Mount Bromo tour in Indonesia – a photofeature

My earliest memory of seeing a volcano in Indonesia was about 20 years ago. I was in Bali and a guide pointed me to a mountain in the distant horizon billowing smoke in all directions. Little did I know that two decades later, I would actually be climbing up an active volcano to see the crater filled with smoke and sulphur, So let me take you on a virtual Mount Bromo tour in Indonesia

It is not every day that one wakes up at 2 am in the bitter cold, scales a hillock in the darkness to see the sun rise behind a volcano. As we stepped out of our hotel, tightly wrapped in our jackets, a cold breeze got us shivering. Our destination was Mount Bromo, the volcano in East Java named after the Hindu God Brahma.

How to get to Mount Bromo

The Mount Bromo tour started in the dark. A line of jeeps waited for us as we were packed into them as sardines. Soon we stopped and it seemed to be like we were in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by jeeps, bikes and a sea of humanity, we climbed what seemed like a hillock. Huffing and puffing away and interrupted by bikers who were willing to drop us at the summit, I realized we were barely a couple of kilometres although it felt like miles. Our first destination was the view point at Mount Penanjakan to see the sunrise. As we waited with bated breath, all we could see was a carpet of mist. The sun did show up but it was soon engulfed by a thin dreamy white cover.

However the experience did not end there on the Mount Bromo tour. Driving through the Bromo Tengger Sumeru National Park in the wee hours of the morning, we stopped to see a dreamy landscape. The mist was just clearing as the mountain stood bathed in the hues of dawn .

Mount Bromo trekking

The journey took us through the Sea of Sand to the base of the crater. A temple stood in the midst of the sands. Horses kicked up the dust as they took us to the base of the mountain. And then I climbed 200 steps to reach the top of the crater – a huge gaping hole in mother earth as the sulphur filled the landscape. It was surreal and scary. Looking around I just saw sands and the temple in the middle. I sat there for a moment and wondered how this tourist destination could turn any moment into a violent destructive force. So here is a visual Mount Bromo tour

Mount Bromo tour – a photo feature

Mount Bromo , Mount Bromo tour, Mount Bromo trekking

The mountains emerging from the mist

WE may have missed the sunrise but this is the view enroute to the Sea of Sands

Mt Bromo, Mount Bromo tour, Mount Bromo trekking

A close up of the crater- helps to carry a zoom lens

Now we are at the foot of the mountains

Horses take you up the crater, not an optio many prefer

I took a horse up to the foot of the crater where a flight of 200 steps greet me

Vendors make for a pretty picture

The colours are so striking that I keep postponing the climb up and focus instead n the people

I meet this colourful family who pose rather reluctantly

A closer look at the landscape

This is not Mt Bromo but it is omnipresent here

The sea of sands – you feel like you are in a desert

The view from the top

Capturing the viiew

And the view at the top finally

Mount Bromo accomodation

There are several hotels and cottages near Mount Bromo, but we stayed in Jiwa Jawa Bromo, one of the most charming hotels in Mount Bromo, surrounded by mountains. It is recommended to get some woolens if you are heading here.

Five things to do in Indonesia – Travel With Lakshmi

If you are planning a visit then here is my video on Five things to do in Indonesia on my Youtube channel, Travel With Lakshmi. If you like my video, request you to subscribe to my channel.