Why the Locals were the Best Part of my Trip

‘Why nothing ever dries when humidity is over 80% in a given environment and what to do about it’

‘I fought my fear of lionfish and won.’

‘Playlists to listen to fall asleep in any given environment however new and terrifying it may be’

These are examples of the many blog post titles I could’ve used when thinking about my trip to Indonesia with Opwall this summer. But the thing I’m going to instead choose to write about is:

Why the locals involved with Opwall here in Indonesia were the best part of my trip and how they made it so much more special.

Photo by Glenn Shiach

As a first time traveller, I know for a fact if I had decided to go travelling alone, not on an Opwall expedition and instead of my own accord as a naive Brit backpacking around a continent she knows nothing about, I’d almost certainly have ended up at party hostels experiencing as much culture as if you went into a Greggs on a Thursday afternoon in the UK. I would’ve been drinking with other Brits in said hostels, aimlessly stumbling through a country of which I know nothing about and learning nothing new about the country the entire time I’m there and instead seeking comfort and familiarity in the usual backpacking experience. Instead, with Opwall, I got the incredible opportunity to be taken to places within Indonesia that I never would’ve even thought to have gone to before, and most importantly, places so remote and rural where I was privileged enough to get to know and be educated by the local guides at Camp Anoa in Buton, and hosted by a family of locals on Hoga Island.

Photo by Roger Poland

From these people I learnt so much about the local culture in rich and intricate ways, their customs and rituals and their card games and their incredible foods and snacks. Their intelligence and skill in the jungle environment is unmatched and was incredible to witness, and I can only hope to ever possess even the slightest bit of that skill. However I never will in the same way as these guys who grew up in these environments and know them like the backs of their hands; their knowledge of Buton, the rainforest and the different species was amazing and I learnt so much from them. They were hilarious and fun and we would all play volleyball and football together, they would make us walking sticks for when we were too unfit for the hikes in the forest. On Hoga the locals were the friendliest people ever, always waving and smiling whenever any of us walked past and as much as the language barrier would allow would always make conversation and were unendingly kind, and to have the chance to get to know them and be welcomed by them was something I’ll cherish. I’ve also made a friend for life in Feldi who works behind the bar in Hoga and is genuinely one of the coolest guys ever – in our first conversation I found out he was trying to get a place at my uni in the UK and we bonded over this as well as making fun of the British accent.

Photo by Laura Christian

I think coming from such a lonely and unfriendly country as England to get to witness the happiness and kindness of the Indonesian people I met was so refreshing and wonderful and without Opwall facilitating these ties and connections, I would never have interacted with the locals in the same way as if I’d just gone travelling by myself.

For that, I am so grateful, and I loved this trip.

Title photo by Tammy Schuh