Traveling to Mount Bromo Independently

Getting From Probolinggo to Cemoro Lawang (Bromo)

Many get pressured into booking a tour out to the mighty Mount Bromo. Little do they know that it is quite easy to get from the bustling city of Probolinggo to the heart of the ring of fire on Java. Regardless if you are coming from Banyuwangi or any other town in Indonesia, after a long excruciating trip to Probolinggo you are going to be dead tired. Do yourself a favor and save the haggling and bartering after a good night’s sleep.

In order to get from Probolinggo to the base of Mount Bromo at Cemoro Lawang, you will have to take a minibus. Located outside of the bus terminal along the side of the road, you can find the drivers lazily lounging under trees or playing cards with other locals. You can usually secure a minibus to Cemoro Lawang for anywhere between 30,000 -35,000 IDR (2.14-2.50 USD). At the entrance to Cemoro Lawang, all visitors will have to pay a “conservation fee” of 10,000 IDR (0.72 USD).

After intensely bargaining with the driver and bringing the price down, he will then plop himself back down on the mat and continue playing cards with his friends. These minibusses won’t leave until the bus is full, so expect to be standing around kicking dust until each seat is taken. You may be able to catch a ride on the back of a motorbike, however. For 50,000 IDR (3.50 USD) you will be setting off immediately on your 1.5-hour journey to the smoking volcano of Mount Bromo.

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Is Mount Bromo Safe?

While enjoying the sandy beaches and jungle treks of Indonesia, it is easy to forget that you are walking on a ticking timebomb. Despite the stunning beauty of the islands, nearly every corner of this country is in the shadow of some looming volcano waiting to blow. The smoking Mount Bromo is no exception.

In the dead center of the sand sea, you won’t find Mount Bromo standing alone. Within the cauldron-like ring which encircles Bromo, you will find 4 other volcanoes crowding next to it. It is not uncommon that on any given week one of these towering furnaces will spit out black ash and smoke.

Due to how unpredictable these volcanoes can be, it is important to prepare for the unexpected. When the lava begins to churn deep within the earth, you may have to wear gas masks to protect yourself from the poisonous fumes. Climbing to the edge of the volcano has also been known to be prohibited for several weeks when Bromo is particularly restless.

Another popular volcano on Java is the Ijen Crater, read about travel to Kawah Ijen here!

Catching The Mount Bromo Sunrise

When you decide to wake up at 3 am and embark on the 2-hour long trek to get that iconic postcard view of the 5 volcanoes, you are rolling the dice. Walking through pitch-black darkness and avoiding rain-filled potholes, the initial hike to the viewpoint is not all that pleasurable. But wrapped up in warm clothes, with a coffee in hand, you will be full of excitement. Hoping to see the same Mount Bromo that is often hung up on hotel walls and travel centers.

After arriving at the viewpoint, you and several dozen other tourists may be waiting in vain. Rather than seeing a display of oranges and yellows cut through the veil of night, the black will only give way to reveal a grey fog. One by one, patience will wear out. Disappointed travelers will then have to walk with their heads hung low, throwing curses at both the fog and the mountain.

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Mount Bromo: Peeking Through The Clouds

While there is no guarantee, some of the volcanoes may slowly begin to reveal themselves as you are still trying to shake off the disappointment of the sunrise. After being taken down so low, any signs of Mount Bromo peeking through the clouds is sure to be cause for excitement.

As the clouds begin to giveaway, the great sand sea, towering funnels, and massive craters will seem to be beckoning you from within its hollow ring. After stopping every few minutes to see what new views the receding mist will revel, the urge to venture to the base of Bromo will be overwhelming. Before you know it, you will be standing at the edge of the caldera, waiting to take the plunge into the ash and sand.

Thinking about traveling to Bali but worried about how touristy it is? You can read my take on Bali here!

The Great Sand Sea

Over the years, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park has raised the price for foreigners to enter the crater up to astronomical prices. At the moment, the official ticket price to hike to Bromo is set at 220,000 INR (16 USD) on weekdays and 320,000 (23 USD) on weekends. For budget backpackers, this is sure to give you second thoughts on traveling to Bromo altogether. But lucky for you, there is a separate entrance where you can enter the crater free of charge.

There is no official ticket booth for entering Bromo, so don’t feel too bad for taking the back roads into the crater. From Hotel Cemara Indah you will find a small path used for horses which leads straight into the sand sea. Feeling like Frodo taking the secret stairs to cross the plains of Mordor, you will be slowly creeping along the grey dunes approaching the smoking Mount Bromo.

If you are wanting to experience Buddhism in Indonesia you will want to travel to Borobudur Temple!

A Stream of Tourists

If you take a jeep directly to the foot of Mount Bromo you will be taking out the entire adventure element of traveling. From the edge of the ring to the base of the mountain is a mere 45-minute walk, but you can still find people choosing a car or even a horse over simply hoofing it yourself over the desert and dunes.

In the area surrounding the mountains, you will find a fair amount of tacky tourist amusements and souvenir shops. While they don’t necessarily take anything away from the beauty of Bromo, they do break the illusion of walking along the edge of the world. It is fairly common knowledge among backpackers that the horses of Bromo are badly abused. While there is not much one can do as a visitor to the country, you can at least not support the practice.

Planning on crossing the border from Indonesia to Timor Leste? Read on how to do it here!

The Ring of Fire

As a traveler who has a set amount of time to travel through Indonesia, you can’t simply wait around Cemoro Lawang for picture-perfect weather. Although you may not have blue skies and perfect visibility, up close the volcanoes are nothing short of breathtaking. After a short steep hike, you will find yourself staring down into the endless pit of Bromo. There is quite a thrill of seeing the spitting of ash and knowing that one wrong step would send you down to the center of the earth.

Despite being a Muslim majority country, Bromo is closely linked with Hindu culture. Even the name Bromo comes from the Hindu god of creation Brahma. If you are looking to see more of a traditional side of the region be sure to visit the crater during Yadnya Kasada. During this time locals will make offerings to the gods by throwing fruits, rice, and meat into the volcano.

For solo travelers, getting to Mount Bromo is far easier than you would expect. It is quite simple to get from Probolinggo to Cemoro Lawang and onwards to the volcanoes. Even if the weather does not cooperate with you, the unforgiving and desolate landscape of Bromo has its very own sense of beauty. As you approach the summit of Mount Bromo through the sea of ash and sand, you will feel as if you are truly traveling to the edge.