Indonesia Photo Gallery

Like many, my first travel experiences in Indonesia were based in Bali. While I still visit Bali often and even got married on the island, I have been fortunate to have travelled well beyond Bali, discovering that Indonesia has so much more to offer visitors than the one, very busy destination. I hope this Indonesia photo gallery offers you a glimpse into the people and places you will encounter by travelling a little deeper into Indonesia. Jump on that extra short flight, step out of the resort-life comfort zone and you too will fall in love with these mostly lesser known Indonesian destinations.

Skye Gilkeson

Happy street vendor sitting on the edge of the famous Fatahillah Square, Jakarta, Indonesia. Image © Skye Gilkeson

The quiet hallways of the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, Indonesia. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Jakarta, Indonesia

While we saw so many of the must-see sights in down town Jakarta, it was the local characters that I loved, in particular. A street vendor sitting on the edge of the famous Fatahillah Square, Kota Tua, the cheeky local girls at the Istiqlal Mosque who stalked us to snap their photos, complete with a trademark head tilt, a family of three generations of women who politely stood for my camera with shy smiles and peace signs in Bogor Botanical Gardens and the lovely groups of complete strangers who walked me across the chaotic streets of the city so I would arrive safely at the other side. Compensation? A simple group selfie, of course.

Cute local girls who loved to pose for photos at the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, Indonesia. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Lombok Island, Indonesia

Lombok Island feels a lot like Bali felt about 15 years ago. While you will find more big resorts popping up around the island, in between you still find small villages with a warung or local restaurant, a small store with a few items, a simple spa offering massages for less than the price of lunch and the occasional herd of goats holding up traffic.

This stretch of sand sat in front of our resort. We spent our mornings running the shoreline as the sun began to heat up, our only company a local dog, trailing us during the first few metres and surfers enjoying the sets, largely to themselves further off shore. Lombok was the perfect place for us to start a year of full-time travel. We caught up on sleep, we ate local seafood and enjoyed the sunset from the pool.

Lovely laid back Lombok Island east of Bali reminds me of the popular island many year ago. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Gili Islands, Indonesia

While in Lombok we had planned to climb Mount Rinjani, but when we found out weather conditions wouldn’t allow it, we sought out another active adventure to take. Snorkelling and exploring the Gili Islands was what we chose. We jumped on a long-boat across to the islands and spent the day between the water, in search of the famous local turtles and walking the sand between the bars and beaches on each of the well-known islands.

The gorgeous Gili Islands in Indonesia is a beautiful spot for relaxing and snorkelling. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Komodo, Indonesia

This sunset on Padar Island is one I won’t soon forget. After hiking to the highest point on the island, we waited as the sun settled, the aqua water shimmered as it kissed the shore in each of the small inlets below, the grass turned golden and swayed with the breeze.

As soon as it eventually dropped, purple blanketed the sky in the opposite bay where our boats waited. Climbing Padar Island was one of my most memorable moments spent in Indonesia. Watch the video here.