Indonesia

A place of exceptional natural beauty and culture.

Stone temples and towering volcanoes dot the landscape.

There is something special about the abundance of temples and volcanoes here.

I was lucky enough to be in Indonesia during Idul Fitri, also known as Eid al-Fitr outside of the Malay Peninsula.

At 6am, we woke up with the residents of Yogyakarta, a city of important cultural heritage. Our hostel owner, a Yogyakarta native took us by the streets where the city congregated and we listened to the morning prayers. Afterwards we followed the processions through the neighborhoods.

Celebration was in the air, and strangers invited us into their homes, offering food, drink and laughs.

A special experience learning about one of the most important days within Islam while in a town as mystical as Yogyakarta.