditional silversmith in Sidemen who invites couples to make their own silver rings or custom jewelry together. This is where we made our wedding rings! At Agung Silver, you can try your best at this craft - it takes around 2 hours and is great fun. Lately this place got featured on social media by some well known influencers, so make sure to book in advance (Instagram).

Honeymoon Hotels in Sidemen

Wondering where to stay during your Sidemen honeymoon? While Sidemen is off the beaten path and doesn’t offer the wide range of luxury accomodation you might find in Seminyak or Uluwatu, there’s some great honeymoon-worthy hotels in Sidemen now.

What are you looking for?

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Check the list below for our favorite Sidemen hotels or directly compare prices →
  • ★ Our Fav!

    Wapa di Ume Sidemen

    5 starNature viewsPrivate villasSidemen

    We love this place: Wapa di Ume Sidemen is a five star boutique resort featuring panoramic views, with the majestic Mount Agung, the largest mountain of Bali, in the distance. While in a remote location, the resort offers all amenities...

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    Hotel rated 9.4 with 300+ reviews. →
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  • Samanvaya Sidemen

    4 starAffordable luxuryNature viewsSidemen

    Highly rated 4-star boutique resort with beautiful views, an infinity pool, whirlpool and spa. They offer some spectacular wooden villas, some with private hot tub.

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    Hotel rated 9.4 with 300+ reviews. →
  • Darmada Eco Resort

    4 starAffordable luxurySidemen

    Oldest and most eco-friendly hotel in Sidemen. Very authentic place in the middle of nature run by a Balinese-Dutch couple. It is located on the bank of a beautiful jungle river and offers a natural pool. The Darmada is more...

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    Hotel rated 9.1 with 100+ reviews. →
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❤️ More Sidemen hotels? You might want to compare prices or check all highly rated hotels for couples in Sidemen for yourself. See all the best Sidemen hotel options here and compare reviews and prices for your dates 📅.

If you follow this link, we've already filtered the list to only show the best options with great ratings of 8 out of 10 or above (but you can easily adjust the filters).

Honeymoon Activities in Sidemen

Sidemen is a great place to relax and enjoy the nature together. The amount of activities offered might seem smaller as what you would find in tourist hotspots like Ubud, but there’s a few things we love to do when visiting Sidemen, especially as a couple!

What type of activities would you like to do in Sidemen?

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  • ★ Our Fav!

    Agung Silver Craft Workshop

    ActiveCultureIn Sidemen

    For those that don't have enough of rings yet after their wedding. This authentic crafts workshop in the village of Sidemen invites couples to make their own jewelry together. Book this well in advance.

  • ★ Our Fav!

    Tegala Waja River Rafting

    ActiveNatureThrill20 min north of Sidemen

    The Tegala Waja river flows through the green Sidemen Valley. This is definitely Bali's prettiest river to raft on. While the 3-hour rafting experience gets a little wild once in a while (nothing crazy though), we enjoyed the scenery a...

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  • ATV Riding

    ActiveThrill40 minutes drive from Sidemen

    In Manggis, close to East Bali's Candidasa town you will find the longest ATV track in Bali, operated by Halo ATV. If you don't mind getting dirty, this is great fun! We did this experience and passed by a waterfall,...

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  • Gembleng Waterfall

    ActiveNature20 min east of Sidemen

    Great sunset spot! This beautiful waterfall has some romantic spots to enjoy together or to take pictures, and is only 15-20 min drive east of Sidemen. From the parking lot, its a 5 minute walk up the stairs to get to the spot.

  • Lake Batur Hot Springs

    ActiveNatureRelaxing & wellness1hr north of Sidemen

    Beautifully located hot springs, directly located next to the spectacular Batur Crater Lake, in the shadow of the Mount Batur Volcano, roughly 1 hour drive north of Sidemen.

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  • Monkey Bar at Bella Vista

    30 min south of Sidemen

    The Monkey Bar is a popular spot for both tourists and locals to enjoy the view, an infinity pool and some simple snacks. While this place can get crowded sometimes, we like visiting it for the gorgeous views over green...

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  • Traditional Balinese Cooking Class

    ActiveCulturein the mountains near Sidemen

    Learn how to make 5 different typical Balinese dishes in this beautiful outdoor kitchen in Sidemen.

