Most tourists returning from a holiday in Indonesia bring home coffee, spices, or handicrafts. But for one Icelandic traveller, the most precious souvenir wasn’t food or trinkets. It was two pillows, known in Indonesia as guling.
Lara Gudbjorg, an Icelandic woman who recently visited Indonesia, shared her unusual experience on TikTok. Her light-hearted video quickly went viral, showing what she decided to carry back on her flight.
“Okay, I’m at the airport, I look like sh*t, that’s why I have this filter. But I want to tell you what I have in my carry-on. You can guess?” Lara said in her TikTok post. She then revealed the answer with a smile: “Guling.”
@gudbjorglara Yes I sacrificed so so so much space to bring 2 guling to Iceland and you know what? No regrets #indonesiatiktok #guling #buleindo ♬ original sound – LARA FROM ICELAND
Lara explained that the long bolster pillows, beloved in Indonesian households, were not only bulky but also essential for her return trip. “The guling takes up all the space in my carry-on and half of my suitcase,” she admitted.
Despite the inconvenience, Lara was determined. She explained her reasoning in the simplest way possible: “So, I’m bringing two gulings to Iceland. Because you know what? You can’t get a guling anywhere in Iceland.”
Why the Guling Matters
Lara went on to say that she had searched extensively for similar pillows in her home country but with little success.
“I once found one, but it cost US$320, or approximately Rp 5.2 million,” she explained. “No, no, sir. So, I prioritised the available space to bring the guling to Iceland.”
Her funny confession sparked laughter and admiration from viewers online.
Many netizens shared their own experiences of falling in love with Indonesia’s famous sleeping companion.
One Canadian user wrote: “Indonesia’s ‘Guling’ is the best! I’m from Canada, and I love these gulings very much.” Another jokingly commented: “320 for a guling. That’s daylight robbery. Ok, I’m moving to Iceland to open a guling factory.”
Others even offered Lara practical tips. “Honey, you can vacuum the guling,” suggested one follower, hinting at a way to save luggage space.
Interestingly, Lara is not the only foreigner smitten by the guling. Another netizen shared: “Living in Sweden now, brought the guling with me from day one.”
History of Guling in Indonesia
So what is it about this bolster pillow that captivates so many visitors?
In Indonesia, the guling has long been considered a ‘sleeping companion’. Its history goes back centuries.
In Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s book Jejak Langkah (1985), students at the STOVIA medical school once discussed how unusual it was that Europeans did not sleep with a bolster.
During colonial times, the Dutch even gave the guling a nickname, ‘Dutch wife’, because it was often used as a bedmate by men who had arrived without their partners.
Today, it remains a staple in Indonesian households, cherished for comfort and familiarity. And as Lara’s story shows, its appeal goes far beyond Indonesia’s borders.
If you’ve ever travelled in Indonesia, you might already know the answer to this question: can you really sleep without it?
