My wonderful home country of Indonesia is becoming one of the best travel destinations in the world due to its unlimited potential for adventures. Travellers can explore over 17,000 islands here all offering unique charms of natural beauty, culture, tradition, culinary treats, and of course our biggest drawcard: the wonderful Indonesian people.
In my line of work as a human interest photographer, I get to travel around Indonesia meeting some amazing people. I especially enjoy photographing people because humans have such a deep range of emotions that surface in everyday life — whether it be feelings of happiness or sorrow. Interacting with my fellow countrymen and hearing their stories is what I love most about my job.
Much of my photography is based on capturing small moments of happiness. I always look out for smiles, a sense of excitement, or that spark in the eye of spontaneous play and chance for adventure. If you would ask me what makes Indonesians so happy, I would say that living a simple life in the countryside or on an island paradise without the burden and noise of the city has something to do with it.
Indonesian society is famous for being friendly and welcoming, especially to foreigners. With the diversity of our culture — over 300 ethnic groups and 6 official religions including Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism — Indonesia has a complete and varied cultural portrait. And no less important, on a social and political level, we have a long history of tolerance and inter-cultural interaction.
My favourite destinations in Indonesia – that I recommend to all travellers out there – would be Aceh located on the northwest tip of Sumatra Island and Bali. Aceh is a beautiful hidden destination with gorgeous beaches, charming fishing villages and old colonial villas. And when it comes to Bali, the world is no stranger to the beauty found here. Other places you must visit are Papua, Manado, Lombok, Jogja, Malang, Blitar and Bandung!
To start your wanderlust inspiration to Indonesia – please enjoy a collection of my human interest photos below…
For more human interest photos of Indonesia please follow my Instagram page – @okyarisandi