Besakih Temple & Sidemen Tour Review: Is it Worth It?

Planning a trip to Bali, you might be wondering if the Besakih Temple and Sidemen tour is actually worth your while. That’s quite fair. So, lots of folks told us this particular trip provides a look at Bali that goes way beyond the typical tourist spots. You get to see the island’s spiritual side and its truly gorgeous countryside. So, did it live up to what everyone said? We checked it all out to give you the real lowdown, the info that’s actually helpful when you’re trying to plan your adventure.

What You Can Expect on the Tour

Okay, so the Besakih Temple, or Mother Temple, is this huge, spread-out place of worship made up of something like 86 different temples. I mean, seriously, 86. It sits way up on the slopes of Mount Agung. And what’s really awesome is the tour usually provides this really detailed background on the temple’s past, its place in Balinese culture, and like, the meaning behind all the different shrines. It’s quite something. Anyway, after soaking up all that spirituality, the tour takes you over to Sidemen. Sidemen is almost like this total escape into another side of Bali. Very different feel. You’re talking about picture-perfect rice fields, villages, spots where life just moves slower. So, expect things like walks through the rice terraces. Maybe stopping by local places where they’re making traditional crafts. All of it gives you a real close-up look at how people live around here, you know, day to day.

And really, the best tours usually include an experienced local guide. Very essential. I mean, this person is just filled with all sorts of insight about Bali’s traditions, its history, just tons of cool stories that you definitely wouldn’t find on your own. Food wise, very often lunch is part of the deal. A chance to chow down on real Balinese cooking, possibly at some family-run spot. Just that little touch that sort of pulls you further into what’s happening around you. As I was saying, tours typically take up most of the day, because there’s a bit of ground to cover, right? They’re nearly always door-to-door, start and end at your hotel. Really, that convenience is just worth so much, as well as the things you discover. Could be worth looking into, just saying.

Spiritual Heart: Exploring Besakih Temple

Besakih Temple. Oh, seriously, where do you even start? So, calling it a temple just sort of doesn’t do it justice, actually. Seems like that doesn’t capture all of it, it’s like a spiritual city sitting up high on Mount Agung. That’s closer. That majestic mountain backdrop gives it some real wow factor, actually adding to this special vibe that just surrounds the entire place. Anyway, it’s one of Bali’s biggest and holiest sites, right? But it’s really not just one temple. It’s more of a bunch, almost eighty-six temples and shrines. Each one has its own meaning. Dedicated to different gods, different ancestral figures, loads of different purposes.

And you’ll see the different architectural styles. So Bali. And so intricate, yet very striking against the sky, and maybe more so, very, meaningful to those who’ve been coming here for hundreds of years. Of course, that’s the cool thing, feeling that sense of all those that have stood where you stand, felt the way you feel. Yet, seeing it all isn’t the whole experience, really. You also get to hear the stories connected to this sacred place, which I think is one thing a tour like this can do very well. I mean, they go into what Besakih means to the Balinese. Some things that have happened here over the centuries, how ceremonies work. Basically, things that just add extra color. Really helps to enrich what you’re looking at. Like when you know about the ceremonies they perform, it gives you such a great new angle on the Balinese belief system. What it signifies. What it represents. Could even see a procession when you’re there, adding another whole experience to the day.

The Beauty of Sidemen: A Retreat to Nature

Switching gears now. So, after soaking in all the history and spirituality at Besakih, the tour then steers you over to Sidemen. And Sidemen, this place is an antidote to how hectic other parts of Bali can get, right? And its scenery. So the views are truly mesmerizing, especially the famed rice terraces of Sidemen. They cascade down hillsides, just so green. Everything’s so lush. Actually walking around in them gets you a completely different view. See, people here live side-by-side with nature, farming. And, there’s this strong feeling of connection with it all. And they use age-old methods to care for these fields, which is fascinating to watch.

Alright, as well as the rice paddies, the valley’s also just packed with things to see. And the air itself smells of wildflowers and fertile earth, not joking. Just adds to how peaceful Sidemen really is. Arguably, villages dot the area too, giving you little glimpses into authentic Balinese country life. Very often you’ll spot locals creating textiles, or working with silver, really continuing traditions. This is the kind of stuff that just shows you something beyond the resorts, beyond beaches. You might be invited into local houses to see how people live and gain an idea, or maybe an understanding of their day to day. A guide might point out local plant types that have conventional medicinal use. Or relate some myth or two about a grove of trees in that distance. Opportunities that you probably wouldn’t ever happen across alone. And that helps give that day its texture. And texture always sticks.

What Makes This Tour Special

What separates this tour from a number of other excursions? Okay, first and most obviously is, like, that it isn’t just sightseeing. The experience dives way deeper, trying to deliver that culture. Giving access to the sorts of experiences a guidebook would never be capable of providing. Okay, so you could get to Besakih or Sidemen under your own steam. A rental car, or whatever. No problem. The magic part is probably that the guides can bring all these places to life. Those facts, legends, all that personal insight they add – essential. Guides often know people in the villages, so you aren’t seeing things through some sort of sanitized tourism filter. You are in fact, gaining, actually seeing people’s lives. Maybe sitting down to have a meal together. Participating in a craft for a short while.

Plus, there is a big element of things being simple, easy, and well thought out, I think. You get picked up, whisked around in comfort. And everything you need’s handled so you can simply focus your efforts on actually soaking it all in. Instead of the how. So, tours usually manage timings well too, so it really matters less if it is a popular location. They structure things just so. Maybe visiting attractions just a little off peak. That could be something simple but brilliant. So the other thing you usually find is these tours put cash back into communities that are close by, supporting local companies, restaurants, families. And as I was saying, if things like this matter to you, then these kinds of tours are probably the responsible choice.

Is This Trip For You?

Alright, before you just rush in to make any kind of a booking. This trip. Would you even get anything from it? So, ask yourself these questions, you know? Are you someone who actually just loves getting lost in other cultures, history, seeing what’s going on, you know, the little details? So if temples just seem interesting, and you find just exploring the countryside, the little villages, meeting locals appealing, then it just could well be a good match. It definitely could be for those of you seeking some inner perspective or spiritual connection, even? Because the calm, peaceful nature of a location, plus the history and meaning of the temple may touch something within.

Having said all of that, if you’re just hoping for things to be really fast-paced, action-packed, you know, maybe not so suitable. As well as the tours aren’t typically physically demanding, you could be walking around, climbing steps, nothing too hectic. In some respects it is not right for anybody with physical difficulties or, like, health challenges which would limit the capabilities of your moving freely throughout all areas of the trip. Think the day could go either way? Could be perfect, could be…well…not, but actually consider checking customer reviews from people that took the trip. People who loved things are typically honest in regard to precisely what really did it for them, and that kind of stuff is seriously informative. Read some reviews, it could be worthwhile.