    Book in advance
    Through GetYourGuide.com →
  • Instagram Highlights Tour from Sidemen

    NatureCultureDaytripGroup tourPrivate tourPick-up in your Sidemen Hotel

    The Instagram Highlights tour is an amazing choice for (aspiring) influencers, but don't worry if you and your partner prefer to live a more private life: it is a great opportunity to see the most scenic parts of Bali and...

    Book this experience!
    Operator has 4.9 on GetYourGuide (3500+ reviews). →
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Romantic Dining in Sidemen

Luxury dining options in Sidemen are limited. Your best options are the two luxury hotels in the area, with the restaurant in the Samanvaya hotel being our favorite. Some more casual dining options can be found in Sidemen too, as well as simple family-run Balinese restaurants offering authentic Balinese food. Here are our favorites!

What type of restaurant are you looking for?

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  • ★ Our Fav!

    Asri Dining at Samanvaya

    Casual diningCentral Sidemen

    Our favorite in Sidemen. High quality food with spectacular views overlooking the rice fields and mountains. Book a table outside for the best views.

  • Romantic Dining under the Stars

    Fine diningPrivate diningCentral Sidemen

    Part of the Wapa di Ume resort. Surprise your partner with this spectacular private dining experience. It's the perfect fit for couples on their honeymoon!

  • Warung Ume Anyar

    Local favoritesIndonesianCentral Sidemen

    Popular local option with simple Indonesian food. Spectacular view overlooking the Mount Agung Volcano.

  • Ati's Indian Restaurant

    Local favoritesCentral Sidemen

    Great option if you're craving decent quality Indian food.

How to get to Sidemen

Sidemen is a 2 hour drive away from Denpasar Bali Airport and most tourist destinations in South Bali (Canggu, Seminyak or Uluwatu). It’s a little closer from Ubud, taking around 1 hour by car if there’s no traffic.

Sidemen is a great midway point to stay a day or two on your way to Amed on the northeast shore of Bali. However don’t use it as a midway point on your way to Lovina - while Sidemen may appear roughly halfway on a map, it actually takes 3 hours from Sidemen to get to Lovina through the mountains - just as long as it would take from South Bali.

Finding a taxi to take you to Sidemen can involve some haggling, especially from other remote places. It is probably easier to book a transfer from Sidemen in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Sidemen in Bali?

Sidemen is located in East-Central Bali. It is a small village surrounded by mountains, rice fields and forest, roughly 2 hours drive from Bali Airport.

How to get around in Sidemen?

Sidemen is a relatively small town. You can easily get around by walking. However, it is advisable to get a hotel towards the center of the town. To explore the surrounding nature, you would either need to find a (taxi) driver or rent a scooter if you feel comfortable driving one!

How far is Sidemen from Bali Airport

As Sidemen is located in East Bali, it takes around 2 hours to get there from the airport. This is part of Sidemen's charm - its not overrun by tourists (yet)!

Is Sidemen a good honeymoon destination?

Yes, we love it as this is where you can explore the real traditional Bali without the mass tourism, with some luxury hotel options to enjoy it all in style.

How long should we stay in Sidemen?

We believe two nights is a good amount of time to spend in Sidemen, unless you plan to do a lot of activities (rafting, exploring waterfalls) or want to take it slow - then 3 nights would be perfect!

What activities can we do in Sidemen?

Sidemen is surrounded by beautiful nature. You can find rivers suitable for rafting, waterfalls, mountains for hiking and more!

Next Destinations

Map with regions of Bali. Bali Regions Map. Do you want to continue your exploration of East/North Bali? The most logical next destination after Sidemen is the beautiful coastal town of Amed. Just like Sidemen the amount of tourism is quite limited here, and you could learn to dive together! If you feel like heading to an area with a bit more buzz next, consider the jungle town of Ubud or the luxury beach town Seminyak.

For an experience similar to Sidemen (nature, off the beaten path), we would suggest the Munduk region - stay on the slope of a volcanic crater with spectacular views overlooking the ocean. For more travel ideas we wrote an article on Bali Honeymoon Itineraries.

Find your next destination after Sidemen!

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Written by Olivia & Dirk

Hi! We have put together this guide with a lot of care, based on our own experiences. As a couple, we have lived in Bali for the past 5 years, and we fell in love with the island. We have visited every corner of Bali, especially the romantic places ;-). While our articles do contain affiliate links, you can trust us to recommend only the experiences that we love.

Read more about us or let us help you organize your honeymoon for you!