Johannes Leistner

During my stay on Bali I had an engagement at the Matahari Beach Resort, a luxury hotel complex located at the north shore near the village of Pemuteran.
They wanted to have photographs of their newly equipped main restaurant, the bar and the beach restaurant. Additionally to that I also documented one of their cooking classes. Besides taking photographs, I enjoyed the comfort of that place. It is located at a very remote spot, far away from the hustle and bustle of Kuta Beach or other touristy areas.

Matahari-Beach-Resort & Spa: A great highlight is the weekly dance show, performed by Balinese dancers on the hotels open-air stage in front of the main restaurant. This has been my first show of this kind, with traditional Gamelan music and it really was a special experience. Visiting a Gamelan dance evening is a must-thing to do on Bali!

The way the dancers move, act and appear is fascinating. Every single movement of their hands and even their eyes is a rehearsed part of the performance and tells its little secret story. I also liked their wardrobe, which is rich in detail and exquisitely crafted. It appears as if it would glow out of itself.

Can you sense the special atmosphere of an exotic and colourful dance show like this one, performed in the warmth of a charming Balinese night? I found my self mesmerized by all this different and intense sensations!

The girl on the top photograph is only 12 years old and began dancing lessons at the age of four. She is now a professional and it is a great pleasure to watch her perform!

After having spent more than two weeks on Sumatra and Java, I travelled to the beautiful island of Bali. I had red a lot about this piece of land, that it would be different from the rest of Indonesia and it happened to be exactly like that! Actually I almost experienced something like a cultural shock.

The main difference of course is the religion. On Bali you’ll find more than 93% Hindus and only 5% Muslims whereas on Sumatra it is the other way round. For a western eye it looks like people live with less regulations. And for a photographer the Hindu culture offers more picturesque photo options, especially if you look at all the temples, flower sacrifices and nicely decorated homes.

And I think you’ve guessed it already, yes there are more tourists, many more of them. I haven’t met a white guy on Sumatra, but loads of them on Bali. Therefore the Balinese tourism industry offers you a lot of convenient options to choose from.
It seems like every well know hotel chain has to have its top of the class wellness and spa resort on the island. You also find any kind of restaurants for every budget, beauty farms and organized adventure trips there.

Even a small town like Ubud, which happens to be something like an arts and crafts centre, not only has a few souvenir shops and workshops, but hundreds of them! The offer really was incredible – how can they all make money?

After the intense impressions and experienced I gained on Sumatra I felt a little fed up with everything, I needed time to "process my thoughts". And Bali seemed to be like a whole new holiday in a different country.
So I decided to go for less excitements but a relaxing program: staying in nice hotels, enjoying at least one hour of massage and a three-course dinner a day… I can tell ya, it worked well!