If a movie location has ever stolen your heart more than the main characters or plot, you’re not alone. Some of us are probably still waiting for an acceptance letter to Hogwarts, hoping to run through the hidden wall to Platform 9 ¾ and ride a steam train across a Scottish viaduct. Others are left wondering if those otherworldly landscapes in Dune are actually real.
There’s no denying that many movie fans have felt compelled to book a trip and step into that enchanting on-screen world. This is all part of the latest global “set-jetting” trend, where visiting filming spots is becoming a major part of holiday itineraries, helping travellers to experience movie scenes in real life.
As Indonesian cinema continues to shine at international festivals, the country’s movie locations range from golden savannahs and granite beaches to colonial architecture and even a contemporary puppet theatre. These famous film locations in Indonesia are very real, and very magical, so why not add a little set-jetting to your next Indonesian adventure?
Table of Contents
Where Can You Find Indonesia’s Most Famous Movie Locations?
1. Wairinding Hill: The Cinematic Savannahs of Sumba
Movie: Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017)
‘Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts’ is a neo-Western thriller depicting a woman’s fight against repression and patriarchy, inspired by real events in East Sumba. Marlina, played by Marsha Timothy, is a young widow who seeks justice after surviving a violent gang home invasion. While the movie portrays a tense battle for survival in a rugged landscape, Wairinding Hill brings that landscape to life with its vast open savannah. You’ll see the dry, golden hills on screen between July and October, but from November through April, the landscape turns emerald green, with wide open space surrounding it. Situated around 25km from Waingapu city centre, it’s a particularly striking landscape for photography and best visited at sunrise or sunset.
2. Where Is the Romantic Sunset Beach from Eat Pray Love?
Padang Padang Beach, Bali
Movie: Eat Pray Love (2010)
It’s been nearly two decades since the release of ‘Eat Pray Love’, but this romantic drama never grows old with its gentle reminder for women to prioritise their personal happiness. Following Julia Roberts’ journey to heal and love again, viewers are taken across Bali’s captivating spots, including the small yet scenic Padang Padang Beach. As a surfer’s paradise in Uluwatu, it earned its romantic vibe from that scene where Liz and Felipe share a heart-to-heart moment in the movie’s Love chapter. Framed by large rocks, you have to walk down a staircase carved into a limestone cave to reach the turquoise waters. It’s quite narrow and steep, so this iconic spot isn’t the easiest place to access for everyone. Still, getting there at around 8am rewards you with vibrant ocean views – just keep in mind it’ll be more crowded than it looked in the movie!
3. Papermoon Puppet Theatre: An Intimate Countryside Setting
Movie: Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2 (2016)
Unresolved feelings and shared nostalgia are the main themes in this sequel to a popular teenage love story, with its city choice fitting the mood perfectly. Whilst there are multiple featured locations, this contemporary theatre deserves a space on this list. Located in Bangunjiwo, Bantul Regency, and reachable from the Yogyakarta city centre in around 30 minutes, Papermoon Puppet Theatre occupies an artistic courtyard space with warm wood tones and brickwork. The theatre show is a poetic, non-verbal visual storytelling experience, often exploring themes of love and memory. It features whimsical handmade puppets (not just miniatures, but life-sized ones) that move around, using light and shadow play to evoke emotions. What’s more, its homegrown Pesta Boneka, held every two years, has welcomed audiences from across the world to this rural spot.
4. Where Is the Iconic Granite Coastline in Laskar Pelangi?
Tanjung Tinggi Beach, Belitung
Movie: Laskar Pelangi (2008)
Tanjung Tinggi Beach on Belitung Island is probably the most famous Indonesian movie location, the set for ‘Laskar Pelangi’, known internationally as The Rainbow Troops. This movie was adapted from a best-selling novel by Andrea Hirata and brought to life through the cinematic genius of director Riri Riza. Behind the location’s visual appeal is a story about kids fighting for their right to an education when a mining company wants to convert the land where the school is located. The geological beauty is characterised by large granite boulders towering over shallow turquoise waters. Access to the beach area is easy, but getting a good photo can mean squeezing between the boulders. Come early between 6:30am and 8:30am for softer morning light and less heat, or claim the best spot behind the granite clusters before sunset for the changing light across the rocks and water.
