Indonesia - Java & Bali Photography Tour.
Take gorgeous portraits on the Island of the Gods.
The Tour.
Join us on an extraordinary photographic journey through Indonesia, a land of diverse cultures, stunning landscapes, and unique wildlife. Our tour begins in the ancient city of Borobudur, home to Asia's largest Buddhist temple, where we'll capture the first rays of dawn illuminating its 72 bell-shaped stupas, each housing a serene Buddha statue. The temple complex, surrounded by tranquil rice paddies, jungle, and the ever-present Mount Merapi, offers endless compositional possibilities. From there, we travel to Yogyakarta, where we'll explore and photograph the sprawling Hindu temple complexes of Prambanan and Candi Sewu during the golden hour.
Next, we swap ancient history and culture for nature at its rawest, embarking on pre-dawn adventures to photograph two very different volcanoes. At Mount Bromo, we'll capture the dramatic sunrise over its caldera from Penanjakan viewpoint, before descending to the 'Sea of Sand' where local horsemen provide stunning photo opportunities against the volcanic landscape. At Kawa Ijen, we'll trek to photograph its extraordinary turquoise crater lake and the traditional sulphur miners who work in this otherworldly setting.
Crossing to Bali, known as the Land of the Gods, we begin our exploration in Lovina with its black sand beaches and morning dolphin-watching excursions. In the cultural heart of Ubud, we'll photograph the iconic terraced rice fields of Tegalalang, visit traditional craft workshops, and capture the dramatic Kecak fire dance performance. The journey continues to Kintamani, offering spectacular views of Mount Batur and Mount Agung, before heading to the mother temple of Besakih, nestled on the slopes of Bali's highest volcano.
We'll witness the island's spiritual connection to water at Tanah Lot, one of the world's most picturesque coastal temples, especially captivating during sunset when waves crash against its rocky base. Our journey includes stops at local markets, traditional villages, and the serene Lawak coffee plantations, providing intimate glimpses into daily Balinese life.
Indonesia is truly a photographer's dream, offering endless opportunities to capture its diverse elements: from ancient temples to active volcanoes, from rich cultural traditions to unique flora and fauna, from dramatic landscapes to pristine beaches, and from traditional craftspeople to its world-renowned cuisine. Known as the emerald of the equator, it's easy to see why Indonesia ranks among the world's most alluring destinations. The combination of stunning landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and warm hospitality will leave an indelible impression on both your heart and photographic portfolio.
The June 2025 tour has sold out but we have places available on the August tour, which will be lead by Maciej Radomski, a seasoned photographer with 30 years of experience who has spent more than 15 years organising and leading photography expeditions in East Africa and Asia. The tour is suited to photographers of all skill levels, with an optional pre-tour technical and aesthetic workshop for those who may be new to travel photography or want to brush up on their camera skills.
Photo Highlights.
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Borobudur
Sunrise at 7th century Mahayana Buddhist temple
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Prambanan
Sunset at 9th century Hindu temple
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Mount Bromo
Sunrise at active volcano
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Mount Ijen
Sunrise at volcanic sulphur mine
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Lovina beach
Black sand sunset
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Waterfalls
Organised shoot
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Besakih
Sunrise at Bali’s mother temple
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Fire dancing
Privileged access
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Tanah Lot temple
Sunset at temple in the sea
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Tegallalang
Sunrise at rice terraces
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Jimbaran beach
Sunset at fish market
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Sanur beach
Sunrise with volcano
Check out our photo book below:
Here’s a photo book we made from the tours in 2022/3. We’ll provide you with templates (including suggested text) and help you to upload your own images, so that you can make your own on the tour and print it when you get home.
Tour Details.
Est. 2012
Duration: 13 days, 12 nights, 11 days of shooting
Dates and Prices
2025
June 2 -14
SOLD OUT
August 14 - 26
US$6450
2026
June 2 -14
August 11 - 23
US$6650
Past participants will get a special discount.
Our fee includes hotels, breakfast, bottled water throughout the tour, as well as all transport including airport transfers. We base our fee on accommodation in a single room, (always A/C with private bathroom) though we offer discounts for couples sharing rooms, as well as for non-photographers. If you need help with insurance for this tour, please let us know and we can put you in touch with a broker that should be able to help you.
Our Itinerary.
