Mount Bromo: Witnessing The Fascinating Sunrise

Overview

Located some 4 hours drive from Surabaya, the capital of East Java, Mount Bromo is a part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park that covers a massive area of 800 square kilometres. While it may be small when measured against other volcanoes in Indonesia, the magnificent Mt Bromo will
not disappoint with its spectacular views and dramatic landscapes. At 2392 meters tall, Mt Bromo is not among the tallest of Indonesia’s mountains but its stunning beauty lies in its incredible setting.

From a vantage point on Mount Penanjakan (2,770 meters above sea level), 2.5 hours from Malang. visitors from around the world come to see the sunrise over Mt Bromo. From this spot the vista is magnificent. All you will hear is the click of cameras as visitors snap their camera’s hoping to capture the incredible scene of Mt Bromo in the foreground with Mt Semeru smoking in the distance and the sun shining brightly, quickly rising in the sky.

The eerie landscape has spurned countless legends and myths. Mt Bromo has particular significance for the Tengger people who believe that this was the site where a brave prince sacrificed his life for his family. The people here appease the Gods once a year during the annual Kasada festival where offerings of vegetables, chickens and money are thrown into the crater of the volcano.

To Do

Watching the sun rise spectacularly over Mt Bromo is the highlight of any trip here.
Visit in the month of Kasada (usually in September-November) and witness the annual Kasada festival where the local Tenggerese come to Bromo to throw offerings of vegetables, chickens and money into the crater of the volcano.

To Stay

There are a number of guesthouses and basic hotels located around Mt Bromo. The Bromo Guest House is located at Ngadisari that lies 3 km from the crater rim. Or you can choose other hotels at Cemoro Lawang because it this situated at the crater rim.

Visitors can also stay at Tretes, Pasuruan or in Malang, the nearest towns to Bromo, and cool mountain resorts, where there are a number of good hotels with spectacular views on Mt. Semeru and Mt.Arjuna.

Get There

To reach Mount Bromo, you can fly to Juanda international airport in Surabaya. There are direct flights to Surabaya from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hongkong, Jakarta and Bali.

Sriwijaya Air flies twice daily from Jakarta to Malang.

From there, continue your journey to Mount Bromo by booking with a travel agent, or driving the Surabaya-Pasuruan-Wonokitri-Mount Bromo route. The journey will take 2 to 3 hours. It is best for you to leave Surabaya at 23:00-24:00 in order to arrive in time for sunrise. Or you can stay overnight at one of the hotels at Prigen, Tretes, .to make sure that you are on the crater rim before sunrise.

Ponies can take you across the sand sea to the bottom of the steep stairs that leads to the crater.

To Eat

If you forget to bring food, the restaurants near Mount Bromo open from 3 am. They generally provide various types of Indonesian traditional dishes such as Ketoprak, fried rice, Rujak Cingur, Bandrek, etc.

Tips

The temperature at Mt Bromo ranges from 3 to 20 degrees Celsius but the temperature may be several degrees below zero during the dry season. If you can’t stand cold weather, you should bring a jacket, gloves and a head cover or cap. After the sun rises, the weather becomes hot pretty fast.

Don't forget to bring a camera or handycam so you can capture the natural beauty.