Indonesia - Sep '24

I haven’t done a photography trip in any of the Far Eastern countries and Indonesia is my first attempt. I have heard a lot about the landscape in Indonesia and with wide variety in different islands.

Tour Date                    : 25th Sep ‘24 to 4th Oct ‘24

Company                     : Iceland Photo Tours led by Daniel Kordan

The trip started in Bali and we did island hopping. To travel from one island to another, there are no direct flight connection. One has to come to Bali and then only connect. In all we had to take about 5 domestic flights. I was impressed with the punctuality of the flights and we didn’t miss any connection. May be the luck factor played a crucial role !!

Indonesia is a beautiful country with a variety of landscape except the weather, which is a killer due to very high humidity.

Trip Highlights :

Bukit Cinta for sunset

Penjor street

We were in Bali during the Galungan festival. Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremonies. It is believed that the spirits of deceased relatives who have died and been cremated, return to visit their homelands, and the current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebrations are the Penjor -  bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end. These are installed by the side of roads. Penjor street is one of the streets beautifully decorated.

Festival Celeberations

Jatiluwih rice fields for sunset 

Nestled in the enchanting landscape of Tabanan, Bali, Jatiluwih Rice Terrace unfolds over 600 hectares, showcasing the marvels of Bali's Subak irrigation system. Recognized as a UNESCO Cultural Landscape, Jatiluwih is a testament to the profound intertwining of cultural and natural elements. Only way to see the fields is by walking through the fields and is just impossible to cover the entire field. Due to cloudy weather we were unlucky with the sunset.

Ulun Danu Beratan Lake and Temple for sunrise.

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, or Pura Bratan, built in 1633, is a major Hindu Shaivite temple in Bali. The temple complex is on the shores of Lake Beratan in the mountains near Bedugil. The water from the lake serves the entire region in the outflow area; downstream there are many smaller water temples that are specific to each irrigation association. Pura Ulun Danu Beratan is one of the nine 'Kahyangan Jagat' temples on Bali. The temple complex consists of five various shrines dedicated to other Hindu gods as well.

Banyu Wana Amertha waterfall

This a small but beautiful waterfall with multiple streams of water flowing and surrounded by lush vegetation. The highlight here was shooting of the waterfall with a Legong Dance model. Legong Dance is a traditional Balinese dance. To reach the waterfall from the parking area, we used a motor bike taxi up to to a certain point and then walk down further.

With Legong Dance model.

Leke Leke Waterfall

Big Banyan

Kayu Putih is the name of a giant tree in central Bali that’s believed to be one of the island’s oldest and biggest Banyan tree. It’s also known as the ‘Kapok tree’ or ‘Bayan ancient tree.The name Kayu Putih means ‘White Wood’ in Bahasa Indonesia and it comes from the color of the huge tree trunk. I am told that the tree is more than 50 meters tall and 400 years old. Highlight was photographing the tree with Sidakarya Mask Dancer.

Two nights in a private phinsi boat

Upon our arrival at Labuan Bajo Komodo Airport, we were transported in small boats to a bigger one in which we spent two nights. Using this as the base we did a few landings :

• Gili Lawa for sunrise with about 40 minutes hike.

• Komodo island to sight Komodo dragons

• Padar island for sunset with a 30 minutes hike to the top

Highlights captured during the boat trip

Walakiri beach for The dancing mangrove trees of Sumba (sunset and sunrise)

This is the iconic beach in East Sumba Island. Besides many other things, the island is famous for its uniquely shaped mangroves, dubbed as “dancing trees” for the way they seem to sway with the setting / rising sun in the background. Some of the trees are so bizarrely shaped and they almost look like they are frozen in a dancing motion and like human silhouettes dancing in their own, intriguing way. It is very important to be here during a low tide as we will have to stand inside the water with a very low angle to get a perfect / good shot. To get a perfect reflection there have to be no wind at all. But we were a bit unlucky on both days and hence couldn’t get a perfect reflection. May be it requires a few more visits !!

Tenau hills

Tanau hills boast stunning and calming panoramic hill chain scenery. Here one can see two different landscapes depending on the time of the year—golden savanna in the dry season, and green carpet grass in the rainy season. We were there during sunset time to capture the golden light on the rolling hills with a horse rider.

Mount Bromo

Mount Bromo, part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park that covers a massive area of 800 square km,  is one of the active volcanoes in Indonesia. It is located in East Java and is nestled in the regencies of  Probolinggo, Pasuruan, Lumajang and Malang. Bromo volcano which stands tall at 2329 m is the most iconic and the most hiked mountain in Indonesia. Mount Bromo is still one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It sits inside the massive Tengger caldera (volcanic crater with a diameter approximately 10km), surrounded by the Laut Pasir (sea of sand) of fine volcanic sand. The name Bromo is said to be derived from Brama (Brahma), a Hindu God.

We stayed at a hotel that is not very far from Mount Bromo. Our plan is to capture sunrise with the amazing Bromo in the foreground. We had to leave from the hotel around 230 AM, in order to reach the vantage point on time and get our spot. We were driven in 60s land cruisers and through windy roads. After a certain point the car couldn’t go further due to a traffic jam. My driver told me that there are about 3000 cars (due to some holiday in China). He also said that this is nothing compared to week end, where the number can even go up to 5000 cars. We were then transported to a two wheeler sort of taxis that dropped us on the top. With 12 KG of backpack and tripod, the bike ride was definitely an adventure.

And it's time to Bid Adieu to a wonderful group...

 To view the album --> https://indonesia-sep-24.gopsview.com/