I'm Sarosa. This is my backyard.

How I became a guide

I grew up between the rice fields and the volcanoes — Malang on one side, the Tengger mountains on the other. My first "tour" was taking two backpackers I met at the bus terminal to Bromo on the back of motorbikes, because they had been quoted a price by an agency that would have paid my family's rent for a month.

That was 8 years ago. Since then I have guided families, couples, solo travellers, photographers, a few honeymoons and one marriage proposal on the crater rim. I got my guide licence, learned to drive the jeep, learned which warung makes the best rawon between Probolinggo and Banyuwangi, and — most importantly — learned that people don't remember the viewpoint. They remember how the morning felt.

How I work

Every tour is private unless you ask otherwise. I plan the route around your onward travel, not the other way round. You get my personal WhatsApp before, during and after the trip. Prices are agreed in writing before you pay anything, park fees are always listed separately, and I would rather tell you honestly that the blue fire may not show than promise it and disappoint you at 03:00.

I work with a small circle of people I trust: a driver who has done the Malang–Banyuwangi road more times than either of us can count, jeep owners in Cemoro Lawang and Tumpang, a family homestay near Ijen, and rangers at Sukamade and Baluran. When you book with me, your money goes to them — not to a booking platform.