Have you ever been scrolling through Instagram and seen a photo that instantly caused you to stop scrolling because you just HAD to know where it was taken? Where you just stared at it and wondered where such a place could be found? I’m sure you have. And that’s exactly what happened to me the first time that I saw a picture of Mt. Bromo.
Photo by David Rocaberti
At the time I had no idea where it was or how to get there, but I knew that I needed to see it for myself. When I was invited on Indonesia’s Trip of Wonders 2018, I began researching places to visit in Indonesia and – lo and behold – the Mt. Bromo Tour appeared as one of the “must do” experiences in Indonesia. I instantly decided to extend my stay so that I could witness this spot first hand and booked a tour with Indotravelteam, as they came highly recommended by some friends.
But first, a travel day…
We were picked up in Seminyak by our guide Nick at 5:45am for what would be about a ten-hour journey to a town near Mt. Bromo to start our Bromo Tour. It took about four hours to drive from Bali to Ubud to Gilimanuk, the port in East Bali where ferries leave for Java. Then there was an hour ferry ride and another four-hour drive, with a pitstop for lunch. Of course, you could always fly from Bali to Surabaya and then drive 5 hours for your Bromo Tour, but at the end of the day, it will be an equally long travel day however you look at it. We were exhausted by the time we arrived in the village of Bromo, but we had a nice warm dinner before crawling into bed early… because we had a 3am wake-up call to see the sunrise at Mt. Bromo! The rooms and facilities in the village of Bromo are extremely basic and very cold. Definitely pack layers, and if you’re looking for a more luxurious option for accommodation, reach out to your tour provider prior to booking to see your options.
**Insert sound of a blaring alarm here!**
Miraculously, we got about 7 hours of sleep in preparation for what we knew would be a long day ahead of us. By 3:30am we were all ready to go catch sunrise over Mt. Bromo! We left our belongings in our rooms as we hopped into 4×4 Jeeps to take us to the viewpoint. Our guide decided to take us to an area that didn’t have any tourists so that we could view the sunrise without hoards of crowds. It was difficult to decide where to stand when we couldn't see the actual volcanoes (remember, you’ll be arriving in the dark), but thankfully our guides knew exactly where to be.
The Mt. Bromo Tour Sunrise Point.
As the sun started to break through the clouds, we realized that we were in for something truly special.
Photo by David Rocaberti
Dark reds and oranges filled the sky as we began getting our first glimpse of Mt. Bromo (an active volcano, at 2300m), Mt. Batok (an extinct volcano, at 2400m), and Mt. Semeru (yet another active volcano, at 3670m).
Photo by David Rocaberti
The sunrise was nothing short of magnificent. I could have stayed there all day watching the light shine on these three volcanoes.
Photo by David Rocaberti
Climbing Mt. Bromo.
But onwards we went to the foothills of the Bromo volcano so that we could climb to the top of the volcano.
Photo by David Rocaberti
It’s an easy climb to the edge of the caldera, and we were lucky enough to see the volcano smoking.
Photo by David Rocaberti
While we didn’t have time to circumnavigate the entire caldera, we were able to walk about half of it.
Photo by David Rocaberti
Watch your footing when you walk, as it’s a very narrow path and a steep drop on both sides.
Photo by David Rocaberti
From the caldera itself, you’ll be able to peek inside the volcano as well as take in the sweeping landscapes all around you.
Photo by David Rocaberti
Most people stop here and either transfer back to Bali or Surabaya after their Mt. Bromo Tour, but thankfully the Indotravelteam doesn’t. Our Indonesia Volcano Tour also included… Mt. Ijen! Stay tuned…
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