There is no denying that in this day and age social media plays a huge part in determining how and why we travel.
Most millenials (and other age groups) will see photos of incredible places on social media, and decide they want to travel there and see that spot for themselves.
Some places gain Instagram fame overnight. One big Instagrammer or YouTuber will share a photo taken there and in the months and years to come thousands of people will flock to that spot to recreate that same photo.
That’s what happened to the palm tree rope swing in Dalawella Beach, in Sri Lanka. You know which one I mean.
That rope swing that you see photos of all over Instagram, with people hanging onto it as they fly over the beach and sea, the sun setting behind them.
If you’ve landed on this page, chances are you want to visit the Dalawella rope swing for yourself. If you’re searching for the most Instagram famous palm tree swing in Sri Lanka, this is the guide for you!
Table of Contents
Where is the famous Instagram swing?
The iconic sunset Instagram swing is at Dalawella Beach, close to Unawatuna on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Click here to see the exact location.
How to get to the Dalawella beach swing
There aren’t really any tours that will take you here. The easiest way to get to Dalawella Beach is either by renting a scooter, car or tuk-tuk.
If you’re coming from Colombo you can take the train to Unawatuna, which takes 2-3 hours, and then take a tuk-tuk from there. We drove from Mirissa with my Sri Lankan friend and it took us around 1 hour.
Do you have to pay to use the beach swing?
At the time that I was visiting (April 2019) yes, you had to pay a fee to use the swing. The rope swing was put on the palm tree by the owners of the beach bar and restaurant located right in front of it.
I guess it’s only normal that they would get fed up of seeing hundreds of people every day come to use their swing, take photos with it and then leave. The fee was 500 LKR for one ride on the swing.
When is the best time to visit the swing?
From a photo point of view, sunrise and sunset are the best times, when the light is golden and soft. However I was there at sunset and it was fairly busy, so if you can get up early for sunrise I recommend doing that.
If you don’t care about the photos, you can visit at any time of day. The swing is always there and you can use it whenever you want. It’s a pretty exhilarating ride, not just for the photo.
Our experience at the Sri Lanka swing
We spent the morning wandering around Galle and then went to Dalawella Beach in the afternoon. We arrived around 3PM when the sun was still up but it wasn’t as strong anymore.
We explored the beach a bit but in the end decided to chill close to the swing until sunset. The beach bar in front of the swing serves food and drinks if you get peckish while you’re there.
The beach was mostly empty all afternoon, until the sun started going down and the light went golden. That’s when people started to flock to the beach.
Soon there was an orderly queue being formed at the swing, with people lining up to get their go on the swing.
It’s not a huge crowd, especially when compared to other attractions around the world where people queue for hours just for one photo, but it was still more people than we’d seen all afternoon at that beach.
If you want your iconic Sri Lanka beach swing shot, just join up the queue and have a friend ready to snap that shot!
One of the local guys will help you climb on the swing and give you a slight push. Besides being a great photo opportunity, I actually really enjoyed the swing experience itself.
I found the flying over water feeling very exhilarating. You will do two big swings and then gradually get slower until the swing comes to a stop. At that point you just hop off, thank the guys and on comes the next person.
I know what you might be wondering. Are we going to this beach just for that photo? What else is there to do at Dalawella Beach, Sri Lanka?
If you walk along the beach for about 10 minutes you will reach another famous photo spot; the Frog Rock.
This is actually the start of the main Dalawella Beach. If you’re on a photo mission you can climb Frog Rock for that other iconic Sri Lanka sunset shot.
Besides beautiful photo opportunities, Dalawella Beach is a beautiful beach in southern Sri Lanka. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the sunshine!
Where to stay close to Dalawella Beach, Sri Lanka
We visited the Dalawella Beach swing on a day trip from Mirissa so we didn’t actually stay close to Dalawella or Unawatuna. I’ve listed below some options for accommodation in the area for every budget.
Budget: Villa Okinrose – This lovely guest house is a short 5-minute walk away from Dalawella Beach. It might not be beachfront, but it has clean rooms and some lovely outdoor space.
Click here to book your stay at Villa Okinrose!
Medium: Galawatta Beach Resort– Located right on the beach, this lovely resort is the perfect base to explore Dalawella Beach, as well as Unawatuna and Galle.
Click here to book your stay at Galawatta Beach Resort!
Luxury: Sayura Beach Hotel– For those looking to splurge a little, this is the perfect spot. Located right on the beach, you can relax under the beach umbrellas of your hotel, and venture out just in time for sunset swing photos.
Click here to book your stay at Sayura Beach Hotel!
Final thoughts on visiting the Dalawella Beach swing
There you have it, the ultimate guide to the most Instagrammable beach rope swing in Sri Lanka, I hope you find it useful! If you have any questions just let me know in the comments below!
Looking for more Sri Lanka travel advice? Check out these guides!
- How to spend 2 epic weeks in Sri Lanka
- Ella travel guide
- Hiking Little Adam’s Peak in Ella
- Explore Sri Lanka’s most awesome waterfall
- The most scenic train journey in Sri Lanka
- Everything you need to know about hiking Ella Rock
- Udawalawe National Park – epic elephant safari
- Pidurangala Rock hike guide
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