Travelling in Indonesia with a local, English speaking guide:

Indonesia - alone or with a guide?

This can be a difficult question to reply to. I'm not the type of traveller who often choses to use a guide or to go on an organised trip, because I love the freedom of travelling with my rucksack. However, having tried it a few times I have to admit that travelling with a local English speaking guide has some real advantages. And travelling with a guide doesn't have to mean that your journey is organised from A to Z! You need to recognise the numerous advantages!

Travelling in Indonesia can often be challenging, especially if your stay is limited. The languages, religions, culture, or cultures, their customs and habits, politics, economy, etc. are just some of the aspects which can pose questions and even problems in Indonesia. Our guide meant we could easily solve all these differences. He know an enormous amount about local culture and guided us through our new universe. It also means you won't make any embarrassing mistakes, and you'll learn loads of interesting and useful information about this thousand year old culture.

©

Flickr ccTrekking Rinjani

A good reason to learn

Indonesia is full of different destinations, each more interesting than the last. Here I'm just thinking about Hindu Bali, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Borobudur, the orangutans of Sumatra, and the exceptional underwater life on Lombok . There are lots of different attractions for completely different kinds of things. Follow your guide and immerse yourself in Indonesia's enormous riches.

Whether your guide is a master diver, a specialist in ancient cultures, an anthropologist who can tell you about the indigenous people, or a biologist interested in the island's endemic species, the list of things you can learn about in Indonesia is impressive. And although some destinations are easier than others, travelling in Indonesia can cause problems. You know less about the culture, its habits and customs. It can make you feel much safer travelling with a local English speaking guide who will tell you how to behave so that you don't offend anyone. This knowledge is essential if you want to establish an interesting and respectful relationship with the people you are meeting.

So in the end there are numerous reasons, not all of which I have listed here, for travelling in Indonesia with a guide. It really is a good idea to travel for all, or part of the time, with a local English speaking guide.