Mount Bromo

Bromo at a glance

There are so many possibilities once you are away from the obvious well known area at Mount Bromo.

* Mount Bromo edges tinged with Sulphur and always bubbling, is the main sight here and sadly, for some tourists it is the only sight. To reach it on foot, pick the left fork at Cemoro Lawang’s solitary crossing, then head down the ramp into the caldera and then across the caldera to the Hindu temple (Poten) at the foot of the mountain. From the temple a steep path of 250 concrete steps leads to the edge of the crater and a precarious meter-wide ledge from where you can gaze into the steaming crater. Local jeep-hirers will often try to persuade tourists that the journey to the mountain is not within walking distance in order to hire them jeeps or ponies, but the walk from the tourist center to the top of the mountain should take no longer than 90 minutes and is about 3km.

The spots in Bromo

Mount Penanjakan

located just north of the caldera, is a mountaintop viewpoint accessible by paved road from Tosari and hence popular with jeeps and even tour buses. Most of the crowd comes to see the dawn at 5 AM and you will likely have the large concrete observation post to yourself if you arrive later in the day. A steady hike from Bromo to Batok and then around the rim to Penanjakan will take about three hours and the last ascent of about 500 metres is very stiff indeed but truly worthwhile. Ancient Javanese Hindu texts tell of how Bromo-Penanjakan-Semeru (or Mahameru as it was then) was the spiritual axis of the universe and the point of all creation. The view from Penanjakan will explain why – it is truly breathtaking. This is where most of those iconic picture postcard views are taken from. After you have had your fill of the views, a hike back across the sea of sand to Cemoro Lawang will take about two hours.

Viewpoint 2

along the trail from Cemoro Lawang to Mount Penanjakan, is an excellent way to get a stunning view of the caldera without the crowds. To reach it, head west from Cemoro Lawang (past the Cemoro Indah hotel) for 6 km, passing Tenngerese farms and fields.

The paved road eventually turns into a twisty mountain trail that ends with a flight of stairs on the right, and the viewpoint (with concrete shelter) is at the top.

Allow 90 minutes hours for the climb up at a steady pace and bring along a flashlight if attempting this at night. From here, you can continue onto Mount Penanjakan by following the trail upwards, after which the trail merges onto the paved road to the viewpoint (total time about 60 minutes one way).

If planning to return the same way, mark the spot where the trail emerges onto the road (if you pass a stone lantern on the way down you have gone too far!), and note that descending on this section can get slippery due to loose sand and rocks.

As of September 2008, the direct route from Cemoro Lawang up to Penanjakan and Viewpoint #2 is severely damaged because of landslides. The path is still passable, but it can be tricky to spot the dangerous parts in the dark — each visitor should have their own flashlight.

* By far the most common activity in the park is visiting the collapsed but still smouldering Mount Bromo, located in the huge, unearthly moonscape of a caldera known as the Sea of Sand (Pasir Lautan). The much photographed view of steaming Mount Bromo surrounded by the Sea of Sand, its rather serene neighbor Mount Batok and mighty Mount Semeru as the southern backdrop, is one of the great iconic images of Indonesia.

Mount Batok

is a brown volcano at the north centre of the caldera. Unlike the other nearby peaks it is no longer active and actually has some vegetation growing on it, mostly casuarina (cemara) trees that somehow manage to survive even on volcanic ash.

Madakaripura Waterfall

These spectacular falls in the foothills of the park are easily reached by anyone visiting with their own transport. From Sukapura take the north-heading road towards Tongas and after about 6 km close to the village of Sapih the turning to the falls is signposted on your left.

Continue down this small road to reach the car park for the falls. There are often lots of hawkers in the car park waiting to hire or sell you umbrellas to protect from the spray. There are actually seven waterfalls here some of which drop over the access path during the wet season, so an umbrella is not as silly as it sounds.

Legend abounds here: bathing in the chill waters is said to be an elixir of life, the water is regarded as holy by the Tenggerese and is used in their important ceremonies, and the great Majapahit prime minister Gajah Madah is reputed to have meditated here. A very attractive and relaxing spot.

The Poten

This is the Tenggerese Hindu temple that sits looking eerily beautiful in the sea of sand close to Mount Bromo. There is something quite magical about this place and the frugality of its decoration and austere design seems very appropriate for the location. Easily found, you really cannot miss it.

Tengger Village

The wonderfully coloured and immaculately tidy Tenggerese houses. The Tenggerese culture is unique and an effort to understand these fine people, where they have come from and how they live in this sometimes difficult environment, will be rewarded.

Kasodo Ceremony

is held every year at the full moon of the 12th month of the Tenggerese calendar and it is the most demonstrable Tenggerese religious ceremony. The Tenggerese invoke the approval of the gods to ensure a successful harvest, to be spared from any natural calamities and to be cured of disease.

Selected Tenggerese men climb down to precarious ledges on the Bromo crater wall and catch the offerings thrown down by their excited neighbors above.

A scramble ensues for possession of the offerings and whole thing is both exciting and rather terrifying as it is not unknown in all the mayhem for a “catcher” to slip off his ledge and fall.

You can check the date of the next Upacara Kasodo at the East Java Tourism Office in Surabaya

What the price of the entrance tickets cost?

How much does the entrance ticket to Bromo cost?
There are two entrances tickets price for overseas tourist based on days in the weeks and the period

What the price of Riding Horse cost?

The price from jeep parking area to slope of Bromo (one way only) cost IDR 150.000 to IDR 200.000

What the price of Private Jeep Rental?

There are 2 type jeep rental in bromo depanding to duration of the tour

How to get Transport service to Bromo from Surabaya?

We offer the transport service from Surabaya to Bromo Ijen for the pricing list, you could find in transport service page.

Recommended Tours to Bromo

All the tours packages recommended for traveler to visit Bromo

• 
  Amazing Bromo Day Tour from Probolinggo Port
  Bromo day tour from Probolinggo is a shore excursion for cruise ships passengers to enjoy panorama view, climb up 250 steps
• 
  Wonderful Borobudur One Day Tour From Semarang Port
  One day Tour from Semarang port to Majors tourist destination in Central Java, Borobudur temple the largest ancient Buddhist temple in the world
• 
  Amazing Bromo One Day Tour Depart From Surabaya Port
  Bromo tour from Surabaya Port a shore excursion for all cruise ship passengers to visit Bromo to see panorama view, climb up 250 steps to crater’s rim
• 
  Amazing Bromo Sunrise Tumpak Sewu Tour from Surabaya
  Bromo Sunrise Tour from Surabaya to enjoy sunrise, panorama view, then tumpak sewu the miniature of Niagara, go back in late afternoon