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s many sinetron (soap operas) have frantic back-to-back shooting schedules, most scenes are shot in studios or on location in Greater Jakarta. However, some soaps have the luxury of time (and budget) to shoot in other provinces, or even abroad.

Among the pioneers as local soaps became popular in the 1990s was Antara Jakarta-Perth (Between Jakarta-Perth, 1996). Starring Nia Zulkarnaen and Ari Sihasale, the seven-episode soap detailed one couple’s love story played out in the Indonesian capital and the capital of Western Australia.

Perth is one of the closest destinations outside Asia, making it a perfect holiday getaway. With the romantic storyline and the beautiful scenery in Perth, real-life love blossomed between the actors, who got married in Perth in 2003.

While a soap may focus on a particular shooting location, Putri Yang Ditukar (The Exchanged Daughter, 2010) saw shooting in four locations at the same time: Yogyakarta, Bali, Singapore and Hong Kong. The production house that produced the soap, Sinemart, decided to shoot the second longest soap (676 episodes) after Cinta Fitri (The Love of Fitri, 2007, 1,002 episodes) in four locations to follow the script and treat audiences to beautiful sceneries in those locations.

However, unlike Antara Jakarta-Perth, which shot romantic scenes abroad, the shooting of Putri Yang Ditukar in Hong Kong was fast-paced action thrills, with Amira (Nikita Willy) having to escape her kidnappers on the streets.

When it comes to the most popular location for movie shoots, Paris must top the list. Love In Paris, a soap produced by Screen Play Production, gives viewers a peek into the world’s most romantic city every day from 7 pm to 9 pm on SCTV.

Shot in both Indonesia and France, Love In Paris features some of the French capital’s iconic sites, including the Eiffel Tower, and has both A-list actors and newcomers in the cast, from Rio Dewanto, Dimas Anggara, Surya Saputra, Michelle Zudith to Yunita Siregar.

It centers on a love triangle among Yasmine (Michelle), Rafa (Rio) and Reno (Dimas A). The trio accidentally meets in Paris, which becomes the setting for high drama, including a row between Yasmin and her twin sister
Aqila (Yunita).

“With the background setting in Paris and A-list actors in the cast, we are certain that this soap will be people’s favorite show. We also hope this soap can be an alternative that will entertain the public and SCTV’s loyal audience,” SCTV director of programming and production Harsiwi Achmad told entertainment news portal kapanlagi.com.

“We want to depict the beauty of Paris, just like in the movies. We’ve tried to make it look better than the movie.”

Of course, international holiday destinations as the backdrop for soaps may a clever strategy for good ratings, especially with more Indonesians traveling in the booming economy. But also not to be overlooked are the many gorgeous and “exotic” places in Indonesia that can serve the same purpose at a fraction of the cost.