How to Survive Family Vacation

Episode : The Lost European Tourist

Have you ever backpackers holiday in style.? And when you did not get a hotel on vacation, even if it is a standard low budget hotel.? Certainly not to happen like that. A unique experience I have ever faced with such events, but not me in that position. Here's the story, at that time I was a tourist guide of singapore in Bandung West Java, at around 6:30 pm I'm done with my job, and I been to a hotel in central Bandung, patradissa hotel name, right in front of City Hall Bandung, the new about 15 minutes I sat in the hotel lobby, opening the email on my laptop, there are four European tourists who are looking for a hotel room for one night stay in the city of Bandung, just one night, when it was a long weekend in London, as a result many hotels in which already full as well as hotel Patradisa, though small and simple hotel but the book is always full especially on long holiday weekends like this.

Lennart and family in my house

Not how long the crew hotel Patradisa call and ask for help because of lack of understanding English, four tourists were asked if there are two rooms for their stay for one night only, but unfortunately all the rooms are full, no empty rooms until Monday , then I explained to the 4th person was a tourist hotel if the room is full, one of them named Lennart, they are a family of 4 persons, Lennart talk to me "can you help me swatch hotel for one night only in Bandung", then I explain if the long holiday Bandung hard to find an empty hotel rooms, and Lennart gave Bandung hotel address, he got the address from a guide book "LP", then I say "book 'LP' it is good to guide the tourists, will but will not guarantee a hotel room at the end of this week long holiday especially school children ", Lennart still determined to get a hotel room one night in Bandung. Finally, I help them find a hotel, the first destination to the hotel "sawunggalih" near the Bandung Institute of Technology, arrived at the hotel that they do not get a hotel room, trying to telephone here and there with the help of a provision of a tourist guide book "LP", do not get the results also, .. sad .....

It's almost an hour looking for is not also get a hotel, I asked to have their dinner yet.? The answer ..... yet. Pity .. I finally decided to take the initiative themselves, I say this plan to them, "Now you have dinner first, then after dinner you just come stay at my house, rather than your body is rested and you're tired, it's better to rest it on my house, before I apologize for not being able to help you the most, but maybe if you stay with me maybe it can help you four. "And they too confused to hear me say it, Lennart says" do not burden your family, if four of us stay at your house.? ".
I said "I do not mind you staying, I was alone at home you can use my sister's room and my room, I myself can sleep on the couch in front of the TV". Then they say "before we apologize for your inconvenience, but we also need a place to stay for one night only, we have prepared all before we even bring a tent and sleeping bag, but will be open where our tent.? After all is not necessarily able to set up a tent especially in the middle of town like this, it is true that you talk, it's a great tourist guide book but can not guarantee, better contact the hotel and after that first came to the hotel, did not read on and then come, nah this is our fault". I say again "never mind not to think about, consider this as a lesson to you pseudo, for me it is an honor to help tourists in difficulty and if I may know where you are after staying one night in Bandung.?". They say they will continue the next day trip to Bandung south Malabar and plan to stay there 2 nights, then catch a plane to jakarta them to return to the Netherlands.
Actually this is a lesson to all the tourists, if they want to visit an area, whether in Indonesia or any country that wanted to visit.

•   Bring a guide book for tourists, great guide book about the country or place that you want to visit.
•   Look for a contact person who can believe you, be it from the internet or recommendations from your friends.
•   Prepare your survival tools. 
•  Contact or contact the hotel in your destination city
•   Friendly and courteous to the locals so you get help when you are in difficult circumstances.