Mount Bromo Tourism

June 11, 2011 |

Author nara

Many locals and foreign travelers make the trek for the mystical experience of watching the sunrise from the crest of the Bromo volcano. A pony ride from the village of Ngadisari takes you over a sea of sand to the foot of the volcano. A 50 step climb is needed to reach the rim. On the vast expanse of sand, formerly a caldera, are two volcanoes: the extinct Batok, perfectly cone-shaped, and Bromo.

Volcanic sulfur fumes and smoke still emanate from the depths, and when the God of Bromo begins to rumble, the surrounding local Hindu population hastens to bring offerings. The annual offering ceremony of Kasada is held on the 14th day of Kasada, the 20th mont in the Tenggarese calendar year. It is a colorful event where villagers from the surroundings areaa bring their humble offerings to the hallowed volcano.

Mount Bromo sits in the middle of a vast plain called the “Sea of Sand” (Javanese: Segara Wedi or Indonesian: Lautan Pasir), a protected nature reserve since 1919. The typical way to visit Mount Bromo is from the nearby mountain village of Cemoro Lawang. From there it is possible to walk to the volcano in about 45 minutes, but it is also possible to take an organised jeep tour, which includes a stop at the viewpoint on Mount Penanjakan (2,770 m or 9,088 ft) (Indonesian: Gunung Penanjakan). The best views from Mount Bromo to the Sand Sea below and the surrounding volcanoes are at sunrise. The viewpoint on Mount Penanjakan can also be reached on foot in about two hours. From inside the caldera, sulfur is collected by workers.

Going to Mount Bromo

The nearest airport to Mount Bromo is Surabaya, about 3 hours away by bus. Most visitors to Mount Bromo access it from Cemoro Lawang, at the foot of the mountain. To go there from Surabaya‘s Juanda International Airport, take the Damri shuttle bus to the Bungurasih Bus Terminal. From there, take the Patas air-conditioned bus to Probolinggo. The journey takes about 2-3 hours.

At Probolinggo, it is another one hour to Ngadisari, a town about 6km northeast of Mount Bromo and the base camp for Mount Bromo trips.

Another base camp is Cemoro Lawang, about half an hour from Ngadisari. You can get accommodation at Ngadisari so that you start off a little after midnight for the trip to Mount Bromo.

Be sure to bring along warm clothing, and the temperature can drop to between zero and five degrees Celcius. From there, it is about half an hour to Cemoro Lawang.

The foot of Mount Bromo is a 3-km hike from Cemoro Lawang. You can hire a pony for 50,000 Rupiah or a seat in a jeep for 40,000 Rupiah to take you to Mount Bromo. Private cars are not allowed.