Mount Bromo: A Breathtaking Adventure

Last Updated on 04.04.2021 by Iliyan

Mount Bromo and the surrounding area is undoubtedly one of the most popular and well known tourist attractions of East Java Island. Also, it is one of the most fascinating volcanoes in the world. If you’re looking for beautiful landscapes, this is a place you definitely should visit.

Contents

1 Mount Bromo Facts

Mount Bromo Facts

Mount Bromo is known as one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indonesia. The active volcano Bromo (2329 m.) is the most recognizable one thanks to the white sulphuric smoke, constantly coming out of the crater. It is a part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. It is situated in the massive caldera Tengger, surrounded by the dusty sea with delicate volcanic sand.

Semeru is the tallest volcano (3676 m.) on the Java Island. It is seen impressively in the back. Mount Batok (2470 m.) is included in the picturesque scenery of the area. This is the only peak which is no longer active and it is covered with green vegetation.

Mount Bromo Tour

I had set the alarm for 2.45 a.m., but I didn’t need it because the rooster in the neighboring house had decided to wake everyone at the right time to go. Exactly at 3 a.m. inside the lobby of the hotel, Erwin met me with a cup of hot tea and introduced me to another driver at a Jeep 4×4. Erwin was not about to travel with us but he was up to wish me a smooth ride on the way to Mount Bromo. It’s very nice of him!

Sunrise

The best part of the tour is seeing the sunrise over Mount Bromo from Mount Penanjakan. We drove off to Mount Penanjakan where I wanted to meet the sunrise. The most beautiful view to the volcanoes is exactly from this mountain. The streets looked like a place for a contest for 4×4 jeeps – hundreds of black, red, blue ones were driving tourists from all around the world. Aside from that, for the picture to be complete, motors were circulating up and down, finding their way through the cars. After about 30-40 minutes, the driver parked the car and I continued walking by foot from there. Like a ballerina, I was performing pirouettes and weird moves to avoid all the cars and motors that were whizzing around me. There was a lack of organization and everyone stopped wherever they find suitable, forming a complete chaos.

On the way to the top, of course, it wasn’t short of merchants too, who mainly sold souvenirs, jackets and hats for people like me, who wouldn’t believe that it can be so cold in the morning. And the temperature falls to zero during the dry season and it rarely reaches more than 5°C during the humid one. Reaching the site for sightseeing, there were so many tourists that I barely managed to find a good combat position. Stoically, I endured the cold, waiting for the sunrise but the view was definitely worth it.

Mount Bromo Hike

After that, we drove off to the volcano. The driver left me in the foothill and I had to climb up to the top. The path to the top of Mount Bromo takes about 25-30 minutes. The sight in front of my eyes represented a post-apocalyptic place. An endless desert, black sand, volcanic ash and beautiful earth formations. Around me, there were people and horses racing that looked like a caravan from the Wild West.

The Bromo volcano and the Tengger caldera

There was no air. I only felt the dust that was mercilessly entering inside me. Luckily, here there was no lack of merchants who were selling masks for 5,000 IDR (€ 0.31). I bought one and I continued ahead. I climbed the 250 stairs and I found myself on the top of the volcano.

The path in the upper part of the volcano is barely 1m wide and one should be careful when passing by other tourists. Once you reach the top you can clearly see inside the crater. From the crater, vapors were coming out and strong roaring. The view was breathtaking. Wherever you would look to, you’d see unearthly beauty. No one is capable of describing what Mother Nature has created. I walked on top of the peak, I took a couple of pictures and I stopped to enjoy the majestic and grandiose view.

The crater

Coming down was considerably easier since the people had begun going away. In 8:30 a.m, I was already next to the jeep. We took a picture to save the memory with the driver, with Mount Batok standing in the background, and feeling emotionally recharged, we went back to the hotel. There was plenty of time for breakfast and a shower because we were about to embark on the next long trip to the next hotel, nearby the Ijen Volcano.