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Inspirations >> Photos & People

Bird’s Eye View Photo Hunt on Indonesia's Beaches

2018-03-21
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7.13 k
In this article:

A Beautiful Beach Seeker

I am an avid seeker of beaches that allow me with the opportunities to take photos using the bird’s eye view technique. I don’t own a drone, thus I rely on a hill or cliff adjacent to the beaches to get the best angle from the top. Why do I love taking aerial pictures? Because the coastlines, rocks and corals surrounding the beaches look dramatically more beautiful from above. When someone recommended me to check out a popular beach, I would lose interest when I found out that I could not find any cliff to climb and it was just a line of white sand beach.

Klayar beach indonesia

EOS 60D; EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM; 18mm; f/13; 1/160 sec; ISO-100

So, where to find some picturesque Indonesia's beaches with a vantage point for this style of photography? 

KLAYAR BEACH IN PACITAN, EAST JAVA

This beach is the best for me as it has everything that I need. There are many spots to shoot from and all of them produce great pictures. A serious practitioner should spend at least two hours to shoot every inch of this stunning beach.

How to find the best spot in Klayar Beach?

Klayar Beach has a long coastline, so long that ATVs are now available for rent to help visitors to get around. The cliffs on the right and left are relatively easy to climb. I suggest to start with the right cliff, where you can capture the arc of the coastline. A small island made of coral that resembles Tanah Lot in Bali and a rock shaped like a Sphinx can be found at the end of the coastline. When the seawater recedes, you can see green seaweed “rugs” that cover some parts of the shore.

Here is the Sphinx-like bulge that is the main attraction of Klayar Beach. It is located on the left end of the coast, where big waves hit the shore. Many photographers love to stay at this point. 

beaches in indonesia with canon eos 60D

 8mm; f/10; 1/1250 sec; ISO-400

The guards on duty may allow you to climb the Sphinx-like bulge, and over it you will find the “flute of the sea”. What is the “flute of the sea”? It is when seawater bursts out of a small crevice as high as 10 metres and creates the sound of a flute. You should also check out the formation of the cliff there and capture them from various angles.

klayar beach indonesia

EOS 60D; EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM; 18mm; f/22 ; 1/125 sec; ISO-100

After that, head to the cliff behind the Sphinx-like bulge. It is called Indah Lestari Cliff. This place creates a different bird’s eye view, and you can see the beautiful heart-shaped coastline. From eye level, the rock formation resembles Tanah Lot in Bali, and from above, it is flat and wide. 

The above-mentioned sites are only some of the many photo spots in Klayar Beach. Two hours is not enough time especially if you want to shoot sunset.

How to get to Klayar Beach from Jakarta?

Although it is located in East Java, it would be easier to get there from Solo or Jogyakarta. From Solo or Jogyakarta, a  3.5 to 4-hour drive will get you to the destination.

ATUH BEACH IN NUSA PENIDA, BALI

When you are in Bali, don’t forget to visit Nusa Penida Island. Why? The coasts in this island are the best when it comes to the scenery. The most famous one is Atuh Beach. Like Klayar Beach, this beach offers bird’s eye view spots and attractions to be explored. What’s unique is that you don’t start to explore from the beach then climb the cliff, but you begin on the cliff where you can view the beach from above.

atuh beach bali canon beach bird's eye view

EOS 60D; EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM ; 44mm; f/16; 1/60 sec; ISO-100

How to find the best spot in Atuh Beach?

What you can see from the edge of the cliff is a curved coast with white sands and a clear sea with turquoise gradation.

On the shore, there is a cone-shaped rock, and it’s surrounded by coconut trees. At the end of the shore, there's an island and a pyramid headland. I guarantee that you will not stop clicking your camera shutter once you see them. 

Of course the fun doesn’t end here. Walk towards the pyramid headland and continue walking along the cliff until you see it from a different direction. Now,the pyramid headland looks like a dinosaur, whose head is in the water. From this spot, you can capture Atuh Beach from different bird’s eye angles. Can you climb down to the beach? Unfortunately, this side of the beach is not accessible. But not to worry because you can get to the left side of the beach simply by walking down some steps. The beach on this side is spacious with a small coral islandon its front side. 

How to get to Atuh Beach from Jakarta

You need to fly to Denpasar, then take a public boat from Sanur Beach to Toyapakeh in Nusa Penida and continue your trip by car or motorcycle for approximately 1.5 hours to the location. Atuh Beach is located in Pejukutan Village in Banjar Pelilit.

SIUNG BEACH IN GUNUNG KIDUL, JOGJAKARTA

Siung Beach is located at Duwet Hamlet in Purwodadi Village, Gunung Kidul Regency. The beach is surrounded by towering cliffs suitable for rock climbing. This a must visit beach if you are looking for bird’s eye view photography spots.

bird eye beach view in indonesia

EOS 60D; EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM ; 18mm; f/9; 1/250 sec; ISO-100

How to find the best spot in Siung Beach?

What distinguishes this beach from other beaches in Gunung Kidul is its tall coral reefs, clear water and white sands. A cluster of coral reefs on the left side is easy to climb. This is where you can find the bird’s eye view spots. The view from up here is magnificent.

On the right side, you can find a clear coastline with coral reefs on the right end. The coral reefs here are different from those on the left side. The waves that hit the corals create a stream that is perfect for slow speed shots.  You can read more on how to capture colourful and beautiful shots of wave in this article.

How to get to Siung Beach from Jakarta?

You take a flight to Jogjakarta then drive to Tepus Village in Gunung Kidul.

Read this article to get some tips on aerial photography.


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About the Author

Mayawati Nurhalim

Deputy Director in Chief My Trip Magazine who loves travelling, trekking and diving

www.mytrip.co.id

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