Wanagiri Hidden Hills | Your Instagram Selfie Park Guide

Okay, real talk: Bali is more than just selfies and Instagrammable shots. That said, if you’re on this amazing Indonesian island, you probably want to capture the perfect photographs for your feed. One of the best ways to do that? Get in a photo session at the world famous Instagram selfie park, Wanagiri Hidden Hills.

Wanagiri Hidden Hills is one of the new ‘selfie parks’ that are popping up all over the globe. However, it was really the original location in Bali, and undoubtedly offers the best value if you want to get a whole hard drive full of epic images of you on a famous Bali swing, you and your best friend or better half on a boat or a sitting in a bamboo nest like a newly-born baby bird.

We went to Bali Wanagiri Hidden Hills to try it out for ourselves – read on for the full guide, and for cool things you can add to your itinerary when in the area!

Read next: Iconic landmarks in Indonesia!

What are the photo opportunities at Wanagiri Hidden Hills?

• Two Bali swings
• A wooden boat
• A bamboo birds nest
• A hanging nest
• A heart-shaped bamboo seat
• A hand-shaped platform

How to get there

If you’re staying in the south of the island, like Kuta, Seminyak or Canggu, then Wanagiri Hidden Hills, which is near Bedugul, can be a little trickier to get to. It’s approx. 2 hours from Canggu, 90 minutes from Ubud, but handily a stone’s throw from Munduk. And Munduk is definitely a place that you should also look into – it’s beautiful – especially the Munduk waterfalls.

In case you are interested – we’ve also got for you the perfect Ubud 3 day itinerary and the best waterfalls near Ubud!

Many people will ride to Wanagiri Hidden Hills on their motorbike or scooters, which cost between 50,000 – 70,000 IDR per day to rent (3.50 – 5 USD / 2.75 – 4 GBP). So super affordable, but we’d only suggest tha you take a bike if you’re really comforable riding. And if you do, wear a helmet!

But we think it’s better to visit Wanagiri as part of a Bali island tour with a private driver and so to be super helpful we’ve also listed out some great options nearby that you could add to your Bali itinerary. A private driver usually sets you back between 500,000 – 700,000 IDR (35 – 50 USD / 27.50 – 40 GBP) for a full day and that includes 10 hours, fuel, insurance and pick up in the key areas in Bali.

We’d recommend that you check out Get Your Guide for a driver and the latest prices.

What should I expect?

We thought our hour at Wanagiri Hidden Hills would be a slightly cringe-worthy experiences but, boy, we were wrong! Often when you’re taking your selfies at key sights you might feel a little awkward trying to get the ideal shot.

At Wanagiri Hidden Hills Bali, EVERYONE is there to take these kind of shots, so it’s the most comfortable photoshoot we’ve done (James absolutely hates it). But there’s a unique camaraderie feel to the place, afterall you don’t look out of place going for your best Blue Steel. Everyone’s doing it.

Once you’ve paid your entrance fee, you’re ushered into the park and can take your pick of the different installations.

All of the installations face out to the Twin Lakes (Lake Tamblingan and Buyan Lake) with Mount Lesung and Mount Batukaru in the background, which give you absolutely beautifully scenic shots.

You can take your pick, walking around the park and posing in the various installations.

If you’re solo and don’t have your own friend or guide to take you pictures or – like us – want a few cheesy couple shots, the staff are super helpful.

They are stationed around the park and not only will assist you in walking up any platforms (like the one beneath the swings), but will take endless pictures for you. They’ll give you some advice on posing, set up a few shots for you and have huge amounts of patience, in case you want more options.

The staff also look to get you the perfect lighting, by using reflective boards to ‘light’ up your shots, and make sure you don’t need to do much editing once you’ve downloaded the images into your photo-editing app.

Don’t have the right outfit for the day? They not only have changing rooms on site for you to change out of your sweaty gear into an Insta-perfect frock, but also have a dress and skirt hire service. So you can get your perfect red dress on a swing shot, for a couple of extra rupiah.

