Bali: FlyDining Ocean View Social Hour & Elevated Drinks

4.61

(147 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

"You’re not scared of heights, right?" That’s what I heard as we buckled into our seats on the FlyDining platform, toes dangling over the edge and the Indian Ocean stretching out somewhere below. The air was thick with that salty Bali smell — you know, sunscreen and grilled seafood wafting up from the beach. Our guide Wayan grinned as he checked our harnesses (I pretended not to double-check mine), and then suddenly we were rising, slow at first, but high enough that I could see kites bobbing above Seminyak rooftops.

Happy hour started as soon as we hit full height. There was this weird hush — just wind and clinking glasses — until someone broke it by asking for another round of guava juice (the bartender handed it over with a wink). Appetizers kept coming: crispy shrimp, something green I couldn’t pronounce (Wayan tried to teach me; I gave up after two tries), all somehow tasting fresher up there. The sun dipped lower and everything turned gold. Honestly, I didn’t expect to feel so relaxed floating in midair — maybe it was the breeze or just being a little tipsy on free-flowing sodas.

I caught myself staring at the horizon more than once, forgetting to talk. It’s funny how sharing snacks with strangers while suspended above Bali can make you feel oddly connected — or maybe that was just me getting sentimental after my third pineapple juice. Anyway, when we finally touched down, my legs felt wobbly but my head was clear. Still think about that view sometimes when I’m stuck in traffic back home.