LOTE Update

Indonesia Study Tour: From the Classroom to Cikeas - and Your Chance in 2028! 

What does learning Indonesian look like beyond the classroom? It might mean ordering lunch at a local warung, chatting with an Indonesian host sibling, shopping for ingredients at a traditional market or learning to play gamelan in a Javanese village. For ten Lara Secondary College students, our September study tour offered the opportunity to experience all of this while exploring Indonesia.

Travelling from 11 - 25 September, the group’s itinerary took in Jakarta, Cikeas, Bogor and Yogyakarta - some of Indonesia's largest cultural centres. The tour brought together language learning, cultural experiences, school life and opportunities to develop independence. It also showed why studying Indonesian can open doors to experiences and friendships well beyond Lara.

Living and Learning at Sekolah Alam Cikeas

At the heart of the tour was our visit to our sister school, Sekolah Alam Cikeas. Staying with host families gave students an opportunity to experience everyday Indonesian life in a way that a regular holiday rarely allows. Sharing meals, spending time with host siblings and joining family activities created opportunities to use Indonesian for a real purpose: getting to know people. During the school week, students attended classes alongside their Indonesian peers and took part in a program that included pencak silat, music, dance and outdoor activities. Learning together offered opportunities to compare school routines, discover shared interests and experience a different approach to education.

The sister-school experience is a particularly valuable part of studying Indonesian at Lara Secondary College. Language becomes much more meaningful when it helps you join a conversation, understand a joke or ask someone about their day. Students do not need every sentence to be perfect to make a connection. Having a go, listening carefully and trying again are all part of the experience. Our thanks go to the Sekolah Alam Cikeas community and the host families whose hospitality made this part of the tour possible.

Exploring Jakarta and Bogor

The tour also provided opportunities to explore the places and history students encounter in their Indonesian studies. The Jakarta program included the National Monument, the National Museum and Istiqlal Mosque, while the visit to Bogor included its renowned Botanic Gardens. Experiencing these places firsthand adds depth to classroom learning. Indonesia’s history, cultural diversity and daily life become easier to understand when students can observe, ask questions and make connections for themselves. Even the smaller moments—choosing something from a food stall, hearing Indonesian spoken all around you or recognising familiar words on signs—can turn an ordinary outing into a language lesson.

Discovering Yogyakarta

Following the stay in Cikeas, the group travelled by train to Yogyakarta for the next stage of the tour. Known for its arts, history and cultural traditions, Yogyakarta offered a varied program with plenty of opportunities to participate. Food was one way into the local culture. A traditional market visit involved shopping for ingredients in Indonesian before a cooking class preparing nasi goreng and klepon. Activities like these bring language and practical learning together, with something delicious to work towards! 

The program at Candirejo village included cycling, a gamelan lesson and batik making. These experiences gave students opportunities to try unfamiliar skills and learn about the knowledge and craftsmanship behind Indonesian cultural traditions. A silver workshop in Kotagede provided another chance to create a souvenir with a personal connection to the trip. Visits to Borobudur Temple and Taman Sari added a historical dimension to the journey. Alongside these significant sites, the itinerary included exploring Jalan Malioboro, travelling by becak, sampling local foods and discovering different parts of the city. Together, these experiences offered a much broader picture of Indonesia than any single classroom topic could provide.

More Than a Language Trip

An overseas study tour asks students to step outside familiar routines. Staying with a host family, trying a new food or starting a conversation in another language can feel challenging at first. Each is also an opportunity to build confidence. The value of learning Indonesian becomes clear in these everyday situations. A greeting can start a friendship. A question can help you find your way. A few familiar words can give you the confidence to join in. The tour creates opportunities for students to recognise what they already know and discover what they want to learn next. It is also an opportunity to practise independence, work together and approach differences with curiosity and respect. These skills remain useful long after the bags are unpacked.

Could You Be Part of the 2028 Tour?

For students looking ahead to 2028, now is a great time to think about where Indonesian could take you. Imagine attending school with Indonesian students, getting to know a host family and using the language you have learnt at Lara in everyday conversations. Picture yourself exploring a busy market, trying a traditional craft or sharing a meal with new friends. A study tour gives you the chance to take part in the places and cultures you have been learning about.

The preparation starts in your Indonesian lessons now. Every time you practise speaking, learn a new expression or ask a question about Indonesian life, you are building skills that could help you make the most of a future tour. You do not need to wait until you feel completely confident to start preparing - confidence grows through practice. If the 2026 itinerary has sparked your interest, speak with Pak Walker about the prospect of travelling in 2028. Future arrangements, eligibility, costs and the itinerary will be confirmed as planning progresses, but you can start the conversation with your family and keep building your Indonesian skills today.

A huge terima kasih to our host families, sister-school community, supporting staff and families for helping make the 2026 tour possible.