Recommended: Best waterfall on Bali? Check out our Sekumpul waterfall guide.

How much is the Wanagiri Hidden Hills entrance fee?

At time of writing (October 2019), entrance to Wanagiri Hidden Hills was 100,000 IDR (7 USD / 5.50 GBP) per person. This includes entrance but also the assistance of the staff there to get your perfect Instagram shots.

If that’s too steep, check out the more affordable alternatives we’ve listed below.

What camera equipment and other gear do we use?

We’re living proof that you don’t need the most expensive gear to travel the world and take good photos. Here are some of our must have items that make it into the packing list for all our travels.

• Main Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ1000
• Drone: DJI Mavic Air – Fly More Combo
• GoPro: Hero 7 Black
• GoPro Dive Case: Go Pro Housing
• GoPro Case: Smatree GoPro Carry Case – Small
• Packing Cubes: Eagle Creek Packing case
• Backpack: Osprey Farpoint 70
• Powerbank: Anker Powercore
• Phone: Xiaomi Mi 9
• Hard drive: Transcend Slim Storejet 2TB
• Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad 720s
• Headphones: Bose Quiet Comfort 35
• Wifi Hotspot: GlocalMe G4

Alternatives to Wanagiri Hidden Hills

Yes, Wanagiri Hidden Hills was the first to do it. However, quite a number of selfie parks have popped up in the area near the main road, most of which offer cheaper entrance than the original.

You’ll also find conflicting information on which is the ‘real’ Wanagiri Hidden Hills since there are so many. To be honest, they all offer a relatively similar array of photo opportunities, so just pick one that suits your budget.

Before you pay, you could definitely go in and have a look around before making your choice.

The biggest competitor is the Twin Lake Selfie Park, a few metres up the road. And at time of writing, it was only 50,000 IDR (3.50 USD / 2.75 GBP) per person, which is half the price of Wanagiri Hidden Hills.

Twin Lake Selfie Park has most of the same installations – the birds nest, the swing – but we just found some of the ‘decorations’ and flowers on them to be a little tacky for our liking.

We’ve included it as a pin on the map towards the end of this article.

Read next: Best secret spots and hidden gems in Bali!

Where to stay near Wanagiri Hidden Hills

If you’re looking to stay near Wanagiri Hidden Hills, your best bet is to take a room in the nearby village of Munduk. This amazing hillside town is actually one of our favourites in all of Bali!

Here are our best three picks:

Luxury: Everyone who wants to go to Munduk wants to stay at Munduk Moding Plantation. This premium property is incredibly luxurious, has a pool with insane views across the valley and gets rave reviews from other travels.

Mid-range: Munduk doesn’t have many mid-range options. That said, Lesong Hotel is a wonderful place –located in the middle of the Munduk rice fields it’s a bit further out of town but it’s secluded spot makes it a lovely quiet place to relax.

Budget: We stayed at Nadya Homestay, the highest rated budget accommodation in the area, and loved it! It’s super clean with large rooms, hot showers and one of the most epic views we had in South East Asia. It’s also linked to a highly-rated warung (restaurant), which serves great local fare.

Bonus: What to see near Wanagiri Hidden Hill

It’s definitely worth making a day trip which includes Wanagiri Hidden Hills, with a driver. There is so much to do in Bali but here are a few different attractions that are near Wanagiri that you definitely should add. We’ve put together a handy map for you too.

Twin Lakes Viewpoint

If you have the time, we’d highly advise spend a day trekking around the two lakes of the area: . You can hire a local guide or easily do it yourself. That said, if you’re short on time, you can get a fantastic shot of the two lakes from the Twin Lakes Viewpoint!

There are quite a few roadside stalls near the viewpoint which offer comfy platforms and ice-cold drinks, if you want to relax.

