Samosir, NINNA.ID-One of my biggest motivations for becoming a tour guide was simple: I wanted to have friends from different parts of the world. At the same time, I wanted to help promote Lake Toba, the place I proudly call home. I am proud to be a guide.
Over the years, I have come to believe that one of the most important parts of traveling is not the scenery, the hotels, or the attractions.
What matters most is how local people treat visitors and whether they feel safe and welcomed. Tourism has a unique power to build understanding and friendship between people from different backgrounds, creating connections that sometimes seem impossible.
As time goes by, I notice more and more solo female travelers visiting Samosir and Lake Toba. I have been fortunate to guide many of them, and each journey has left me with memorable stories.
Sabine from Germany
At the beginning of the year, I received a message from Sabine, who found my contact through Exploring Sumatra.
It had been a long time since I had guided a foreign traveller around Lake Toba. That morning, a light drizzle fell from the sky. The rain seemed uncertain, but our journey continued.
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What made the day memorable was not the road we traveled but the conversations we shared. We talked about work, family, dreams, and life itself. The conversation flowed naturally, like two old friends catching up after years apart.
At first, I was hesitant to ask personal questions, worried that I might be crossing boundaries. But Sabine was open and honest, which made me feel comfortable as well.
She worked as a social worker. Previously, she had worked in the travel industry but later chose to dedicate her life to helping refugees and vulnerable people.
Sabine described herself as an atheist, yet she shared a simple belief that stayed with me.
"Happiness comes when we can give something to others and when we can be useful."
It is a sentence we often hear, but hearing it from someone who had dedicated her life to serving others made it feel real.
Megan from Australia: Why Is Your English So Good?
One question many travelers ask is:
"Why is your English so good?"
Megan from Australia asked me the same thing.
I explained that when I was younger, I dreamed of studying overseas. I worked hard to prepare myself. I took TOEFL tests, collected recommendation letters, and spent years improving my English.
At one point, I was completely focused on making that dream come true.
Then my mother became seriously ill.
Suddenly, my priorities changed.
I realized that while I was chasing my dreams, my family needed me more than ever. Instead of pursuing my studies abroad, I decided to stay close to my parents and care for them.
Sometimes life takes us in unexpected directions.
Although I never studied overseas, the English I learned along the way became one of the greatest gifts in my life. It allows me to communicate with people from around the world and build friendships that I never imagined.
Megan listened carefully and said that every choice in life comes with a different kind of reward.
Her words reminded me that not all dreams are fulfilled in the way we originally imagine.
Our conversation also led me to remember an organization called Kangguru, which introduced many Indonesians to English learning opportunities. Many of its staff members were Australians working together with Indonesians.
The experience inspired one of my ideas for Lake Toba's future creating language training programs where native speakers could help local communities improve their English. Better communication would create more opportunities for local people and strengthen tourism in the region.
Perhaps one day, that idea will become reality.
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Sanjana from India
One of the funniest encounters I had was with Sanjana, a solo traveler from India.
As we traveled around Lake Toba, I told her how popular Bollywood movies were in Indonesia when I was growing up.
In many Batak households, Bollywood films were part of daily life. Twenty-five years ago, songs from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai could be heard almost everywhere. Many members of my family loved Bollywood movies, and naturally I became a fan too.
I told Sanjana that Batak people and Indian people actually share many similarities.
When we are happy, we celebrate.
When there is a wedding, we celebrate.
Even during funerals, families gather together, sing, share stories, and support one another.
We love music, dancing, and spending time with our extended families.
Then I joked, "Sometimes Batak people can spend even more money than Indians on weddings and traditional ceremonies."
She laughed.
Sanjana also told me how warmly local people treated her during her visit.
I laughed again and said, "Of course! Around Lake Toba, almost every Indian woman is automatically called Anjali or Kajol."
For many Indonesians of my generation, those names became unforgettable because of Bollywood movies.
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More Than Tourists
These women came from different countries, spoke different languages, and lived very different lives. Yet each of them left behind valuable lessons.
Sabine reminded me that happiness comes from serving others.
Megan reminded me that life sometimes rewards us in unexpected ways.
Sanjana reminded me how culture, humor, and shared experiences can instantly connect people from opposite sides of the world.
As a guide, I often think that my job is not simply showing people beautiful places. My real job is helping create meaningful connections between visitors and local communities.
Every traveller brings a story.
Every conversation teaches something new.
And every friendship reminds me why I became a guide in the first place.
There is a saying that I deeply believe:
"The greatest people are not those who are served, but those who serve."
Perhaps that is why I still love this work after all these years.
Through guiding, I do not only introduce travelers to Lake Toba.
I also discover the world through them.
Writer/Editor: Damayanti Sinaga
*Samosir Female Guide
