East Java Tour Company is owned and operated by Brandon Symonds (Australian) and his lovely Indonesian wife Jessica.
The idea for East Java Tour Company was born unwillingly. It arose after 3 months living here. The result of my own experiences, being married to a local Javanese woman and being welcomed into her large family and the local community. I gained a firsthand insight into their lives and culture and was immediately taken by their colourful and unique way of life.
As an Australian, I was fascinated by how different every aspect of life is here, the local people were also fascinated by me, as most had never seen a westerner in person before.
The cultural history is rich and the local inhabitants consist of Javanese, Osing, Madurese, Balinese and Indo-Chinese, all with their own distinct languages, traditions and culture.
They are peaceful, warm, friendly, tolerant, very respectful, curious and love humor. The ancestry of the local people is based in Hinduism and Buddhism and its peaceful, colourful and celebratory culture is still alive in the traditional music, dance, language and cuisine. There are many sacred Hindu sites and temples.
Coupled with an incredible geography of jungles, volcanos, waterfalls and breath-taking coastlines, I realised the potential of a unique cultural tour business and East Java Tour Company was born.
