Currently studying at Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA (but I will still keep the information below the same, as I hope they can be useful for others who want to travel to Indonesia)
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Just call me Mat for short. I am originally from a small town in West Java, Indonesia called Tasikmalaya.
Yet, I have been living in Yogyakarta since 2012, because I had been studying and now am working here.

I do love learning languages and obviously travelling, since it is what I have been studying for.
Since I have finished my Bachelor degree in tourism, I currently still live in Yogyakarta, but focusing on working in Tourism sector.

P.s:
Here are some information that will probably be useful for you to travel/explore Yogyakarta (in case we can't meet each other):
1. For transportation, better you rent a motorcycle (if you can drive it of course). Find it around university/students area, so the price will be cheaper/affordable.
Approximately about Rp. 85.000/24 hours. Dont forget to borrow the helmets!
(If you need any contact information for this one, I can give you some)
*If you're travelling more than one person (or join with others for example), better rent a car. Find the info on internet/find it around students area. The price depends on the type of the car. If you can drive it by yourself, it is good. If dont, you can tell to include it with the driver. The price is around Rp. 600.000/car/12 hours, including the gas and the driver. Excluding the parking, tickets, etc.
2. If you wish to visit Borobudur and Prambanan, better for you to buy COMBINED ticket, especially for international ticket.
The current price (Aug 2018) for each ticket: Rp. 365.000/person/site.
But if you order combined ticket, it will be about Rp. 560.000/person/Borobudur + Prambanan. Valid for 2 days.
For domestics, it is also the same. But the price will be a bit cheaper (since it is already cheap!)
3. If you wish to try local foods, here are some of them: Gudeg and Bakpia. Actually there are still more, but I cant mention them all here, since it's too much.
4. If you wish to buy some souvenirs, make sure you BARGAIN! Especially in the touristic places, like around Borobudur or Prambanan. DO NOT HESITATE TO BARGAIN, EVEN MORE THAN HALF PRICE OF IT.
If you dont wanna bargain, better for you to visit Mirota Batik/Hamzah Batik in Malioboro street. They have fixed price so you dont need to bargain or be afraid of scam either. Furthermore, it also has eye-catching atmosphere inside.
5. Iconic sites to visit: Kraton (Sultan Palace), Taman Sari (Water Castle), Malioboro street, Prambanan, Parangtritis Beach. Another sites which are cheap and good: Ijo Temple, Breccia Cliff, Plaosan Temple.
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For Borobudur, Mendut, Pawon, Chicken Church are situated in Magelang, Central Java, but it is quiet near from Yogyakarta (about 1.5 hrs drive)
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If you love adventurous tourism, we have so many in Yogyakarta too. You can visit Nglanggeran Ancient Volcano (it is so amazing there, especially for the sunset!), Pindul Cave (cave tubing and river tubing; check it on google for more pictures pls), waterfalls, and many beaches are also available in Gunung Kidul area which are soooo good and awesome to enjoy the sunset and foods!! Even most of them feel like your private beach!
6. Since we're still developing country, it's probably quite difficult for you to find a proper public transportation. Especially in the small cities. But don't worry, you may download on your phone "Gojek" or "Grab". Those are online transportations here. Similar like "Uber" (we used to have Uber here, but due to the competition, it didn't stay longer in our country). Make sure you register the local phone number, normally.
7. Last but not least, not only for Yogyakarta area, but all over Indonesia, it is so much better for you to buy the local SIM card here first! Wanna get cheaper? As usual, find it in the city or university's area. There are several brands we have here, but mostly people use (and also have stronger signals are) Telkomsel or XL (this isn't an ads, I dont get paid for this, just sharing 😅). Normally around Rp. 65.000 (around $5) for the card (including internet data, like 8GB. Sometimes even more!). Don't forget to ask the clerk to register the card first, please! 😉
You can use the number for any activities here, including to be registered for the online transportation as I mentioned above!

There are still more information that I cant mention them all here.

Just tell me in advance if you need any help!

Plus, I really don't like scam, so please, just be honest with me. And I will do the same, even much better. 😉

My motto: Be kind to each other even if you dont know them!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I would like to make friends with new people around the world while sharpening my guiding skill and learning languages with friends I will meet

Interests

I am passionate to travel to new places while learning languages. I also love watching movies, reading books, and listening to music as well

• travelling
• watching movies
• learning languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Jason Mraz, Michael Bublé, Sam Smith, Adele, Luis Fonsi

Books: any language book

Movies: Sherlock Holmes, Any superhero movies, X-Men, Pokemon, and I love horror and thriller movies too.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

-- Visiting Chengdu, Sichuan, China and saw pandas.
-- Doing my backpacker trip to Malaysia and Singapore without any details itinerary
-- Visiting Colombia, and staying there for about 3 months

(Okay sorry, those are not "one", but they are amazing experiences!)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you practical English, Indonesian language and cultures, and some Indonesian cuisines.

I would also really love to learn about the languages that you are speaking of and the cultures you know too.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can show you the hidden places in Yogyakarta/Tasikmalaya (or whereever I live in), here with my motorcycle. Haha
I already told you above.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Colombia, Indonesia, United States