Mount Bromo is probably the pride of the archipelago country of Indonesia. And that is why we did not hesitate to decide to conquer this beautiful volcano. We quickly booked tickets, searched for information, scribbled a few pages of paper for a 15-day backpacking plan across East Java to Bali, and did not forget to put a big asterisk next to the words “MT BROMO” to spend as much time as possible on this most prominent destination.
In Lawang village
After two long flights with long layovers, we landed at Surabaya airport and began our journey to explore Indonesia. After visiting places such as Bodobudour Temple, Prammaban Temple, Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, etc., we took a bus to Probolinggo town, stayed overnight and early the next morning set off for Cemoro Lawang village.
We chose to go by minibus - small, old, red and green buses. The minibus fare collection rule is funny: wait until there are 15 passengers to go for 35,000 rp/ticket. If you wait too long and there are still not enough passengers, the driver will convince you to go with the fare divided per person to make 500,000 rp/trip. That morning, we waited for quite a while, finished lunch and counted to see that there were 4 people waiting for the bus. So the driver negotiated with us to go with the fare of 500,000 rp/4 people, which means 125,000 rp/ticket.
Cemoro Lawang is a small village located at the foot of Mount Bromo. This is the closest place to explore Bromo. When we reached Lawang, the air became colder even though it was very sunny. In the middle of summer in June, at night we had to wear many shirts, scarves, and socks because the temperature was too cold.
In the afternoon in Lawang village, we walked around the town and then went up to the viewpoint overlooking the entire valley, chose a seat, drank a glass of apple juice, and waited for a few rare moments of sunset at the volcano. The sun set very quickly, only briefly illuminating the valley below before quickly disappearing behind the mountain range. It was only about 4 pm but half of the valley was no longer visible from the sun. The heart of Bromo volcano was constantly puffing up huge plumes of smoke into the sky. Whenever the afternoon sun slanted into the smoke, it glowed a haunting pink.
The sun was gone and I felt colder. A white cloud drifted across, blowing over the small village of Lawang. The clouds crept behind the red and green houses. Hopefully tomorrow morning I would be able to see the most wonderful moments of Bromo volcano.
That evening, we went to dry the milkyway, sitting in the cold of the night with a sky full of twinkling stars. Wonderful things are always there. In the wild and endless vastness of nature, people become small and feel less despair, or petty selfishness of everyday life.
In Java,
There are 38 volcanoes, arranged horizontally from west to east. Bromo is the youngest volcano in this volcanic complex and is the safest place in the area. At only 2,329 m high, Bromo is not the tallest mountain but it is one of the most famous, attracting a large number of tourists when visiting Indonesia. This mountain is located in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The name Bromo comes from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. Bromo's most recent eruption in early 2011 caused many airports in the area to close.
Strange Dawn
The sleep was a little tiring and full of excitement and nervousness. I had just fallen asleep when the alarm clock rang. At 3am, the driver came to my room, knocked on the door, and urged us to get in the car. The jeep took us on an exciting journey. It was dark but we could clearly see the lines of jeeps with flickering lights following each other around the sand desert. It was truly a sand desert with each stretch of road covered in white dust, as hazy as a thick layer of fog. The mountain pass road suddenly became narrow and small with the crowded stream of cars and people jostling each other. When we reached King Kong View, we got off the car and walked a little further to wait for the sunrise at the legendary Bromo.
There were many people there, sitting quietly waiting. Every now and then, they impatiently stood up to look around, taking a few pictures in the early morning. Some were smoking cigarettes, some were playing music, some were huddled up in thin scarves. What is the dawn that so many people are pursuing? What is the moment that so many people are working hard to wait for? We don't know the answer! Simply because it is a beautiful thing that is so rare to admire and feel. In the midst of the volcano breathing smoke, the morning mist embraced the hillside where Lawang village was awakened by the stream of people chasing the dawn. People sat anxiously waiting and looking forward to welcoming the most beautiful, purest and radiant rays of sunlight of a new day.
