Indonesian Beautiful sunset at gili trawangan

PHOTOGRAPHY DAY: Why you should visit Indonesia in 15 Pictures

In ASIA, BLOG, INDONESIA, PHOTOGRAPHY by Clelia Mattana11 July, 201343 Comments

237 Shares

Contents - Open To Read

WHY EVERYONE SHOULD VISIT INDONESIA

I have a confession to make: Cambodia warmed my heart with its incredibly kind, quiet people, but after seeing Indonesia I am totally, utterly in Love with this wild, green, country!

Since I started my trip in February, I saw some pretty amazing places, but nothing compares with the beauty of Indonesia.

Here are some of the most meaningful pictures from the month I spent there with a brief comment.

1|THE RICE TERRACES:

Rice terraces – Ubud – Bali

I took this shot whilst visiting one of the many Indonesia temples hidden in the Ubud jungle. It was a very hot and humid day. After climbing up something like 200 steps in 40 degrees to get back to our minibus, there it was: a peaceful, green and gorgeous rice terrace.

Indonesia is famous for the rice terraces and despite the heat and sweat, I stayed there in awe: The intensity of the colors was stunning.

2|THE MONKEY FOREST:

Monkey forest- Ubud- Bali

When I think about Ubud, I immediately connect it to the in-famous Monkey Forest: A very controversial place. You love it or you despise it.

The love or hate reaction obviously depends on your level of tolerance towards the monkeys. The cute, angry/hungry monkeys sometimes try to “attack” the tourist to steal their food. How to blame them? survivor instinct!

I found the Monkey forest one of the most fascinating places in Bali. It’s true, the monkey can be quite scary. Every time I saw one coming towards me, I admit, my instinct was to run away as fast as possible.

Nonetheless, seeing them free , in such a wild environment, is an experience worth trying.

The Monkey forest is an enchanted place. Even being a touristic park, it preserved its wild nature. The majestic tropical trees, the small rivers and torrents and the dense green vegetation, surrounding the many Balinese sculptures, is breath-taking.

This picture was taken at the end of the touristic path. From here on, the monkeys live in total wilderness (you can see one climbing the hill on the right!)

3|THE ENCHANTED FOREST – GILI TRAWANGAN

Enchanted forest – Gili Islands

This picture reminds me of one of my dearest moments in Indonesia. I went to see the sunset over the sea, and I took this incredibly wild path to reach the beach.

No one was there and soon enough it got darker and darker. I started feeling a bit uncomfortable being there all alone, but the beauty of the jungle swept me away.

It was magical: the mist and the light filtering trough the top of the trees, the quietness broken only by the sounds of the animals living in the forest,transported me in a dimension where I was just expecting the Genie in the lamp, or maybe Harry Potter, to show up in front of me. I’ll never, ever forget this path.

4|THE ROMANTIC TABLE ON THE BEACH- GILI ISLANDS

Romantic dinner at Gilis

I took this picture on my way back from seeing the most amazing sunset of my life.

On the main road at Gili Trawangan, there it was: the most romantic dinner table I’ve ever see on a beach. The kind of setting you see only in the movies.

That night the scenery was perfect: the moon had just risen from the sea, casting its cold light over the sea, like a smooth silver coating. The only audible sounds were the small waves crashing on the shore. I don’t know you, but that’s what I call perfection!

5|SUNSET AT GILI TRAWANGAN

Indonesian Beautiful sunset

This picture is one of my biggest disappointments.

I know it sounds crazy, but you should have been there and watch this sunset with your eyes to fully understand what I’m talking about. For the first time in my life I was speechless.

This is not just an average sunset. So many elements made it the best sunset I’ve ever seen in my life (so far): I was coming back from the path trough the “Enchanted Forest” and, when I emerged from the darkness, a painting showed up just before my eyes.

The beach was deserted and very quiet. I could only hear the remote sound of waves crashing on the coral reef, where a few people were walking. I could see their shades against the huge, dark, volcano standing in front of me.

The colors were so warm and vibrant, and the water between the coral reef and the beach was completely still and perfectly reflecting the shape of the volcano in front. I sat on the beach and stood there, quietly, contemplating the best painting of my life.

Do you want to improve your photo skills? read this article!

6|MOON RISE AT GILI TRAWANGAN

Moon rise at the Gilis

If the sunset was my biggest disappointment, this shot is definitely one of my biggest accomplishments.

It was a very exciting moment. I thought Indonesia already showed its best for that day. How wrong I was! I turned my head on the right and what did I see? A huge red moon raising from the sea.

