Instagram story viewer> @petula_ra> Posts

🎀 𝓟𝓮𝓽𝓾𝓵𝓪 🎀

@petula_ra

2.4K

followers

3135

following

🇱🇧 ✝️ Trusting His plan ❤️
🌍 Globe Trotter • 63 countries ✈️
🏔️Nature 🏝️ Marine 🌊 Wildlife 🐆
☕️ Lover • Food Art 🎭 Mom of 4 🐈

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

I saved one of Timor-Leste’s biggest surprises for last 😍🇹🇱 After crossing the country all the way to its easternmost tip, I reached Jaco Island, a tiny, uninhabited island surrounded by unbelievably clear turquoise water, at the far eastern edge of Timor-Leste, with Australia lying across the Timor Sea to the south 🇦🇺🌊

The island is considered sacred by local Timorese communities, which is why there are no hotels or permanent settlements and visitors don’t stay overnight. You cross over by a small local fishing boat, spend the day surrounded by white sand and crystal-clear water, and leave again before nightfall🌿Jaco is also part of Nino Konis Santana National Park, surrounded by the biodiverse waters of the Coral Triangle.

And this really is remote travel ! around Jaco and this part of the national park, I had no internet connection at all 📵🌿 Completely disconnected from the outside world, surrounded by nothing but nature, sea and tiny local communities. It made the whole experience feel even more untouched and far removed from mass tourism 🥰

And somehow, while I was there, tropical rain gave way to a perfect rainbow stretching across the entire beach🌈💙

From there, I continued to Atauro Island 🏝️ another beautiful side of Timor-Leste, with quiet coastal communities, incredibly clear water and rich marine life before returning to Dili for the final part of my journey.

One story in Dili particularly fascinated me: Cristo Rei. ✝️🇹🇱 The 27-metre statue overlooking the bay was inaugurated in 1996 as a gift from the Indonesian government, while Timor-Leste was still under Indonesian rule. I found the religious contrast especially interesting such a monumental Christian symbol was erected during the rule of predominantly Muslim Indonesia, in a country whose identity became overwhelmingly Catholic. Today, you reach Cristo Rei by climbing more than 500 steps, passing the 14 Stations of the Cross along the way

#timorleste #jacoisland #atauroisland #dili #southeastasia taken in Jaco Island, Timor Leste by @petula_ra

37

7

4 days ago

Exploring the traditions and landscapes of Timor-Leste 🇹🇱🌿 visiting the traditional sacred houses, an important part of Timorese culture and ancestral identity 🛖 discovering this beautiful tree growing directly over a natural rock arch 🌳🪨 almost as if the roots and stone have become one 😍

One of the most fascinating things I learned is the importance of the crocodile in Timorese culture 🐊According to the country’s famous origin legend, a young boy helped a crocodile, who later carried him across the sea. At the end of its life, the crocodile transformed into the island of Timor 😍which is why the crocodile holds such a special and sacred place in Timorese identity 🇹🇱❤️

Nature, tradition and ancestral stories are so connected here ✨💚

#timorleste #easttimor #timoreseculture #timorlestetravel #offthebeatenpath taken in Baucau, Timor Leste by @petula_ra

45

7

17 days ago

This side of Timor-Leste felt incredibly raw and untouched. No crowds, no famous viewpoints, just beautiful mountain scenery and communities where traditional ways of life are still very much part of everyday life. 🤍 The tree house is the president residence when visiting and the guest house is a colonial historical Portuguese residence :)

What amazed me most was the beautiful greenery all along the way 🌿💚 Everywhere I looked there were mountains, valleys and landscapes that still felt completely untouched. Timor-Leste is probably the most remote country I’ve ever visited 😻 a place where tourism is still very limited and nature seems to dominate almost everything around you⛰️🌾☁️

And this is exactly what made exploring it so special: discovering landscapes that haven’t yet been transformed by mass tourism, where the journey itself is as beautiful as the destination 🚙✨🌍

Another reminder of why sometimes the best travel experiences come from leaving room for the unexpected. ❤️✈️

📍 Timor-Leste 🇹🇱

#timorleste #easttimor #timorlestetravel #offthebeatenpath #naturelovers taken in Rabilau Maubisse by @petula_ra

30

2

25 days ago

A country I didn’t even know existed until destiny took me there 🥰🇹🇱 🌍

While travelling through Indonesia 🇮🇩 Timor-Leste suddenly appeared among my direct-flight options ✈️and an unplanned idea turned into one of the most unexpected parts of my journey 😎🗺️💫

These photos are from Maubisse, in the mountainous heart of Timor-Leste ⛰️🌿☁️ Coming from the tropical coast into these cool, mist-covered highlands, green valleys and rice fields 🌾 made me realize just how diverse this tiny country is. The scenery seemed to change completely within just a few hours.