The sunrise on any mountain is beautiful and touching. Bromo is a different feeling. The volcano's crater puffs out pink smoke when the sun shines on it. I was covered in dust even though I was wearing a mask. That moment was as beautiful as a sacred and touching thing. Everything lit up together. The mountain lit up. The ground lit up. The mist lit up, dissolving into nothingness. The strange girl's golden hair lit up with a mesmerizing color. My companion's eyes also lit up with new emotions as she looked at me. Living in such wonderful sunrises is truly worth living, truly a blessing!
The "sleepy" legend
As soon as dawn woke up the Bromo volcano, we quickly climbed back into the jeep to get closer to the top of the mountain. This stretch of road was wonderful, the sun was up and made the mountain pass down to the sandy desert magical. The sun shone through the trees, hitting the rearview mirror, looking through the car window, we could clearly see the sky and the majestic volcano cluster.
And a vast valley of volcanic sand appeared before us. It felt like the mist was drifting right next to our faces. But it wasn’t mist, it was sand, tiny dust. We had never seen so much dust in our lives! Then the horses galloped together, sending dust flying wherever they went. The sun shone in, adding to the feeling.
To climb to the crater and witness the sulfur-smelling smoke, we had to cross the black sand when the sun was about to rise. The valley was nestled between the mountain ranges. The walking path on the sand was a truly worthwhile experience. Even though we were wearing socks and shoes, our feet were still black, and sand was mixed into every toe. It took about 45 minutes to reach the crater, not too long but very tiring under the sun and dust. We were shivering in the morning, but now it was extremely hot. After climbing another steep flight of stairs, we had completed our goal. We took a deep breath and then quietly admired the wonderful things here!
In front of him was the deep, round, wide crater of Mount Bromo. He must have been still half asleep, only taking a few forced gasps, and then a huge plume of smoke rose up as if to threaten and assert itself. The pungent, sulfurous smell was really unpleasant! But everything - from the deep, steep crater of the volcano to this indescribable smell, and the gray ash and sand all around... - all were imprinted in his mind as an unforgettable memory.
Behind him was a vast valley, the sand and dust grey and rising like a thin mist. The mountain slopes were gentle, cracked and barren. Each slope formed waves, the light shining on them became more distinct, full of personality and mystery.
And the most beautiful point of Bromo for me is probably the mountainside perched on the edge of the cliff. Every step, every person passing by is filled with emotions. When you come here, be bold and try to walk around this majestic crater, occasionally you will hear Bromo puffing or emitting loud explosions.
So there's one more mountain on our mountain making journey.
More information
Trip:There are now direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Indonesia, or you can choose to fly from Hanoi and transit in Singapore or Malaysia.
Skin:Bali has a tropical climate, hot all year round like Ho Chi Minh City, so you only need to bring comfortable, convenient summer clothes. Don't forget to bring long skirts and long pants because all temples and pagodas in Bali strictly prohibit wearing short, revealing clothes. You can buy a sarong - a traditional Indonesian wrap skirt when visiting temples and pagodas. But if you want to explore Mt Bromo at night or early in the morning, you should prepare enough warm clothes, scarves, hats, socks and especially thick masks.
Money:The exchange rate of 1 rupiah (IDR/rp) is approximately 1.7 dong. You should exchange money at the bank to avoid the risks often encountered at private money exchange points and you should exchange money in advance because in the Bromo - Ijen area, there are very few places to exchange money, and if there are, the exchange rate is very low.
Other destinations:You should combine a trip to Bromo and Lake Ijen because these two places are quite close to each other. In addition, this trip also includes the beautiful Tumpak Sewu Waterfall and Madakaripura Waterfall. You can visit all 4 places in order: Tumpak Sewu – Bromo – Madakaripura – Ijen
Estimated costs:Airfare is about 5-8 million VND/round trip, depending on the time of booking. When making this journey, you can buy a tour from local people or go by yourself, but you should research the information carefully. A tour provided by local people costs about 900,000 - 1,200,000 rp and will go to all 4 locations above, including accommodation and car pick-up.
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