HIKING UP THE CRATER RIM OF MOUNT BROMO

Image by Ananta Chandra Priambodo - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Mount Bromo is one of the famous tourist destinations on Java Island. Though it is still an active volcano, a great number of tourists come to spend their vacations every year.

The volcano belongs to Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The National Park, which is 800 square kilometers in size, covers the area of Mount Bromo and Mount Semeru.

The mountain is famous for its sunrise and tourists should go up the peak to have a wonderful view of the surroundings. If you stay in a hotel, the room boy will wake you up at two o’clock in the morning. It’s advisable to prepare everything you need before hiking.

Hikers will notice a streak appears in the east and gradually rises up to form a red fireball. When the sun rises, it gives light to all of us without any discrimination. All the creatures are filled with new energy to start a new life in the morning.

The crater of Mount Bromo has the diameter of around 800 meters. The smell of sulfur is so strong while reaching the crater. There’re 250 stone steps that take you up to admire the beauty of the crater. Tourists can also rent a horse from the locals and it’s joyful to ride like a cowboy.

The temperature is around 3–20 degrees Celsius. Sometimes it might drop below zero degrees Celsius. It’s recommended that hikers should bring sweater, gloves, socks, scarf and head cover. Don’t be panic if you forget these things, there’re vendors selling what you need along the way.

There is a flat land of sand stretches 10 kilometers away and it’s not very far from the staircase that leads the visitors to the crater of Mount Bromo. The locals call it Segara Wedi. Moreover, this place has been the shooting location of a movie named Pasir Berisik (The Whispering Sand).

It’s wonderful to walk or ride a horse on the white sparkling sand. It is advisable to wear sun glasses and mask to protect us from dust. It is as if in the Arabian desert while we’re walking slowly at noon. The weather is extremely hot, grass and trees are rare in that place.

Bukit Teletubbies is the grassland at Mount Bromo. People call it Teletubbies because the environment is similar to the one in Teletubbies movie. It’s a hilly area where beautiful trees and grass grow fertilely. The green color of the savannah is in sharp contrast to the desert. There’re food stalls at which people can buy food and drink.

There’re four routes you can choose if you plan to visit Mount Bromo. The first is via the west entrance (from Pasuruan), where you can go through the Tosari village and reach the small desert. This way, however, is very steep and dangerous and it’s not suitable for sedan or minibus to pass. Tourists should rent a jeep from the tour agency to reach the sand area of Mount Bromo. Besides, you can go on foot if you’ve much time and would like to have a physical exercise.

The second route is to choose the north entrance, the direction before entering Probolinggo. You pass Tongas and go straight to Cemoro Lawang village. You should be patient because the minibus will only leave when it’s full of passengers.

The third is to take the route of Malang-Tumpang-Pronojiwo. The bus passes through the forest and you enter a green world as it is in the prehistoric movie. You’ll sometimes see long tailed monkeys playing on the roadside through the bus window.

The last alternative is to go from Lumajang to Ranu Pane village. You can ride a motorbike for 3 hours. Be sure to set out in the daytime when it isn’t foggy. It is very quiet along the way and it’s hard to find a warung for a coffee break during the journey.