Timor-Leste’s culture is just as fascinating. After centuries of Portuguese influence 🇵🇹 Portuguese remains one of its official languages, and around 98% of the population is Catholic ⛪🙏 making Timor-Leste the most Catholic country in the world 🥰 ✝️

And this is exactly why I love travelling with a plan 📝but never restricting myself to it 🤭I always leave room for surprises, spontaneous changes and completely unexpected destinations 🎒because somehow, they often become the best experiences and the best stories❤️🌍

Timor-Leste 🇹🇱 never part of the plan, and that’s exactly what made it so special ✨

#timorleste #maubisse #easttimor #southeastasia #travelstories taken in Maubisse Hill, Ainaro Timor Leste by @petula_ra

33

4

a month ago

Walking Bali’s former Water royal palace 💦🌿

Tirta Gangga was built in 1946 by the last King of Karangasem, and its name literally means “water from the Ganges,” referring to the sacred river in India. The palace is filled with spring-fed pools, fountains, stone statues and gardens combining Balinese and Chinese influences🇮🇩

The famous stepping stones take you right through the koi ponds, making exploring the palace part of the experience itself🐠✨

It was badly damaged by the eruption of Mount Agung in 1963 and later restored, another little piece of Bali where beauty, history and spirituality all come together. 🤍

#tirtagangga #bali #karangasem #balitravel #indonesia taken in Taman Tirta Gangga Bali by @petula_ra

56

9

a month ago

Just entered the Gates of Heaven in my traditional Balinese outfit 🌺🥰

A view that definitely deserves its name🤩 Standing between the iconic gates of Lempuyang Temple, surrounded by mountains, clouds and endless views⛰️🤍

I loved experiencing the beauty of Balinese culture,
the traditional architecture, the temples, the spirituality and all the little details that make this island so special😍🇮🇩

Bali is so much more than beaches and sunsets… its culture and traditions are just as beautiful ✨

#lempuyangtemple #gatesofheaven #bali #indonesia #baliculture taken in Heaven’s Gate, Lempuyang Temple, Bali, Indonesia by @petula_ra

50

12

a month ago

Canggu is a whole lifestyle on its own 🌴☀️ a little bit of everything, a lot of good vibes… and definitely the side of Bali that makes you understand why people come here and end up staying longer than planned😅💙

#canggu #bali #balilife #canggulife #indonesia taken in Finn's Beach Club Bali by @petula_ra

63

3

2 months ago

Java gave me one of the most unique experiences of my life 💕hiking in the darkness into the Ijen crater, seeing the famous electric-blue flames 🔥💙 and then watching the night slowly turn into a pink sky over that unreal turquoise volcano crater lake🌋🩵🌸

Getting close to the blue flames was intense ! The sulfur gases were so strong that even with the mask, my eyes were burning and breathing became suffocating. Definitely one of those experiences that was beautiful, wild and challenging all at once 🫶

And honestly, it feels unfair that Indonesia is so often spoken about as if it were only Bali. Bali is beautiful, but what I discovered beyond it completely was rare gems, landscapes that don’t even look real, and some of the most incredible nature I’ve ever seen
Java especially felt like heaven on Earth 🌎❤️

Indonesia has so, so much more to discover beyond Bali. 🇮🇩✨

#ijencrater #eastjava #indonesia #wonderfulindonesia #java taken in Ijen Volcano by @petula_ra

45

14

2 months ago

Chasing sunrise above the clouds at Mount Bromo 🌋

Watching the first light 🌄slowly reveal the volcanoes, mountains and sea of clouds felt unreal 🥰From admiring Bromo from above to hiking up to its crater, the entire landscape looked like something from another planet. 🌋✨

Mount Bromo are one of the places simply that have to be seen to be believed…🇮🇩🤍

#mountbromo #bromo #eastjava #indonesia #sunrise taken in Bromo Sunrise by @petula_ra

33

11

2 months ago

It’s hard to believe that one national park can hold so much beauty, diversity, and some of the world’s rarest natural wonders 🌿🌊✨ From hiking 800+ steps for breathtaking viewpoints 🏞️ and turquoise waters 💙 to my first-ever Pink Beach 🩷 one of the few in the world 😍 every stop felt completely different 🥰 One of my favorites was getting to pet a Komodo dragon 🦎the “last living dinosaur.” 🦖 These incredible reptiles coexist with the local villagers on Komodo Island, although rare attacks do happen and have sometimes been fatal 😮 Komodo National Park is definitely one of the highlights of Indonesia and a destination not to be missed🌴🇮🇩 🥰

#komodonationalpark #padarisland #pinkbeach #komododragon #indonesia taken in Komodo National Park by @petula_ra

45

10

2 months ago

beauty was on display all day long 🥰 from the shoreline to the hilltop 🇮🇩✨

#lombok #indonesia #meresehill #tanjungaan #travelindonesia taken in Tanjung Aan Beach, Kuta, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara by @petula_ra

45

7

2 months ago

No cars allowed here, no chaos, just walking, sandy roads, bicycles, horse carts, and endless island vibes🌴 💙 Gili Air teaches you to slow down and enjoy swimming with the turtles 🐢 and underwater statues 😍

#giliair #giliislands #lombok #indonesia #basknest by @petula_ra

53

6

3 months ago