I have to admit that my first reaction to that view was not very elegant. I couldn’t believe what my eyes were witnessing . I didn’t bring my DSLR with me and the moon was rising quickly over the horizon.

I decided to give it a shot, and I run as fast as I could to my room and get it. When I was back, the moon was still quite low on the horizon, warming up the water with glittering golden reflections.

This shot is the combination of two separate pictures, as it’s physically impossible to get both the background and the moon on focus in the same picture. My boyfriend told me that I was cheating, but in fact I wasn’t. I just recreated what I saw with my eyes. And, as you can see, it was extraordinary!

7|INDONESIAN BEACH – GILI ISLANDS

Gili Islands

This picture was taken at Gili Trawangan and it represents very well the spirit of Indonesian’s beaches.

The bluish colors of the water, mixed with the turquoise sky, the shape of the volcanoes in the background, dark clouds surrounding the mountains and the boats, are the typical scenery of almost every Indonesian beach.

Looking at the picture, I can instantly feel the special atmosphere of this place, where the wild, strong elements are the defining part of the beauty of Indonesia.

8|WATERFALL IN UBUD- BALI

Waterfall Ubud

The Ubud area is filled with spectacular waterfalls, this particular shot was taken on the path to reach the waterfall shown on the background. It was breath-taking.

Again, the heat was almost unbearable but the fatigue and sweat were well worth this shot! My only regret is that I wasn’t able to shower under the fresh water.

To be able to do so, I’d have to cross a pretty large and agitated river and I couldn’t risk that much. I just sat down on the safe side, listening to the powerful sound of the water falling down the mountain. All I could see around were green trees and vegetation all over the place. Extraordinary.

9|BALINESE SCULPTURE:

This Picture was taken at Monkey Forest in Ubud.

In Indonesia these typical sculptures are almost everywhere and I particularly liked this one, as it is surrounded by majestic wild trees in a combination of art, religion and nature beautifully mixed together.

Basically what Indonesia is all about 🙂

10|INDONESIAN LADY

This shot reminds me of a nice encounter with this kind Indonesian lady. I was completely lost while searching for the “Enchanted Forest” and this smiling woman was the only person I met during my walk.

She lived in an isolated hut nearby and, using my Italian gestures, we managed to have a conversation and she pointed me in the right direction.

Indonesian people are so nice and helpful! always greeting you with a smile and a very kind, nice attitude. Love it.

11| FULL MOON OVER THE MOUNTAINS

Indonesian Scenery

I like this shot, as it mixes several fascinating elements: the full moon, high on the blue sky, the mountains painted in different shades of blue/grey colors, in contrast with the golden beach and the deep blue sea. It gives me a feeling of peace and tranquillity.

12| KIDS PLAYING ON THE BEACH

Indonesian Kids at Gili Trawangan

I love this picture. I took it at Gili Trawangan, and it shows the beauty of Indonesia very well.

A storm is coming, the sea is agitated and the wind is almost unbearable. Yet these two kids, brother and sister are playfully pulling a rope and having the time of their lives. It represent the simplicity and joy of life in full.

13|KUTA BEACH- BALI

Kuta Beach – Bali

Kuta is one of the most touristic places in Bali. Many people warned me about Kuta. I’ve heard “horror stories” about rude foreigners, surfers and a mad crowd. True or not… I didn’t stay there long enough to see it for myself.

Maybe it was my lucky day, as I went there at sunset and I found it fascinating.

The beach is huge, long and there is a big string of dark, volcanic sand, constantly reached by the waves, leaving a wet coat on top. The reflections here are so clear that it looks like people are walking on a mirror.

14|FAMILY WATCHING THE SUNSET

Family watching the sunset at Kuta- Bali

This shot was taken in Kuta, Bali.

A family just sat on the wet beach to admire the sunset. Such a quiet powerful image of a happy family moment. Plus the sunset was a really peaceful, colorful one. A joy for the eyes and the heart!

15|TEMPLES IN THE JUNGLE

So, here they are: The 15 pictures that best represent my feelings about Indonesia. I am planning to pay another visit and explore more of this incredible Country. There is so much to see and I can’t wait to be surrounded by the wild Indonesian nature again!

I hope you enjoyed the pics! Feel free to comment, add your own thoughts or show me your pics by contacting me for the project “A year around the world in 365 pictures”, by clicking HERE.

Thank you! 🙂

Share137

Pin53

Tweet47