Written in the conversation with Walkwithan
“I actually started all of this by a random story,” Edy began his talk with a smile.
“Alhamdulillah, it turns out being a guide is truly enjoyable.”
At first, Edy was nobody in the tourism world. He was simply an English tutor at a small language course called Wongsomaju. Before that, he had worked as a motorcycle sales agent. But one day, as he passed by the course, fate introduced him to a man who would change his life — the late Mr. Holik.
“He was my teacher and my role model,” Edy recalled. “Back then, my English wasn’t fluent at all — just bits and pieces. But he’s the one who gave me the courage to speak.”
That was where everything began. The course owner, Mr. Nurhadi, offered Edy a chance to teach. In 1996, he officially became an English teacher.
A year later, his path began to shift.
From Teaching to Interior Designer, Then Back to English
After a year at Wongsomaju, Edy worked with his friend’s father, Mr. Sugondo, a technical contractor. He also became a building designer and part of a small architectural consulting team called Doniz.
He spent his mornings at construction sites and his afternoons teaching English at his friend Dori’s house in Kauman.
“My father once told me, ‘Never stop teaching English,’” Edy said.
“Even if you have another job, keep teaching — at least one student.”
That message became his compass in life.
Even though designing buildings brought in more money, Edy found peace only when he was teaching.
“My father wasn’t proud when I became an interior designer,” he smiled. “But when I taught English, he was incredibly proud.”
An Unexpected Encounter with the Tourism World
Tourism came to Edy in the most unexpected way.
He met Samsul — or wellknown as Mas Sam, as he respectfully calls him — a tour operator who would later entrust him with many opportunities.
“Mas Sam is a fair man,” said Edy. “At first, I had to work on a trust-based system — using my own funds upfront. That’s how I learned the true meaning of responsibility and courage.”
He vividly remembers the first time he was asked to pick up guests in Bali.
“I had never been there before! Imagine — leaving at 10 p.m. by bus, not knowing the route at all. But I thought, if I let this opportunity pass, I might never grow,” he said.
That trip became a turning point.
From then on, Edy began guiding more foreign tourists, learning professionalism, and realizing that being a tour guide was his true calling.
Between Ijen’s Fume and Life Lessons
Edy recalled a terrifying experience at Kawah Ijen around 2009, when volcanic activity was high and toxic fume filled the crater.
“I was guiding a French guest and two Germans. We didn’t know – the area was closed. Halfway up, the wind suddenly changed, and the gas came straight at us,” he said, reliving the tense moment.
He struggled to breathe, his eyes burned, and he nearly lost consciousness.
But with calmness and experience, he managed to help his guests take shelter behind rocks.
“If I had run away, maybe I’d have been safe,” he admitted softly. “But I couldn’t. I’m human — I encoutered with two other guys from Germany, – I gave him direcction to hide beneath the rock”
After that incident, Edy was bedridden for two weeks due to gas poisoning. Yet he recovered.
“I drank chlorophyll every day,” he chuckled. “Not an advertisement — but it worked! That’s when I realized, life is full of tests, but also full of help.”
Becoming a Licensed Guide
Edy’s journey continued into professional organization. Starting from 2015, He joined HPI (Himpunan Pramuwisata Indonesia) — the Indonesian Tour Guide Association – where he learned about how to become a qualified tour guide, how to handle tour and hospitality in general.
HPI is an association he choose as it covers broader — covering cultural, historical, and tours,” he explained proudly. “And it’s officially recognized by the Ministry of Tourism.”
Now, Edy is a licensed HPI tour guide.
He still teaches private English lessons — staying true to his father’s advice — while continuing to guide travelers across the natural and cultural wonders of East Java.
“For Me, Guiding Is a Trust”
“Being a tour guide is not just about earning money or traveling,” Edy concluded.
“For me, it’s a trust — from my father, from my guests, and from life itself.
Through language, I found the world. And through tourism, I learned how to make relationship with others”
