Introduction
Mount Bromo (known as Gunung Bromo in the local language of Bahasa) is an active volcano. It is part of the Tengger Massif region in East Java, Indonesia, which is one of the most visited tourist attractions in all of East Java and even Java itself. The term “Bromo” is derived from the Javanese pronunciation of ‘Brahma, which is the Hindu creator god.
Mount Bromo lies in the middle of a huge crater called the ‘Sea of Sand’, which is a protected reserve. There are a total of five volcanoes inside the crater including Mount Bromo (2,329m), Mount Batok (2,470 m), Mount Kursi (2,581 m), Mount Watangan (2,661 m), and Mount Widodaren (2,650 m).
It is safe to visit Mount Bromo, but depending on the level of activity, sometimes the Bureau of Meteorology issues warnings about visiting.
How To Reach There
To reach Mount Bromo, you can fly to Juanda international airport in Surabaya. There are direct flights to Surabaya from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Bali. From there, continue your journey to Mt Bromo by booking with a travel agent, or driving the Surabaya-Pasuruan-Wonokitri-Mt Bromo route. The journey will take 2-3 hours. It is best for you to leave Surabaya at 23:00 PM – 24:00 AM in order to arrive in time for sunrise. Or you can stay overnight at one of the hotels at Prigen, Tretes, to make sure that you are on the crater rim before sunrise.
What To Bring
- Sunglasses – to protect your eyes from the sandstorms.
- Scarves – also to protect yourself from the sandstorm.
- Sun Protection – Indonesia is in the tropics, and although Bromo’s climate is cooler, the sun will still be strong. Always wear sunscreen and layer up with extra clothing and a hat to shield yourself.
- Comfortable Shoes – wear either a trainer or hiking shoes. Don’t wear sandals or open-toed shoes as there will be a lot of dust.
- Light jackets and layers – the temperature can be a little chilly if you plan to be in the area before sunrise.
Entrance Fee
Watch Sunrise on Mount Bromo
A typical Mount Bromo tour consists of viewing the sun rise over it, and then going all the way up to the crater which would be an amazing experience. However always remember to keep one word in mind: “crowds.” This might help in understanding what to expect.
The best viewpoint to see the sunrise over Mount Bromo is that of Mount Penanjakan. Jeeps and cars usually drop passengers off as close as possible to the entrance to the park, from where they have to walk all the way to the viewpoint.
But usually the case is although it is still completely dark outside, the area is incredibly crowded already, with cars and jeeps parked on each side of the road, forcing pedestrians to walk in the middle of the street.
Once at the entrance of the park, a footpath leads all the way to a viewpoint, where the crowd cheerfully sits and waits for the sun to rise, selfie stick ready.
A good thing to keep in mind when planning a Bromo tour, then, is that given how popular an attraction this is with the locals, it is probably better to go during the week and to avoid Indonesian national holidays.
If you are not someone what to spend too much time on planning, you could always contact tourmountbromo to get a customized journey to avoid all the troubles by planning it yourself. We also have experienced local tour guides to tell you when is the best time to avoid the crowds.
Walking To The Crater
Having crossed the Sea of Sand, the crater of Mount Bromo is actually within easy reach. It takes about 45 minutes to one hour to walk all the way from the point where the jeeps drop passengers off to the crater.
Once in the parking area, there’s lots of locals offering horse rides all the way to the staircase that leads to the crater. You can choose to walk to the crater or ride on the horses.
The walk to the crater isn’t hard in and of itself, but the fact that the floor is sandy and that most people ride horses to the top, means that there’s a lot of dust flying around. That’s why most people wear masks or a bandana or scarf on their face, to protect their nose and mouth. One of the most important things for a Bromo tour is to be properly equipped, indeed.
Once at the top, the sulfuric gas emanating from the crater impregnates the air, with its typical rotten egg stench. However, it is quite impressive to look down the crater of an active volcano and see smoke coming out of it. This would be one of the most magnificent view you ever seen.