We’ve got a full rundown of the Twin Lakes Bali if you want to read more, including details on the viewpoint and hiking or trekking options.

Handara Gate

Another place that’s hugely Insta-famous is the Handara Gate. Essentially this is the entrance to a golf estate that became pretty renowned for photographs using a reflective surface or ‘mirror’ as an optical illusion.

We’ll be honest – we didn’t do it. But that’s mainly because when we drove past it was very busy (people have been known to wait over an hour just to get a picture), and since we felt we got a similar picture when we went to the Brahma Vihara temple near Lovina (check out our pic below).

Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

While we’re on the subject of temples, very near Wanagiri Hidden Hills is the Bali Botanical Garden and also the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. This Bali water temple juts out over the water so, beyond its religious significance, it’s become a must-stop location on everyones Instagram tour.

Entrance is 10,000 IDR (0.75 USD / 0.50 GBP) per person.

Munduk Waterfalls

Some of the most beautiful (and untouched) waterfalls in all of Bali are in marvellous little town of Munduk. More than this, they are really walkable since you could see all four in a two hour hike, plus you won’t see many other tourists here (bingo – awesome Instagram photos!).

Even if you’re not staying in Munduk, you can walk the waterfalls: Golden Valley Waterfall, Red Coral Waterfall, Labuhan Kebo Waterfall and Melanting Waterfall. We’ve put together an entire guide to the Munduk waterfalls that you should definitely read.

Jatiluwih rice terraces

Yes Bali has a lot of rice fields. But the king of all of them is undoubtedly the Jatiluwih rice terraces. Over 600 hectares of rolling rice terraces, the name Jatiluwih actually translates as ‘real beautiful’ which it undoubtedly is!

This is a gorgeous place for hiking but also for taking photographs. Most people go to the more famous ‘sister’, Tegalang Rice Terraces, near Ubud but if you can make it to Jatiluwih you will see why it’s the most beautiful rice terrace in Indonesia.

The entrance fee is 40,000 IDR ( 2.75 USD / 2.25 GBP) per person.

Luwak coffee and tea plantation and tasting

We had thought that Balinese coffee was not entirely to our liking until we visited a Luwak coffee plantation! The plantation visit includes a tour of the fields explaining how the coffee is grown and to meet a few civets; the animal related to house cats that creates the coffee.

That’s right, a cat eats the coffee beans, defecates (yup – poops!) it out, and the beans are cleaned before roasted and used for a steaming cup of ‘Luwak’ coffee.

A typical plantation visit sees you seated with a view of the fields and then offered a tasting board of 5-6 different coffees and 5-6 locally brewed teas. Our included deliciously fruity hibiscus tea, tangy peanut coffee and even a ginseng coffee that is absolutely dreamy!

We loved the plantation tour since the whole experience was entirely free. They only ask for a tip for the waitress and if you decide to purchase a cup of ‘cat poop coffee’, that usually sets you back around 50, 000 IDR.

Interactive Map

FAQ for Wanagiri Hidden Hills

Do I need a tour guide for Wanagiri Hidden Hills?

Definitely not. But, as above, we do suggest you include Wanagiri Hidden Hills as part of a larger Bali island tour.

How long do I need at Wanagiri Hidden Hills?

Well this really depends on how many pictures you want and how many poses! We spent an hour and got over 100 photographs, and felt that this was more than sufficient!

What other areas of Bali are good for Instagram shots?

There are a few key spots on the island, including Ubud, Canggu and Munduk that are rammed with Instagram-friendly photo opportunities. You can also hop on a boat to the smaller, beautiful islands of Nusa Lembongan, Ceningan and Nusa Penida.

The latter, Nusa Penida, has some of the most famous spots including Kelingking Beach (the dinosaur picture), Angel’s Billabong, Broken Beach and Diamond Beach, as well as the Bali Treehouse. You can book a day tour for Nusa Penida here.

Or why not try out snorkelling with manta rays on Nusa Penida!

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