Visitors have discovered that a Bali tourist attraction popular with Instagram influencers is actually a fake photo op

What happens in Bali stays in Bali.. Photo / Instagram

To search #GatesofHeaven on Instagram is to be confronted by an army of clones, more than 15,000 of them. And it's even faker than usual.

View this post on Instagram

No filter needed (other than to credit the man with the mirror) 🌋 #travelwanker . . . #bali #indonesia #gatesofheaven #sarong #volcano #gatesofheavenbali #temple #lempuyangtemple #nofilter #perfect #beautiful #picoftheday #travelphotography #travelling #travelgram #travelblogger #exploring #baliindonesia #instagood

A post shared by Ana S (@st.ana93) on Jun 25, 2019 at 2:30am PDT

The pictures, taken at the Pura Lempuyang Luhur temple in Bali, Indonesia, have become increasingly popular among Instagram "influencers".

Namaste, Michellle, you've been busted.

View this post on Instagram

Meditate, visualize and create your own reality and the universe will simply reflect back to you...❥✧ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ #gatesofheaven #puralempuyang #bali #reflection #life #meditate #balibliss #yoga #yogateacher #yogalife #lifeofayogi #yogainspiration #yogi #myyogalife #yogaeveryday #yogalover #worldofyoga #yogaeverydamnday #yogapositions #worldofyoga_feature #yogajournal #myyogalife #balilove #passionpassport #girlslovetravel #thebaliwhisperer #balilocal #balibible #lovebali #sunsetnsunshine

A post shared by M I C H E L L E (@sunsetsnsunshine) on Jun 26, 2019 at 8:59pm PDT

It was a shocking revelation to Polina Marinova, an editor at Fortune Magazine who made a beeline to the temple during a recent trip to Bali.

Before her trip, Marinova had searched on Instagram for Bali attractions and kept seeing the Gates of Heaven "over and over again," she told INSIDER.

"It looked absolutely breathtaking," she added. "But of course, it being Instagram, no one had included in the caption that it wasn't real, so I just assumed there was water there."

The line to get a photo, as this visitor's photo shows, is a drag and a half.

View this post on Instagram

СПА-СИ-БО ВСЕМ ГИГАНТСКОЕ!!! Всем кто поздравил,всем ,кто Не вспомнил и всем кто даже не знает🥳 С каждым Новым годом своей жизни прихожу к самому необходимому выводу : Счастлива! Есть над чем работать,есть Куда расти,есть что менять!в корне! Есть от чего стоит избавиться и что привнести в свою бурную и уже осознанную,сложную и прекрасную жизнь! Приятно взрослеть,мудреть и открывать в себе новые грани. Любить,петь,писать,плясать,плакать,летать,плыть,есть,спать ..ЖИТЬ! #спасибо родителям,бабушке с дедушкой,сёстрам и всем близким! Без вас бы было крайне сложно... Наумничилась ))) хватит с вас) Обнимаю ) #сднемрожденияменя #счастлива #благодарна

A post shared by ПЕВИЦА | АНИ | ЕКАТЕРИНБУРГ (@ani_anisha_voice_coach) on Apr 28, 2019 at 1:48pm PDT

In case you didn't know, water doesn't look like that.

View this post on Instagram

✌️JUN 21: Day of Private Reflection #dayofprivatereflection #jun21 #ollydayz Time for Olly to reflect on quite a busy day (and there’s still one more photo to come!) They say to find peace we must first experience war. “The Troubles” conflict in Northern Ireland was a bleak time in the country’s history, with more than 3,500 killed. Today’s Day of Private Reflection was created for the country in 2007 as an opportunity to acknowledge the tragedies of the past, and look forward to a peaceful future. Olly’s own tragedy of the past, his addiction for food, is a good point of reflection. We’re pretty sure he regrets not eating enough, and aims to double his intake in the coming years. . . . #reflectiongram #reflectionofme #deepinthought #reflection_shotz #reflectionphotography #reflection_creative_pictures #reflectionshots #reflectionshot #reflectioninwater #solemn #floofy #worldofpug #pugsessed #pugsdaily #dogsofaustralia #celebrateeveryday #melbourne_insta #pugloversclub #pugstyle #pugsofmelbourne #puglicious #melbournedogs #cutedogsofinstagram #dogsofmelbourne #pugsofinstagram #weeklyfluff #dogbeach

A post shared by 365 Days of Olly (@ollydayz) on Jun 21, 2019 at 1:50am PDT

The illusion is created by a man who sits under an umbrella and holds a mirror underneath an iPhone. Sorry to spoil the fantasy, Dorothy.

Marinova said her guide told her that few visitors want to know about the history of Pura Lempuyang Luhur anymore — they just want a photo in front of it.

"That's really disappointing because the Lempuyang Temple is one of Bali's oldest and most highly regarded temples," she said. "So to see so many people waiting hours to take their photo rather than walking around the grounds of the temple says a lot about what we value in 2019."

Tourists line up for hours to take the popular Instagram shot, and are seen practicing in line because they are only allowed five poses at the site.

"There is a long winding line on the side, and hundreds of people are watching you pose at the Gates of Heaven," she said. "There were definitely people who had prepared for this moment. Some did yoga poses, others jumped in the air, and on several occassions, people did a redo because they didn't like how their pictures came out. I mean, it was over the top."

Some are exta photoshopped, taking the fantasy to the next level.

View this post on Instagram

Golden hour at the Gates of Heaven Sharing my experiences through photography has been a passion of mine for a few years now, and it allows me to see the world in a unique way of my own. I have travelled to places I never thought I’d see for myself, and captured moments that I will remember forever. Thankyou to all of you who have supported me thus far, and thankyou to those who inspire me everyday.

A post shared by BRAD FLOWERDEW (@bradflowerss) on Nov 30, 2018 at 4:39pm PST

Marinova said she was heartbroken when she got to the site and realised the lake had been an illusion, one that could be purchased for a donation.

Proof that Instagram influencers have ruined everything👇

My hopes & dreams were shattered when I found out the “water” at the Gates of Heaven is actually just a piece of glass under an iPhone 😭 pic.twitter.com/oiahI5VCIo

— Polina Marinova Pompliano (@polina_marinova) July 4, 2019

I'm sorry Balinese culture couldn't accommodate your Instagram expectations 😭

— Ppusher (@Ppusher3) July 4, 2019