The Scout Services

I rather to call myself a travelscout, not just an ordinary tour guide. Well experienced in traveling on my own and have scaled Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Lombok. I will assist you with all my knowledge and experience, and will follow your itinerary travel plan, so the trip is remain absolutely yours. Of course I will provide you with a few of option and as much as information I could provide. I am your tour secretary and guard, whom will work for your tour convenience and safety. I am living in Yogyakarta, the place that -thank God- demographically placed in the middle of Indonesia, the perfect place to setup your next travel trip is here. Because from here, you can go anywhere in Indonesia easily to any destination with wide option of transportation, yet to mention the lower cost of living, while enjoying the city and/or other culture tour. Basically, I have 3 option of traveling and/or trekking tour services: light, middle, and heavy. A light tour will take minimum 24 hours –or less, and will not exceed than 100 km in distance from Yogyakarta. The middle one will spend approximately a week and has possibility to cross to other island in Indonesia. And the heavy tour could take two weeks until 1 month. Imagine this, I was once traveling and trekking to catch 7 summits of Kerinci, Gunung Tujuh, Singgalang, Marapi, Sibayak, Deleng Singkut, and Sinabung in Sumatra for 1 month, yet to mention other destination like Toba Lake for paragliding, rafting in Bukit Lawang, surfer paradise Nias, or Lau Kawar Lake in South-east Aceh. The middle trip is like spend a week in Rinjani mountain or snorkeling in Gilitrawangan in Lombok, or enjoying Ranukumbolo lake in Semeru mountain, East Java. But still, the option is yours.

I will guide, assist and lead you to the original Indonesia traveling experience, and ofcourse, be your native travel mate.

Why Yogyakarta

YOGYAKARTA a.k.a.Yogya or Jogja is located in southern middle of Java Island, Indonesia.Yogyakarta was the center of ancient Mataram Kingdom which was prosperous and high civilized, that was a thousand years ago when Borobudur Temple was built, which was the biggest Buddhist temple in the world, 300 years before Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Other relics are Prambanan Temple, Ratu Boko Palace, and dozens of other temples scattered all over Yogyakarta. However, by some mysterious reason, Ancient Mataram Kingdom moved its central government to East Java in the 10th century. These magnificent temples were abandoned and partially buried by the eruption material of Merapi Volcano. Slowly, Yogyakarta region went back into the dense forest. It was Panembahan Senopati who established the Islamic Mataram Kingdom in the region six hundred years later. Once again, Yogyakarta became the witness of human history of a great Kingdom that ruled Java Island and its surrounding area. Islamic Mataram Kingdom was leaving a trail of ruins of fortress and royal tombs in Kotagede which recently is known as silver handicraft center in Yogyakarta, and where I live and stay with my happy family. But, Giyanti agreement in 1755 has divided the Islamic Mataram Kingdom into Kasunanan Surakarta in Solo and Yogyakarta Sultanate in Yogyakarta. 

Kraton (the palace) is still exists until today and is functioned as the residence of sultan and his family as well as hundreds of abdi dalem (the servant of the palace) who faithfully serve the palace voluntarily and run the tradition in the midst of changing times. At the palace, there are many cultural performances such as wayang kulit (puppet shadow play), gamelan (Javanese orchestra), and Javanese dance etc.Yogyakarta at present is a place where tradition and modern dynamics are going on together continuously in harmony. In this city, there is a palace which has hundreds of loyal servants to run the tradition, but there is also University of Gadjah Mada that is one of the leading universities in South East Asia. Some of its residents live in a strong agrarian culture. In the other side, there are also students who live with pop life-style. Traditional markets and handicraft centers are numerous in the city where some of them located by the malls which are no less hectic.

At the north end of Yogyakarta, you will see Mount Merapi stands proudly almost as high as 10,000 feet. This mountain is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. The trace of its malignant of the 2006 eruption can be witnessed in the Village of Kaliadem, 30 km from the city of Yogyakarta. Mooi Indie style scenery of green rice field with Mount Merapi in the background can still be seen in the suburb area of Yogyakarta. 

In the southern part of Yogyakarta, you will find many beaches where heading the great ocean Samudra Indonesia. The most famous beach is Parangtritis, but Yogyakarta has also many natural beautiful beaches in Gunung Kidul. You can see the Sadeng Beach which is an ancient estuary of Bengawan Solo River before the powerful forces lifted the surface of the southern part of Java Island so that the flow of the river turned to the north like today. You can also visit Siung Beach which has 250 channels of rock climbing, Sundak Beach and many more. Yogyakarta has Prambanan Temple with 47 meters tall and was made by hand about 1100 the previous years. Has traditional agrarian society, and own natural beaches and Mount Merapi, which has a story of how powerful the force of nature is. A unique combination of ancient temples, history, traditions, culture and natural forces make Yogyakarta a very worthwhile place to visit. I will gladly help you to plan a visit to Yogyakarta and enjoy the best charm of this place. I'll provide rich information about things to see and do, hotels, dining, car rentals and all the information you need to travel to Yogyakarta.

