Indonesia: Bali & Sumba with Patrick Firouzian – March 2027

This cultural and photographic journey offers privileged access to two ancestral rituals, with carefully designed logistics that let you focus fully on capturing the stories unfolding before you: Melasti in Bali and Pasola in Sumba, located just two hours apart by air.

Pasola is a high-stakes ritual war game celebrating the beginning of the rice-planting season. Rooted in the ancestral Marapu belief system, hundreds of horsemen charge across open fields at full gallop, hurling wooden spears at their opponents. The timing of the festival is dictated by the arrival of nyale, sacred sea worms believed to be a divine omen for the coming harvest. Blood spilled during the ritual, historically human and today symbolically replaced by animal sacrifice, is believed to fertilize the land and appease the spirits to ensure prosperity. In addition to attending the exciting Pasola, we will explore this island incredible culture, from its architecture to its beaches, witness and photograph horses, markets, and majestic landscapes.

Melasti is a deeply spiritual Balinese Hindu purification ceremony held on the beaches around Bali, just before the Balinese New Year. Villagers in ornate ceremonial dress carry offerings, sacred objects, and towering temple effigies to the sea to cleanse them of negative energies. For photographers, Melasti is a feast of color, ritual, and emotion: golden coastal light, wet-sand reflections, incense smoke, chanting, and intimate human moments layered within grand ceremonial scenes. In addition, you will witness exclusive rituals arranged just for us, attend portrait sessions with lighting and models so that you learn or improve portraiture and bring back stunning images not only as memories but as testimonies of the incredible beauty of local culture and people.

This journey is for photographers who seek privileged access, cultural immersion, and meaningful portrait storytelling, with best available accommodations and photographic coaching as needed.

Required fitness and photography level: intermediate to advanced.

Day 1 (Feb 26): Welcome to Indonesia Our journey begins in Sanur, Bali, minutes from the beach and many coastal attractions, restaurants, and local amenities. We will gather to discuss our journey.
Overnight in Sanur.

Day 2 (Feb 27): Bali to Sumba This morning we check out and transfer to the airport for a short flight (under 2 hours) to Sumba, in eastern Indonesia. Upon arrival and after check-in, we will explore and photograph portraits of the Sumbanese people in their daily lives.
Overnight in Sumba.

Day 3 (Feb 28): Rural Sumba & Pasola Practice This morning we will explore Sumba markets and track down some horsemen getting ready by practicing their riding at high speed while throwing spears. An opportunity to photograph or film horsemen and local sumbanese.
Overnight in Sumba.

Day 4 (Mar 1): The Pasola Ritual We start in the Indigo Hour, where the rugged coast of Sumba is a silhouette of hundreds wading into the surf. Under the glow of bamboo torches, Rato priests lift handfuls of emerald sea worms from the obsidian tide, the Nyale ritual, triggering the start of the ritual. As the sun breaks the horizon, the scene shifts to the high-contrast heat of the “battlefield.” We will visit villages witnessing people getting ready for the ritual, horses and horsemen, and later move on the practice grounds where riders challenge each other in preparation for the official ritual. In the afternoon, we move to the “battlefield” where tribes introduce themselves and priests give their speeches in front of warriors and thousands of villagers who came for the event. Following presentations, warriors go around the field challenging each other to prove the superiority of their riding and aiming, throwing wooden spears to their opponents. For photographers, there is overwhelming abundance of action on the grounds, and portraiture of the villagers, amidst the deep cultural significance of the ritual.
Overnight in Sumba.

Day 5 (Mar 2): Portrait Sessions & Horses on the Beach Sumba exploration continues. There might be more Pasola to witness, based on Shama’s decisions, and we will arrange to attend of so. We will visit pristine sandy beaches to photograph horses running freely with the ocean as a backdrop, followed by setup portraits of horses with their horsemen.
Overnight in Sumba.

Day 6 (Mar 3): Sumba to Bali We drive back to the airport for our short flight back to Bali. We will then check in to our hotel in Ubud.
Overnight in Ubud.

Day 7 (Mar 4): Exploring Ancient Balinese Villages We explore ancient villages and temples and witness the preparations for Melasti. Exploring the villages you will witness the many offerings brought there by villagers, and the community prayers. Later on, we conclude the evening with dinner and a private sacred Fire Horse ritual.
Overnight in Sanur.

Day 8 (Mar 5): Melasti – Eastern Beaches Morning: We start very early to get to the location before the crowds. Villagers arrive in processions from their temples, carrying offerings, banners, and temple effigies. Priests lead purification rituals in the sea. The soft morning light works well for portraits, details of offerings, and wide shots with reflections. The east-facing coastline works beautifully for sunrise portraits, backlit silhouettes, and reflections in the wet sand as the tide pulls back. The calm morning light is soft and diffused, perfect for revealing the details of ceremonial clothing and the golden hues of the umbrellas and fabrics.

Afternoon: A quieter period as groups return to their villages. This provides an opportunity to photograph smaller ceremonies, people relaxing, and candid moments in softer side light.
Overnight in Sanur.

Day 9 (Mar 6): Melasti – Southern Beaches Morning: Large gatherings with multiple villages. Processions enter the beach at sunrise, creating strong backlighting and silhouettes. Rituals include cleansing sacred objects and blessing participants. This is the best time for layered crowd shots and rim-lit subjects. Here are the most likely places to see participants enter trance states. These trances can happen when the energy of the ceremony is high, often during the chanting, gamelan music, and intense moments of blessing. People in trances might shake, sway, or speak in voices believed to be channeling protective spirits or deities.

Afternoon: Processions head back through village streets. Side lighting can highlight people’s clothing and facial expressions. Smaller ceremonies may continue near temples. Evening: Dinner in Ubud, followed by a private Horse Puppet fire ritual.
Overnight in Ubud.

Day 10 (Mar 7): Ritual Preparations & Temple Traditions Instead of the sea, this day is centered on the temple courtyards and surrounding streets to witness preparations. We drive east to temples picked by our local expert, sites where activities are genuine, with fewer tourists and photographers. Women arrive balancing gebogan (towering arrangements of fruit and flowers) on their heads, while men prepare for the upcoming rituals. The light here features warm tones filtering through temple gates, casting long shadows across stone carvings. The storytelling potential lies in capturing the sequence: the meticulous assembly of offerings, the blessing of each object, and the rhythmic procession from temple to village, full of gamelan music, swaying banners, and incense smoke. You will also meet locals willing to pose for stunning portraits.
Overnight in Ubud.

Day 11 (Mar 8): Nyepi – The Day of Silence Nyepi is Bali’s “Day of Silence,” marking the Balinese New Year when the entire island shuts down: no flights, no traffic, no work, and even lights are kept low at night. It’s a day for meditation and self-reflection, and the streets are completely empty. At your luxury hotel, the day becomes a peaceful retreat: relaxing by the pool, enjoying quiet meals on-site, sorting and editing your Melasti photos, and perhaps doing some light reading or spa treatments, all while experiencing an island-wide stillness that’s unlike anywhere else in the world.
Overnight in Ubud.

Day 12 (Mar 9): End of Journey Today the journey ends; we will drop you off at the airport for a safe return home.