No visit to Bali is complete without a stop at the Bali Swings. You may have already seen this highly instagrammable spot, as its incredibly popular on social media. The Bali swings are a collection of swings, ziplines and even a bicycle on a tightrope that tourists can go on to get the best views of the padi fields. There are a few of them across Ubud but I went to the Abian Desa rice terraces.

I first saw this for myself on Instagram, a friend of mine sent me a video of the bike and asked if I was going to do it. How could I possibly turn down a challenge like that? But of course I completely forgot about it.

When I arrived our travel agent organised a day tour for us, letting us explore some of Ubuds highlights such as the Bali Swings. As well as taking us to sites such as the Holy Spring Tirta Empul Water Temple, Suwat Waterfall, and Lunch at Amora Kintani overlooking Mount Batur. Giving us a day packed full of activities.

The Bali Swings was to be our first stop. Regardless of if you intend to do the activities or not, you do have to pay an entrance fee. This was 25k IDR (approx £1.30 at the time of my visit) and well worth the admittance fee. If you don’t have a head for heights there are plenty of opportunities to get some snaps overlooking the padi fields for your instagram. You’ll also find various intricately made benches to pose on with the padi fields as the perfect backdrop. 

There are four activities for you to take part in here. You can make a saving by booking more than one at a time. I was unsure of how long we had, so I booked two at a time. I chose the ones I couldn’t miss out on first. But when I found out I wasn’t rushed for time managed to do a third as well. With each booking you get two trips, once across the valley and then a return.

The first thing I booked at the Bali Swings had to be the Bike. I had made a promise I would do it and there was no way I would be backing down from the challenge. The ziplines looked great but I figured I could do an ordinary zipline anywhere in the world, in fact I did at Zip World in Wales. I bought my ticket with the swings, which together came to 550k IDR (approx £30 at time of writing).

I arrived to no queue, so they quickly kitted up with a safety helmet and strapped onto the bike. My first thought was how do I keep this stable, but luckily that isn’t an issue. As I pedalled the bike, it maintained perfect balance, leaving you with nothing to do but focus on the views. You are pretty high up as you look down upon the Padi fields.

I took my Insta360 X3, I’d recommend if you take the camera you make sure its attached to something or on a strap so you dont drop it. The last thing you want is to drop it here as they’ll be no getting it back.

I reached the other side and dismounted the bike. The staff then spin it around so you can cycle back. What I found odd is that I still had to show my ticket to return. They didn’t sell one way tickets, and they had just watched me cycle across so they knew I had one. Still I’m sure there’s a reason, so I handed the guy my ticket and got ready for my return trip.

This time I was a lot more confident and managed to hold my camera at a better angle to capture footage. It’s a unique experience and I would urge anyone to try it. Even better play the E.T music as you cycle across.

This is what you see on Instagram, and it’s well worth the visit. To be even more bougie you can pay extra to rent silk dresses with long trails. They did tandem swings as well for couples who wanted to pose together. The thing about Instagram spots is they are popular because they make for amazing photos. But it’s rare they actually feel as good to experience as they look. That’s different for the Bali Swings, I was lucky to have beautiful blue skies. 

The staff were amazing though, they are more than happy to take your phone and do all the shots for you. Encouraging you to pose and giving suggestions as they launch you higher and higher. My phone was actually overheating from the sun and all the photo taking. Luckily one of my sisters walked past and we roped her into take some images for me too.

They stop and turn you around so you can experience the swing facing both outwards and inwards, creating some great photos and memories. If you opted to pay the additional fee to rent a dress (no I didn’t) then at the very peak of your swing its billowing out underneath, adding some extra flare.

When I found out we still had plenty of time at the Bali Swings, I went and bought tickets for the Superman Zipline. Unlike a regular zipline, with this one you lay flat. Looking straight ahead and putting your fist forward like the iconic pose is entirely optional. It does mean you look straight down though which some may find off-putting.

The Superman Zipline wasn’t the most comfortable means of travel. One of the ropes was coiled around me, tightening and causing me to rotate as I sped across. I paid for this separately so it cost me 350k IDR (approx £19 at my time of visit) which I thought is more than reasonable.

Getting into the harness is not an easy experience, and not without its indignities. Often ending with me falling into it. The second journey back the rope wrapped around me even more and started to get more than a tad uncomfortable. It felt like it was going to either flip me onto my back or squeeze the life out of me so I was relieved when I got to the very end. 

I always enjoy my activities, but I left happy with the three I chose. A few of my family members just did the normal zipline, some tried but were put off by the height when they were up there. I didn’t take part simply because I had already enjoyed my fill of activities. By this stage I wanted to explore the photo opportunities and just cool down with something to drink.

It’s worth noting that the Zipline, Superman Zipline and the Bike all follow the same route. They all go across to one side of the valley and then immediately back. The only difference is some are further down the valley than others but you won’t miss out on anything unique by choosing one over another. 

There are a load of photo ops scattered around the fields for you to pose in. These are included with the price of admission so won’t cost you any extra. But if the staff take the photos for you, then a tip is always a nice way to say thanks. The most popular by far was the nest at the bottom of the fields. But the “I Love Bali ” sign and benches as well had their own crowds at times.