Vulkan Bromo

After the exhausting cultural day in Yogyakarta, we enjoyed breakfast at the Nextdoor Homestay (our hotel in Yogya) before taking a private taxi across Java. Our destination was the starting point for volcano tours on Mount Bromo, the village of Cemorolawang at an altitude of about 2000m.

We arrived at our accommodation, Cemara Indah, in the late afternoon, with pleasant temperatures. As soon as we got out of the car, we were overwhelmed by the impressive view, as the hotel was located right on the edge of the caldera and offered a glimpse of the active Bromo volcano.

After sunset, we quickly felt the altitude as it cooled down rapidly. We had to wear long pants and jackets (even in Indonesia🙈😅) for dinner.

'Sunrise' tour

The night was short, the rooms were cool at 10-15 degrees Celsius. Nevertheless, we started with high motivation😜 at 2:30 a.m. towards 'KingKongHill' to experience the sunrise with a view of the volcanoes. First on a road, then on a path, and finally on a relatively steep narrow trail, we reached our destination on KingKong Hill after 450 meters of ascent, just before 5 a.m.

Half an hour before sunrise, a spectacular play of colors in the sky began. Then, at about 5:30 a.m., the sun rose and illuminated the volcanic landscape surrounding Bromo. It was an incredibly beautiful sight that made us forget about the hardships of the ascent, the cold, and the wind.

Afterwards, we walked back to the accommodation and enjoyed breakfast with a view of the volcano in the warming sun at around 8 a.m.

Crater tour

After breakfast, our program was not yet over. We walked for about 1 hour through the sand desert of the caldera to the crater of Mount Bromo. There, we had to climb 250 steps to reach the edge of the crater. When we reached the top of the steps, the sight almost took our breath away😅. We never thought we would get so close to an active volcano in our lives. It's incredible how loud and active the Bromo crater is!

We returned to the accommodation through the sand desert by motorcycle taxi! Riding a motorcycle in Indonesia is an experience in itself!🙈😂

In the afternoon, we had to say goodbye to Cemerolawang and continue our journey to Ketapang on the east side of Java by minibus and train.

Conclusion: We definitely recommend the walking tour, as you will hardly encounter day tourists. Many people are chauffeured to one of the sunset points by jeep as early as 2:30 a.m. to secure the best spots. After sunset, the jeep convoy moves to the Bromo crater, and by 9 a.m. almost all day tourists have left. By walking, you take a different route where jeeps are only present in the first part of the journey. Afterwards, you have time for breakfast in Cemorolawang, and when you make your way to the crater, almost all day tourists have already left!👌😁