Indonesia Photos

Mount Semeru and Mount Bromo

Photograph by John Stanmeyer/National Geographic Stock

Some Indonesians believe that belching volcanoes such as Mount Semeru (in background) and Mount Bromo (in foreground) are portals to a subterranean world that has shaped not only Indonesia’s landscape but also its beliefs and culture. A long exposure time captured stars in this photo—and the brief balanced light from both a fading moon and a brightening eastern sky.

Goa Gajah, Bali

Photograph by Michael Nichols

The intricately carved walls of Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) on the island of Bali depict leaves, waves, animals, and demons.

Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta

Photograph by Tony Hartawan, My Shot

Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world, can hold more than 70,000 worshippers at a time. Arab traders brought Islam to the region a thousand years ago. Today Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country.

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Minangkabau Women

Photograph by Kabir Malek, My Shot

Young Minangkabau women in traditional clothes wait to perform a dance in Bagor.

Borobudur Temple

Photograph by Jessy Eykendorp, My Shot

Borobudur Temple was damaged in an earthquake and buried for centuries under volcanic ash. Excavations began in the early 20th century.

Rice Paddies

Photograph by Cho Kok Bin, My Shot

Rice paddies cover terraces built into an Indonesian hillside. Farmers on Java are surrounded by more than 30 volcanoes, which provide the rich volcanic ash that allows them to harvest three crops of rice in a season—unlike farmers on neighboring Borneo, who have only one volcano.

Balinese Dancers

Photograph by Wei Seng Chen, My Shot

Opulent costumes adorn performers in a Balinese barong dance, which brings mythological characters to life in a struggle between good and evil, complete with choreographed fight scenes reminiscent of professional wrestling.

Carved Mask

Photograph by Justin Guariglia

Bali craftsmen create everything from carvings to paintings in hopes of catching a tourist’s eye. Traditional carved masks, called topeng, are also used in Balinese dances.

Coffee Plantation, West Java

Photograph by Kristian Cabanis/photolibrary.com

A woman pauses in an intricately carved doorway on a coffee plantation in west Java. Draped across 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers), Indonesia is a cloth of many colors, comprising five main islands and 30 smaller archipelagoes, with a collection of cultures as diverse as its geography. Historically the center of wealth and power, the island of Java still dominates, though 250 unique languages still survive.

Orangutans

Photograph by Stanislav Fosenbauer, My Shot

Orangutans are native only to Indonesia and Malaysia. The endangered great apes have lost much of their habitat to deforestation.

Raja Ampat Islands

Photograph by Jennifer Hayes, National Geographic Stock

The islands of Raja Ampat may well be home to the greatest biodiversity in the world, with almost 600 species of coral, abundant plant life, and unique creatures, such as a shark that walks on its fins and a shrimp that looks like a praying mantis.

Komodo Dragon

Photograph by Theo Allofs/Getty Images

Komodo National Park is the last sanctuary for the endemic Komodo dragon, native only to Indonesia. Largest of all lizards, it can reach a fearsome ten feet (three meters) in length.

Nusa Dua Temple, Bali

Photograph by Ariyoshi Rita/photolibrary.com

Indonesian women take part in a procession to Nusa Dua temple in southern Bali, carrying offerings atop their heads. Southern Bali is also known for its beaches and five-star hotels.

Mount Penanggungan

Photograph by John Stanmeyer/National Geographic Stock

In a sacred pool on the slopes of Java’s Mount Penanggungan, men bathe beside statues of Sri and Lakshmi, the consorts of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Coral Reef, Sulawesi

Photograph by Tim Laman

Scuba divers explore a coral reef off Manado Tua Island. The island nations of the tropical western Pacific cradle the richest coral life on the planet. The development of reefs owes much to oceanic volcanoes such as Manado Tua, near the northeastern tip of Sulawesi. The submerged slopes of the volcanoes give corals a toehold on which to grow.

Village Initiation

Photograph by Mario Andi Supria, My Shot

Young men in the Bali village of Tenganan take part in perang pandan, a traditional ritual.

Pura Ulun Danu Temple, Bali

Photograph by Muh Aulia, My Shot

The water temple of Pura Ulun Danu on Lake Bratan in Bali serves the faithful in the mountainous area near Bedugul.