Offbeat Indonesia: Hiking up the volcano Mount Bromo

Mount Bromo

Indonesia is home to a number of active volcanoes, and quite a few of them has gained popularity over the years. One such destination is Mount Bromo.

A vast stretch of barren land surrounded by hills. Upon it stands two volcanoes. One covered with casuarina trees marking the halt at the eruptions: Mount Batok. Further down, at the center of the stretch is a rocky grey highland breathing out lumps of cloudy smokes, at times spewing ashes: the mighty Mount Bromo.

Tracing back its name origins to the word “Brahma”, the Hindu god of creation. Mount Bromo is a part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. With a height of 2,329 metres, it is the most well-known of the Tengger massif and an active volcano.

Bromo Crater

Getting to Mount Bromo:

Any trek or tour to reach Bromo crater starts from Cemoro Lawang which is a small hamlet north-east of Mount Bromo and where the accommodations are available. To reach Cemoro Lawang, you need to get to Probolinggo; Small buses connect these two places. Probolinggo is connected to the major arrival points via public buses. The nearest airport is Surabaya. Alternate travel options from here include airport taxis to Probolinggo as well, but there you need to haggle for the prices.

Once at Cemoro Lawang, you will find a lot of jeep 4WD drivers calling out for sunrise tour to Penjakan and to mount Bromo / sea of sand. You can hire one of these or alternatively do the trek on your own as well. The hike to the sunrise points takes around 2-3 hours depending on your fitness level.

If you are opting for the hike, you might want to consider taking an accommodation nearest to the trail head.

To reach Bromo crater from where the jeep drops you, you may opt for a soft trek or horse ride to reach the base of the 250 steps those you need to climb to reach the rim of the crater. The entire trek (without horse ride option) takes around 45 mins to 1 hour.

Weather in Cemoro Lawang:

With an altitude of 2217 meters above sea level Cemero Lawang has a pleasantly cool weather during the day and gets colder by the night. The night sky can be quite clear, making it perfect for stargazing.

Attractions near Mount Bromo:

Sunrise from Penjakan: Penjakan hills nearby Mount Bromo offers spectacular sunrise views. A plethora of Jeep 4WD pick up services are available for the sunrise trip; this can be booked on spot/ They pick you up from Cemoro Lawang around 4 am in the morning. Penjakan summit is mostly crowded by tourists, hence a few alternate view points have opened up which offer as spectacular views. One of them is the King Kong Hills.

King Kong hills is named so because of its side view resembling the face of an ape. This hill overlooks the entire volcanic complex of Tengger, with Mount Semeru in the background. The sunrise view is on the other side.

The sunrise from behind the clouds

Three volcanoes - Bromo on the left, Batok to the right and Semeru in the background - View from King Kong Hills

Sea of Sand: Sea of sand is basically the ash deposits accumulated over the plain from the previous eruptions in the volcanic complex of Tengger. At places, the plain is hollow underground. It is a protected natural reserve since 1919. The volcanoes here (there are five in total) are formed inside a larger and more ancient Tengger Caldera and surrounded by the Sea of sand. At the centre of this moonscape sits Mount Bromo. Nearby Mount Bromo is Mount Batok, the only dormant volcano of the complex. It is covered in casuarina trees. The Sea of sand is surrounded by a steep crater wall of the larger Tengger caldera. The panorama here is truly breathtaking.

Sea of Sand with Mt. Batok in the background

Pura Luhur Poten: Just before the mountain base of Bromo, sits a Hindu temple called Pura Luhur Poten. The temple holds a significant importance to the Tenggerese spread across the mountain hamlets. The temple organises the annual Yadnya Kasada ceremony which lasts for about one month. On the 14th day, the Tenggerese assemble at the temple to seek blessings. Then the crowd proceeds along the crater edges of Mt Bromo where offerings are thrown into the crater. This temple uses natural black stones from volcanoes nearby: a pattern that makes it different from the Balinese temples which are mostly made from red bricks. There are several buildings and enclosures inside, aligned in a mandala zone composition.

Hindu Temple near Bromo

Recommended Detour: From Cemoro Lawang, take a bus back to Probolinggo and another bus from there to Bondowoso. From Bondowoso, you can take the morning bus for Sempol, from where you can hire an ojek to drop you off at Paltuding post, which is the base for trek to the Ijen crater.

