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A Journey with a German-Indonesian Family More Than Just a Tour in Sumatra

Gambar
    When I first received the information about my guests, Martin, Anke and Lilian, I thought they were Singaporean, because their flight from Singapore. I did not know much about them because I was only assigned as their tour guide for their journey in Sumatra. I received the job from a travel agent in Sumatra, and my responsibility was to take care of their trip during their time here. Their journey was a five-day, four-night trip covering Medan, Bukit Lawang, Berastagi and Samosir Island. The program included jungle trekking in Bukit Lawang, visiting Batak villages, enjoying the scenery around Lake Toba and exploring several places in Samosir. When I finally met them, I noticed that their faces looked a little mixed. I became curious and intentionally asked whether they had Indonesian ancestry. My guess was right. They told me that they have German-Indonesian heritage. I still did not know exactly where their family originally came from. For me, it was not really important ...

Discover Batak Culture and Traditions in Samosir, Lake Toba

Gambar
    NINNA.ID -When Miranda, a solo female traveller from France, came to explore Samosir Island with me, I wanted her to experience more than just the beautiful scenery of Lake Toba. For me, travelling is not only about visiting places, taking pictures, and moving to the next destination. It is also about understanding the people, their history, their traditions, and the stories behind the places we visit. I wanted Miranda to know Batak, not only as the name of an ethnic group, but as a people with a long history, strong family ties, rich traditions, and a culture that is still part of everyday life. Our first day started with a visit to Kampung Ulos Hutaraja. In this traditional Batak village, local women continue to weave ulos, the traditional cloth that holds an important place in Batak culture. Miranda from France visited my great-grandmother's traditional Batak house in Samosir — one of the most meaningful moments of our journey together.[/caption] For the Batak people, t...

Six Friends, One Journey Across North Sumatra

Gambar
       When I received the assignment from Ravelino Tours Travel to take care of six Belgian guests during their journey in North Sumatra, I knew this would not be an ordinary tour. They were three married couples who had been close friends for many years. They decided to travel together in Indonesia, and I was assigned to be their Sumatra Tour Guide during their six-day journey through North Sumatra. From the beginning, I tried not to make our journey only about visiting places and taking pictures. I wanted to create conversations with them. I wanted them to feel that travelling with a local guide was also an opportunity to understand how people live in Sumatra. The six of them had different professional backgrounds. Among the husbands, one worked as a banker , another was an entrepreneur , and another was a police officer . The banker was interested in many things, especially when we talked about the economy and the palm oil industry in Sumatra. The entrepreneur ...