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Day 1
Arrive Yogyakarta: Enjoy free transfer to the hotel
PM: Optional technical and aesthetic travel photography workshop for those who need it
Sunset: Meet Nathan and the group for dinner
Sleep: Borobudur luxury heritage hotel
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Day 2
Sunrise: Borobudur temple from hotel
AM: Market / Borobudur temple
PM: Drive to Yogyakarta
Sunset: Candi Sewu and Prambanan temples
Sleep: Yogyakarta luxury hotel
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Day 3
Sunrise: Train to Mojokerto
AM: Madakaripura waterfall
PM: Drive to Bromo
Sunset: Bromo ridge
Sleep: Bromo hotel
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Day 4
Sunrise: Mount Bromo vantage point
AM: Jeep and horse ride to Mount Bromo crater
PM: White horse shoot
Sunset: Bromo ridge walk
Sleep: Bromo hotel
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Day 5
Sunrise: Free time
AM: Drive to Probolinggo
PM: Drive to Banyuwangi
Sunset: Baluran National Park
Sleep: Banyuwangi boutique hotel
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Day 6
Sunrise: Jeep and trek to Mount Ijen
AM: Sulphur mines
PM: Lightroom session
Sunset: Bangsring beach
Sleep: Banyuwangi boutique hotel
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Day 7
Sunrise: Muncar fishing village
AM: De Djawatan Forest
PM: Ferry to Bali and drive to Lovina
Sunset: Lovina black sand beach
Sleep: Lovina beachside hotel
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Day 8
Sunrise: Dolphin watch on local fishing boat
AM: Singaraja market
PM: Ulun Danu Bratan temple / Lawak coffee
Sunset: Agung volcano
Sleep: Kintamani volcano view hotel
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Day 9
Sunrise: Mount Agung from hotel garden
AM: Besakih (Mother) temple
PM: Private shoot Tukad Unda Dam
Sunset: Ubud familiarity walk
Sleep: Ubud luxury boutique hotel
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Day 10
Sunrise: Free time
AM: Free morning (shopping or monkey forest)
PM: Private shoot with Balinese dancer
Sunset: Fire dance (front row)
Sleep: Ubud luxury boutique hotel
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Day 11
Sunrise: Tegalalang famous rice terraces
AM: Glass blowers workshop
PM: Tabanan drive
Sunset: Tanah Lot temple
Sleep: Tabanan luxury garden hotel
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Day 12
Sunrise: Hotel garden
AM: Paddy field walk
PM: Jimbaran fish market
Sunset: Jimbaran beach walk
Sleep: Sanur beachside hotel
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Day 13
Sunrise: Sanur beach
AM: Farewell breakfast
PM: Depart anytime - enjoy free airport transfer or arrange with us to stay on at a beachside hotel
OR: join us on our exciting new back-to-back tour of Sumba & Flores
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Make the dream a reality.
Tuition.
On any of our tours, stunning photography is the name of the game, and our objective is for you to leave with a collection of images that you'll be proud to show off. Indeed, many of our past participants have gone on to win awards and competitions with photographs taken on our tours.
Nathan’s teaching approach is very hands-on, as he believes in learning by doing. He will guide you through technical challenges, provide artistic inspiration, and lead by example in approaching locals for great portraits. You'll be amazed at the striking and authentic images you'll be able to capture.
We also offer Lightroom workshops during our tours, where we cover workflow management and picture processing. We'll show you the tools to take your travel photography to the next level and provide tips on saving your pictures for various outputs like social media, e-books, and printing.
If this is your first tour with us, you can also join Nathan’s pre-tour workshop, designed to equip you with essential skills for travel photography. Covering technical competence, creative observation, and ethical responsibility with a focus on people and culture, this workshop is perfect if you’re new to travel photography or need a refresher. The workshop runs on the first day of the tour from around 1-5pm. Enhance your photography skills and capture breathtaking moments to treasure forever. Apply via our tour request form and prepare to take your photography skills to the next level.
Hotels and Transport.
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Luxury hotels
We have gone to great lengths to secure either luxury hotels, or the best choices in more challenging locations, to enhance your overall sense of being in Indonesia. There is often exceptional character to Indonesian hotels where they utilise their natural building materials and apply age-old skills and style.
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4 wheel drives
On some parts of this tour, we encounter steep climbs requiring four-wheel drive transport, but even in these more challenging conditions, we always give you a window seat, with no more than three photographers per car to ensure you have ample space. There is also one train ride included in the price of this tour.
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Typical Bali hotel pool
Many hotels have cosy bungalows, most have tropical gardens and some are right on the beach. Some hotels have amazing views and many also have swimming pools. All in all, we are confident that the range and quality of accommodation throughout the tour will keep you pleasantly surprised.
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TripAdvisor.
Angela_Travels - August 2024
Human touch and learning in awe-inspiring locations!
The experience of traveling with Nathan surpassed any expectations I had. Not only the tour runs smoothly but also, he has designed an expedition to cover the best of Java and Bali. From golden sand beaches to temples located in unusual and gorgeous locations, rice terraces, rice fields, waterfalls and the privilege to witness the sunrise in one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world. Besides, I learned immensely from portrait photography in markets and other settings. Furthermore, beyond the photography technical aspects and being a great teacher, Nathan’s guidance to connect with local people and to give back to the community is one of the highlights of this experience and something I valued a lot. We truly got to know more of Indonesia and its people thanks to his kind and human approach. Most appreciated it! Highly recommended!
Can’t wait to participate again in one of his Asia tours.
Choose from 15 tours in 8 countries!