5. Tanah Lot Temple: The Sacred Sea Temple of Tabanan
Movie: Toute la Beauté du Monde (2006)
In this French romance, Tanah Lot Temple in Tabanan serves as a featured location along the characters’ journey around the island. It’s here that the female lead, Tina, begins to open her heart to love again after grieving her husband’s death. Perched on a striking offshore rock formation surrounded by crashing tide swells, the 16th-century Hindu sea temple is associated with spiritual protection. A causeway connects it to the mainland, completely submerging beneath the waves during high tide – a moment well worth capturing on camera! Adding to its lore, a natural freshwater spring flows inside the ocean cave below, which is used by locals for healing and purification rituals. To catch the cinematic visuals, arrive at 6am for a serene experience, or around 5pm for the famous sunset view. You can also head just north of the main shrine to pose near the hollow cliff arch for an even more dramatic shot.
6. Where Was Mencuri Raden Saleh Filmed in Jakarta?
Galeri Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta
Movie: Mencuri Raden Saleh (2022)
A rare genre in Indonesian cinema, ‘Mencuri Raden Saleh’ is an action movie that follows Piko, a brilliant art student played by young actor Iqbaal Ramadhan. He plans an art heist along with his friends, swapping a masterpiece for an exact forgery to pay for his imprisoned father’s bail. The featured artwork is ‘The Arrest of Pangeran Diponegoro’, a highly secured work by Indonesian master painter Raden Saleh that holds historic value regarding Indonesian anti-colonial resistance. The location for the thrilling heist scene is the elegant Galeri Nasional Indonesia in Central Jakarta. Besides its rich historical facts, its Dutch colonial architecture attracts both visual art and photography fans. In the afternoon, the sun hits the white pillars at an angle, creating high-contrast shadows through the roofed walkway. Plus, in the evening there’s an outdoor projection mapping show… just promise you’ll admire the art and keep the heist drama on-screen only!
7. Where Was Java Heat Filmed in Yogyakarta?
Tamansari Water Castle, Yogyakarta
Movie: Java Heat (2013)
Action and crime stories might be common in Hollywood, but ‘Java Heat’ brings the suspense to Yogyakarta, one of Indonesia’s most romantic cities, with Tamansari Water Castle as its setting. Featuring weathered 18th-century royal bathing pools built in Portuguese-Javanese style, the site’s beauty sits in contrast to the movie’s buddy-cop race. In the film, a US Marine is held as a key witness by a police detective, following a suicide bombing engineered by an international criminal syndicate. Situated within the Yogyakarta Sultanate Palace (Kraton) complex, the historic pools and surrounding structures make an atmospheric photography stop-off. Rise and shine to catch the early morning light hitting the central pools – you won’t regret it. Afterwards, discover Sumur Gumuling, an underground circular mosque with iconic crisscrossing staircases that’s especially compelling around midday when rays of “heavenly light” beam down.
8. Kiluan Bay: Wild Dolphin Sightings in Southern Sumatra
Movie: Trinity, The Nekad Traveler (2017)
The word “nekad” in the movie title means taking bold risks, just as Trinity did. This travel rom-com hits close to home for corporate employees balancing work, limited annual leave, and self-funded adventures with minimal finances. ‘Trinity, The Nekad Traveler’ is set in Lampung, southern Sumatra, a region visually captivating with its deep blue ocean and bottlenose dolphins breaking the surface, making it particularly appealing to travellers interested in combining a movie location with wildlife. To witness this early-morning encounter, head out on a traditional wooden boat between May and September before 8am for the clearest visibility. There are also natural pools allowing you to swim among rugged volcanic rocks. However, keep in mind that accessing this movie location involves hilly coastal routes, so check local weather conditions and make sure the route is suitable for you before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Indonesia’s Movie Locations
What are the most famous movie locations in Indonesia?
Tanjung Tinggi Beach in Belitung is one of Indonesia’s best-known movie locations, thanks to its role in ‘Laskar Pelangi’. Visitors can even explore a replica of the school featured in the movie, located in Lenggang Village.
