Wanagiri’s Bali Swings

The Bali swing is popping up on everyone’s Instagram feed lately! Aside from Seminyak beach, Hindu temples and the island of Nusa Penida, attraction parks with gigantic swings are popular destinations in Bali. These parks are lined up in the town of Ubud where vast land of rice terraces are laid. It is in Ubud, where the first Bali swings were created. It doesn’t only feature the swing itself, but also the spectacular and majestic view of the terraces.

During our first day, we visited Uma Pakel in Ubud and the swings there aren’t for the faint-hearted. They’re so huge that it feels like I’m swinging on the whole hillside and over the terraces!

The locals of Wanagiri, a village in the mountainous area in the north of Bali, constructed their own version of photogenic swings, but this time, featuring the lakes of Bedugul.

When we arrived at Wanagiri Hidden Hill, I was surprised that it was just a small slab of the hillside. There are no other stuff there aside from various photo booths. There are no other activities to do aside from picture-taking. But believe me or not, your Bali tour won’t be complete without trying the insta-famous Bali swing, or else, you can’t say that you’ve been to this beautiful island.

Despite of being a mere view deck, I won’t deny that the location is indeed incredible. It’s situated at the highlands of Bedugul so we were able to witness a panorama of Lake Buyan and Lake Tamblingan, surrounded by the shady forest. We can’t help but compare Bedugul to the Philippines’ Tagaytay. Just like Bedugul, Tagaytay is a hilltop village, overlooking Taal Lake. The climate is similarly cold.

I headed straight to the iconic swing. I had plenty of awesome solo shots here with the lake as backdrop. See cover photo for the result. Couples can also have their image taken with the swing. I thought it was a good idea until the staff taught us this awkward pose. Now, I can’t post this photo of me and my fiancé on Facebook because mom’s gonna see us!

Next to the swing, the human-sized bird’s nest is also a must when you visit Bali. Basically, when there’s a swing park, there’s also a bird’s nest for tourists to take picture on. It’s a Bali thing, you know. There are four of them Wanagiri Hidden Hill in different designs. Two are framed into circle and heart shapes. One is like an egg. This one is like a chicken nest.

My favorite among the nests is this egg-shaped one. It’s suspended from trees so it really looks like it’s hung when you look them in pictures. With the lake as the background, I truly feel like I’m a bird, internalizing the beauty of nature and enjoying the breeze of air. The nest is big enough so you can sit, stand, lie down or perform whatever position you like for the ‘gram.

The last spot in Wanagiri Hidden Hill, but definitely not the spot to miss, is this wooden bow of a boat, that’s almost floating midair. There’s nothing to worry though because all platforms here are created safely. Couples can do the famous Titanic act at the edge of the boat. But my boyfriend was, perhaps, shy to join me after what we did on the swing.

I noticed that there’s closed area in Wanagiri Hidden Hill and witnessed a bigger swing under construction. It appears like a swing bed that can fit three people. But like the first swing and unlike the swings in Ubud, this swing bed seems to be fixed. It’s just intended for sitting and photo-taking and not for swaying. Nonetheless, all their swings are built creatively so I’m sure this new one’s gonna be aesthetic in photos, too.

We were fortunate that there weren’t any tourists when we arrived at Wanagiri Hidden Hill. I heard from vlogs that people line up and wait for a long time just to get a shot or two in each stations so I was shocked to see the place occupied only by our group. Maybe, it was the effect of the pandemic. I’m happy that we didn’t have to mingle with a big crowd but hopeful, at the same time, that it’ll win its old life back.

This one’s a photo with our Bali tour guide in Wanagiri Hidden Hill. Let me end this blog with an appreciation block for Jick, our tour guide.

When you’re planning to go to Bali for a private tour, consider choosing Be Happy at Bali Tour & Travel. It’s a travel service owned by Jick. He’s also the one who’ll drive you around Bali.

I’ve never been so attached to a tourist guide before until we met Jick. It feels like he’s part of the barkada. He’s super friendly and he won’t lack assistance. He politely takes our requests. He’s fun to be with. He knows English well and since already had a number of clients from Philippines, he knows a little Filipino words.

When it comes to the service, he guided us from airport to hotels and vise-versa. He will bring you to the best destinations of Bali to maximize the time and trip.

Travel agencies, like Jick’s company, are greatly affected by the pandemic, too. Therefore, we, as receivers of such great service, would like to help him in every way we can.