Foreigners Join HalalBihalal, Impressed by the Kindness of the Locals

Share:

Two foreigners lost their way to a halalbihalal event on the slopes of Mount Merbabu in Magelang Regency, Central Java. The incident surprised and amused local residents. The two foreigners were Youssef Sabatelli (21) from Luxembourg and Amin Azirar (18) from Germany.

They are both students from RWTH Aachen University Germany who intend to take a vacation in Indonesia.

In a viral video uploaded by the Instagram account @borobudurnews, Youssef and Amin were seen sneaking past the halalbihalal attendees. They then sat at the back while talking.

Halalbihalal is an event held after Lebaran. It is usually held in a big place (auditorium, hall, etc.) by a group of people. There are usually many foods to eat and a chance to mingle with other people in the neighborhood. 

How did these two foreigners get lost? Amin said that they intended to have a vacation in Indonesia. After arriving in Jakarta, they chose to come to Yogyakarta.

The two rented a motorbike to travel around. But, when they arrived in Panggungan, they saw many people eating together. 

One of the foreigners, Amin, thought there was a wedding party. He then asked Youssef to pull over and join the residents.

A resident of Panggungan Hamlet, Mukini (36), told Kompas that the residents were very surprised and amused that a foreigner had strayed into their area. Even so, people getting lost in Panggungan is a familiar incident because it is often mistaken for a hiking route to Mount Merbabu.

Amin and Youssef had intended to continue their adventure to East Java to see Mount Bromo and Kawah Ijen. However, the warm welcome by the locals made them want to stay for two more days. 

“I feel that the people here are very close. In Germany, even Europe, everyone is busy with themselves and always seems to want to fight,” said Youssef.

Enjoyed this article? Explore other content from Social Expat for the latest updates on Travel News in Indonesia!

SEO Writer

Imelda is a content writer specializing in viral news and Indonesian culture. Her work revolves around researching and analyzing current events, social media trends, and popular culture.

Related News

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto continued his visit to the UK after attending the G20 Brazil summit. During this visit, President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to hold a number of meetings. “Among them are meetings with King Charles III, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Deputy British Prime Minister Angela Rayner,” said an official release from […]

Fodor’s, an American travel guide publisher, has included Bali on its Fodor’s No List 2025, or Fodors’ List of 15 World Destinations Not Worth Visiting by 2025. Previously, in 2020, Fodors had included the island in the same list. In 2024, Fodors again included Bali as a destination that is not recommended to visit in […]

Nusa Dua, Bali – November, 2024 – Condé Nast Traveller today announced the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards with Grand Hyatt Bali recognized as the #4 Best Resorts in Indonesia. More than 575,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers across the United States submitted responses rating their travel experiences across the globe to offer a comprehensive […]

Chinese investors is injecting funds into the North Bali Airport development project in Kubutambahan District, Buleleng, Bali. This project is targeted to be completed in 2027 for one runway. PT BIBU Panji Sakti and ChangYe Construction Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on November 8, 2024, at the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing. In this […]

Expat Property

Indonesia Visas

Expat Event

Business Networking
150,000
Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Kuningan, East Kuningan, Setiabudi, South Jakarta City, Jakarta
Business Networking
150,000
Fairfield by Marriott Bali Kuta Sunset Road

Indonesia Guide

Just For Fun

Write For Us

Exclusive Promotions

Event Gallery