Where was Eat Pray Love filmed in Bali?
‘Eat Pray Love’ was filmed in several locations around Bali, with Ubud featuring heavily throughout the film’s Indonesia chapter. Scenes were shot around Ubud and the surrounding countryside, including the Tegallalang rice terraces, while Padang Padang Beach provided the setting for the film’s romantic beach scenes between Liz and Felipe.
For fans following in Liz’s footsteps, this means you can experience two very different sides of the movie: Ubud for its rice fields, markets and spiritual setting, and Padang Padang for the beach scenes. It’s worth noting that the beach bar where Liz and Felipe meet was a temporary set created for the film, so you won’t find it at Padang Padang today.
Which film locations offer the best backdrops for photography?
Wairinding Hill in Sumba is particularly striking for dramatic landscape photography, with sweeping hills that change from golden brown to emerald green depending on the season. For a different kind of drama, Papermoon Puppet Theatre showcases handcrafted details with captivating light-and-shadow play.
What is the best time of year to visit Indonesia’s top movie locations?
The best time depends on the location and the type of scenery you want to see. For most islands, we do recommend visiting during the dry season for clear skies and ideal beach weather. But for Wairinding Hill, timing depends on your preferred look: come between July and October for the neo-Western landscape shown in Marlina, or from November to April if you prefer to have green ridges as your backdrop.
Which Indonesian movie locations are easiest to visit on a short itinerary?
The easiest movie locations to include in a short itinerary are those in or close to major tourist hubs, including Galeri Nasional Indonesia in Central Jakarta, Tamansari Water Castle and Papermoon Puppet Theatre in Yogyakarta, and Tanah Lot Temple in Bali. Galeri Nasional Indonesia is accessible via public transport, Tamansari Water Castle is located close to several walkable sites, and Tanah Lot Temple is surrounded by numerous accommodation choices.
Can you visit all 8 Indonesian movie locations in one trip?
You can visit all eight locations as part of a longer Indonesia itinerary, but they are spread across several islands and are not realistic for a short trip. Grouping the locations by region is a more practical way to plan your route.
Planning Your Movie Location Trip in Indonesia
Our handpicked movie locations are spread across different islands, so the most realistic approach to set-jet is to group them by island or region. Here’s how the eight locations break down geographically:
Movie Locations in Bali
Padang Padang Beach and Tanah Lot Temple can be combined into a Bali itinerary, particularly if you want to add a film-inspired twist to a wider Uluwatu and Tabanan trip. As mentioned, Tanah Lot Temple in Bali is ideal for a short itinerary, and you can pair it with the secluded cliffside views of Padang Padang Beach into a 4-day,3-night trip. Transportation options include renting a scooter, hiring a car with a driver, or using ride-hailing apps like Grab.
Movie Locations in East Sumba
From Bali, you can extend your trip to East Sumba. Add Wairinding Hill to a 4-day,3-night Sumba road trip to explore vast savannahs, traditional villages, waterfalls, and the region’s exotic wonders.
Movie Locations in Yogyakarta and Jakarta
Yogyakarta and Jakarta are the easiest locations to combine into one Java itinerary. Spend around three days in Yogyakarta to visit Tamansari Water Castle and explore the Kraton complex at a leisurely pace, book a private show at Papermoon Puppet Theatre, and enjoy a free day or two before heading to Jakarta to explore the Galeri Nasional Indonesia. To transfer between the two cities, you can take a scenic 6-hour train ride or a 1-hour flight.
Movie Locations in Belitung and Lampung
If your starting point is Jakarta, Belitung Island is a short 1-hour flight away. It makes for a coastal relaxation escape to the famous granite beach as an alternative to Bali’s seaside scene. Or, fly to Bandar Lampung and take a journey to experience early-morning dolphin hours at Kiluan Bay. Allocate around 3-days here to account for travel time.
Final Words
Pick your genre and map out your route! Whether you’re chasing a famous beach from a Hollywood romance, dramatic landscapes from an Indonesian thriller, or the architecture and atmosphere of a Javanese film, Indonesia has plenty of real-life movie locations to add to a set-jetting itinerary.