Yogyakarta is welcome you…

A Night on Volcano

This trip will approximately take 24 hours in total. All gears will be provided. We will meet at the hotel or other agreed venue. We could later share stories -or not- along 2 hours road trip on a Land Rover to the village where located nearest Merapi trekking route, where we’ll parked our vehicle here, before continue our trip by foot. This trip package is prepared for a group of 3 people. The trip package will be rearrange if there any changes of package upon request.

It will approximately take 5 hours of hiking through the Merapi woods until we found a small cave on Pos 2. Here we will take a long rest and maybe a sleep, or spend the night beside a fire while watching the stars. We certainly hope that the weather is on ourside, cause the view of the lights of Boyolali and Solo is such a waste to be ignored. From this point too, the next standing mountain Merbabu is look like a giant stone in black silhouette. The best view is when the sky is clear, and in full moon season.

To get the sunrise, we have to climb up to top on 03.00 a.m. In 2 hours we'll catch the summit, which is now completely different after it last eruption in 2010. From above, we'll see the volcano line of Merbabu, Sindoro, Sumbing, and Ungaran, and the warm tropical sunrise.

Mount Merapi is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. It is located approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of Yogyakarta city, and thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano, with villages as high as 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) above sea level. Merapi is the youngest in a group of volcanoes in southern Java. It is situated at a subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian Plate is sliding beneath the Eurasian Plate. It is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, part of the volcano is located in the Southeastern part of the Pacific Ring of Fire–a section of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and South East Asia. Stratigraphic analysis reveals that eruptions in the Merapi area began about 400,000 years ago, and from then until about 10,000 years ago, eruptions were typically effusive, and the out flowing lava emitted was basaltic. Since then, eruptions have become more explosive, with viscous andesitic lavas often generating lava domes. Dome collapse has often generated pyroclastic flows, and larger explosions, which have resulted in eruption columns, have also generated pyroclastic flows through column collapse.

Typically, small eruptions occur every two to three years, and larger ones every 10–15 years or so. Notable eruptions, often causing many deaths, have occurred in 1006, 1786, 1822, 1872, and 1930—when thirteen villages were destroyed and 1400 people killed by pyroclastic flows.

A very large eruption in 1006 is claimed to have covered all of central Java with ash. The volcanic devastation is claimed to have led to the collapse of the Hindu Kingdom of Mataram; however, there is insufficient evidence from that era for this to be substantiated.

The Idea

Travelscout is aim to share the experience in exploring Indonesia with you. Experienced from head to toe of Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Lombok. Have enjoyed and memorized the roads, the fields, the sky, the waves, the cultures, the foods, the languages, the arts, the smell of their woods, their volcano altitude, the smell of their buses, and the heat of tropical midday sun.

Travelscout is offering assistance for you during your traveling time in Indonesia. Such as private guide, help you choose the perfect destination, what better thing should do in the city tour, what kind of transportation we should use, and other related traveler consideration in destination which sometimes confusing and time wasting; specially for solo traveler. Travel scout is act like your private secretary, whom will arrange things for your traveling convenience; too little time so much to visit, isn’t it?

Experienced traveling since 1993 in Indonesia, has made Travel scout is uniquely different. Has scaled Sumatra culture and destination such as Nias, Lake Toba, Bukit Lawang, Mount Kerinci, Mount Gunung Tujuh –with a lake on its top, Mount Singgalang, and the cities. Walk in villages and cities of treasure and heritage in Java island; well connected with outdoor activity community in Yogyakarta; spent some quality time in Legian and enjoying Bali culture; and find paradise in Lombok sea. And has excellent educational background, expatriation in manufacture business background, and multinational telecommunication career background; is an additional values.

Traveling with local wide of knowledge partner could kill your lonely hours in the strange land. With enthusiast in world history, earth global issues, world culture, music, or maybe a spiritual topics; or just a chat with common topics.

The rate? Well, I won’t discuss it here now. Hit me by email or call. I’m ensure you that it will fit your travel budget, even for a poor backpacker, haha.

I’m telling you, this is not a regular private tour guide!