Mt. Bromo, East Java, Indonesia

The smell of sulphur and a huge crater of Mount Bromo

📌 By Jakub Mikula | November 05, 2018

Mount Bromo is an active volcano located in East Java, Indonesia. It is a relatively easy mountain to hike (also very popular: you may expect a lot of tourists) and it offers magnificent views over the volcanic landscape.

• difficulty: easy
• do I need a guide? no
• my accommodation: Hotel Bromo Permai 1 Probolinggo
• visited in: November

One-night Itinerary Summary

If you are planning a one-night visit (like I did), you may follow this itinerary:

• We (5) arrived at Surabaya airport, from which we took a taxi directly to Cemoro Lawang. I remember there was also a bus option (though this might have been only to Probolinggo); however, for five of us, the taxi was simply more convenient. On the way there, we stopped for lunch. We had a lot of fun with the taxi driver, talking and singing the whole way. As we drove up the mountain, the air became cooler, so we turned the aircon off and opened the car windows. As we entered the small village, we had to pay a small entrance fee. TIP: If you don’t like the accommodation options in Cemoro Lawang, or if everything is fully booked, you may also consider staying in Probolinggo and arranging transportation to Mt. Bromo early in the morning from there.

• We spent one night in Cemoro Lawang. It is a small village at an altitude of about 2000m above sea level, which makes the nights relatively cold. We stayed at the hotel ‘Hotel Bromo Permai 1 Probolinggo’, which seemed perfect for one short night.

• We woke up at 2am and walked to the viewpoint (search Parkir R2 Penanjakan I in google maps) to catch the sunrise. There are many smaller viewpoints along the way, with people selling snacks and hot beverages. In the early morning, the path was lit by the many hikers climbing up, their torches glittering as they passed through the trees. We simply followed them. As we approached the viewpoint, we encountered even more tourists, especially when the trail merged with the road where many people took jeeps to get to the top. Some of us stopped at earlier viewpoints, where they secured great spots for taking nice time-lapses and pictures. We were not very lucky with the weather. But even though it was drizzling, the views were still amazing.

• Later, we went down and then back up to Mt. Bromo’s crater, walking across the sea of sand. Finally, we reached the crater. The smell of sulphur was everywhere, and steam was rising up and surrounding the area.

Again, we passed by many stalls with snacks and drinks. On the way back, I rewarded myself with a hot ‘Kimchi’.

With a little free time left, we decided to explore some nearby areas and found an interesting place full of carved faces.

It made me think of Indiana Jones movies.

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