Happy Panda notes:

• You must carry woollen gloves, socks and ear / head covers as it is quite cold
• You must prepare the cash to pay the entry fees to Bromo on the spot
• Souvenir ideas: Near Bromo, a no. of sellers sell handicrafts made of “forever love” flowers

Ideal Time Commitment: A weekend

Pocket Pinch: $$

Suggested Itinerary: Bromo - Ijen combined itinerary 4D / 3N

The Blue Fire Rings of Ijen

Introduction:

Blue Fire of Ijen

From the Paltuding post of Banyuwangi, starts the journey to chase the mysterious blue fire ring of Ijen. Speaking of mysterious, what could be more so, than trekking 3 Kms uphill with nothing but dark hill scapes all around you, in the wee hours of the night, with temperature going down from 10 degrees (at the base) to 5 degrees (at the top). The smell of sulphur gets stronger with each step towards the top of the mountain. Once finally there, as you struggle to catch a breath, you are greeted by a surreal play of electric blue flames. Now, the hypnotic blue fire draws you towards itself and you go further downhill towards the source and stand in awe as it dazzles your eyes.

The blue flame is ignited sulphuric gas, which arises from cracks at temperatures up to 600 degrees. The flames can be up to 5 metres high. It is the largest blue flame area in the world and local people refer to it as 'Blue Fire'. To go near the bank of the crater, you need to wear the mask due to the sulphur smokes.

The Lake:

Now, if you thought the blue fire is the only attraction of this area, you couldn't be more wrong. As the rising sun breaks the mysteries of the night and the blue flame vanishes with the advent of the light, the dawn unveils the lovely turquoise Crater Lake. This acidic lake is 1 km wide, the largest highly acidic lake in the world. An active vent at the edge of the lake is a source of elemental sulphur. The green of the lake, the yellow deposits contrasted against the grey surface of the bank, the blue of the sky and the smoke continue to paint the mysterious scenery of the caldera.

Ijen crater lake in daylight

Sulphur Mining:

Miners carry an approximate load of 50 kgs of sulphur in baskets per trip all the way up to the rim of the crater and then downhill to Paltuding, where a nearby sugar refinery pay them by the weight of sulphur transported. The workers also sell sulphur handicrafts for a humble price (can be bargained); though the tourists must take a note here that airport security will NOT allow any form of sulphur in the luggage or handbag.

Getting there:

The 3 kms trek to the Ijen volcano starts at Paltuding post, which can be reached from Banyuwangi or Bondowoso, depending on which route you are taking, the latter involving less transport changes.

If you are coming from Bali, you can take the ferry from Gilimanuk to Ketapang. From Ketapang, you can opt for a Bemo to Banyuwangi. From there, Paltuding post is about 1.5 to 2 hours' drive.

If you are coming from Surabaya or Mount Bromo, Bondowoso is more convenient. Buses run from Probolinggo to Bondowoso. From Bondowoso, you can take the morning bus for Sempol, from where you can hire an ojek to drop you off at Paltuding post.

The hike from Paltuding post is quite straight forward and can be done without a guide as well.

Getting around:

For visiting Ijen crater, you need to trek about 3 kms uphill to reach the rim and 1.5 kms downhill further to reach the bank of the crater. This entire trek takes around 1.5 – 2.5 hours depending on your fitness level. Alternately, you may opt to take the helpers to carry you to the top for 1.500.000 IDR. There is no other alternative available for this route

Weather in Paltuding / Ijen:

The temperature at the base of the Ijen trek during the night could be as low as 10 degrees and at the rim of the crater could be even colder upto 5 degrees.

Good to know:

• You must carry woollen gloves, socks and ear / head covers as it is quite cold
• You must carry masks to the Ijen crater due to the sulphur smokes
• You must prepare the cash to pay the entry fees to Ijen crater on the spot
• The Ijen blue flames are visible only until sunrise and the entire trek takes around 1.5 – 2.5 hours depending on your fitness level. Hence, you must plan the starting time accordingly.

Ideal Time Commitment: A weekend

Recommended Detour: Take a bus from Bondowoso to Probolinggo and another from there to Cemoro Lawang, the base for hiking Mount Bromo.


Suggested Itinerary: Bromo - Ijen combined itinerary 4D / 3N