Bali is an Instagram influencer’s dream. Dramatic forested mountainscapes, gloriously idyllic beaches, and the pleasing geometry of iconic rice terraces. An Instagram Bali Tour provides so many locations for the perfect backdrop.
Add into the mix a sprinkle of spirituality, a culture that embraces local, authentic handicrafts, and a tangible appreciation of the soothing qualities of nature, and you’ve got a winning combination for a flawless photo shoot.
Bottle up all that Balinese beauty to get the perfect recipe for shareworthy content.
Of course, even if travellers don’t happen to be bona fide influencers of Instagram, it’s still nice to capture memories of a stunning location with professional-level photography.
Herein lies the inspiration for our East Bali Instagram Tour, the brainchild of Regional Product Manager, Tu Anh Le. Tu Anh understood that teaming up with some local professional photographers to provide this excellent service to travellers would be an in-demand experience. They could host this beautiful island location while also offering their expertise.
Indeed, pre-pandemic this was a hugely successful experience that our partners loved to offer their customers. Together with travellers, these photographers help create incredible moments to provide lasting memories for visitors to Bali.
Let’s learn a little more about the experience.
Discover four of the island’s most picturesque scenic spots on our Instagram Bali trail; the famous Heaven Gate of Lempuyang Temple, the captivating Tirta Gangga Water Palace, the rugged coastline at Bukit Asah, and the classically unblemished white sands of Virgin Beach.
Rise and shine bright and early – we’ll pick travellers up at around 4am from their hotels around Denpasar to travel up the East coast of Bali to our destinations. Travellers benefit from this early start by reaching the Lempuyang temple in time for ‘golden hour’ – between 5am and 6am – expertly catching the sunrise and beating the crowds that flock to the famous site a little later.
The Heaven Gate is an iconic Balinese image – made extra famous by social media posts. The stone gates seem to perfectly frame the very sky itself – with the peak of Mount Agung bisecting the gates in the distance.
Beware, though, the ubiquitous image blazoned across Instagram of the sky seemingly reflected in a pool of water is, in fact, a trick involving a mirror. There is no water in front of the gates; the effect is created by placing a mirror at the correct angle beneath a smartphone.
However, travellers need not be disheartened; the Lempuyang temple itself is a beautifully ornate complex and one of Bali’s holiest and most revered Hindu sites. There is plenty to see on this mountainside surrounded by tropical rainforest that more than makes up for the slightly cheap trick.
Spend an hour or so around the complex while the photographer takes some snaps, suggesting poses and making the most of the early morning light in ways that only a professional can!
The next stop is Tirta Gangga, a former royal palace transformed into a charming open water garden sanctuary – another place of reverence for the island’s Hindus. For travellers, besides the site’s cultural significance, the place is a dream for photography with reflective pools of water filled with multi-coloured fish, delicate fountains, and intricately designed stone statues.
The name ‘Tirta Gangga’ literally means ‘water from the Ganges’. The Ganges being the holy river that runs through India with great significance in the Hindu religion. It’s no surprise, then, that it’s the water that serves as the highlight for photographers here. The main feature – where travellers will find the most posing – is the 11-tier central fountain, around which there are stepping stones to traverse and navigate the surrounding pool. It’s a peaceful, serene spot to spend an hour or so to get the best angles!
Travellers with Discova enjoy breakfast with a view with a spread laid out at the onsite restaurant, Tirta Ayu. Sit back and enjoy the tranquil surroundings.
Moving on, it’s time to head to the coast, Bukit Asah, where travellers are treated to a picnic alongside the clifftop, with views left and right of the rugged coastline looking out at the Bali Sea.
Bukit Asah is a grassy plateau that is fast becoming a fashionable scenic spot and even a place for overnight camping. It’s not difficult to see why as the panoramic sea and island views are breathtaking. After the first two stops were all about spirituality, Bukit Asah is all about stopping to admire the natural beauty of this part of the world.
After some more well-positioned and choreographed shots, the last stop is down on the pristine white sands of virgin beach. As the name suggests, the beach is known for its tranquillity – unblemished, quiet, and still carrying the air of a hidden retreat. Spend a couple of hours here with the photographer and the group to relax and unwind. Get all the classic beach shots, but also take time to soak up the sun, have a swim, and listen to the sound of the waves with coconut in hand.
This marks the end of the trip; after an early start, we’ll leave the beach around 12:30 and journey back to the hotels in Denpasar, roughly a 2-hour drive. Back at base, the photographer will share their photographs with the travellers – their service and the photos produced are included within the experience.
We teamed up with local photographers to provide this exclusive trip for our travellers in Bali. The professionals have been hosting this trip for us since 2019 and have perfected their techniques to help out would-be travelling models. In this way, we are happy to be supporting a local creative business in their enterprise.
They are full of great advice, from getting the right angles to capturing the light to even suggestions on what to wear! So, whether travellers are serious Instagrammers looking to rack up those likes or just curious about all things camera, the experience offers plenty of opportunities to learn.
As Tu Anh says, “It’s all about capturing those moments”, and there are plenty of moments to capture for sure on this experience with Discova. Passenger feedback has always been amazing and the proof can be found on their Instagram feeds. It’s human nature to want to share experiences, and this tour helps travellers capture stunning images that they can be proud of.
We’re constantly innovating and looking for new ways to share the best of our destinations for travellers. To browse our fantastic product range, check out our brochures, and don’t hesitate to contact our teams to hear more about the experiences we offer within our fully customisable tailor-made itineraries.
and stay at the forefront of new product offerings, Discova behind-the-scenes, destination news, travel trends and thought leadership articles from our on-the-ground experts.
© 2024 Discova. All rights reserved.
and stay at the forefront of new product offerings, Discova behind-the-scenes, destination news, travel trends and thought leadership articles from our on-the-ground experts.