Bromo Volcano

Travel Stories - Indonesia


Bromo-Volcano-Java-Indonesia-Fog-Lava

introduction


It is already a very nice ride with the minibus to the small town Cemoro Lawang, which is actually the nearest town where you can come if you want to visit the Bromo-Tennger-Semeru National Park. I check in at one of the basic hostels there and enjoy the beautiful view from the ledge of the Batok, Bromo and Semuru mountains in the distance. The latter is the highest volcano in Indonesia and also one of the most active.

 

Together with some other travelers we enjoy a meal in the restaurant and I quickly rent a warm sweater somewhere because it gets pretty cold here. I don’t have any warm clothes with me in my backpack. Because there is no heating, we all quickly return to our rooms to get in bed early. We also booked a tour together and have to get up early. 


Sunrise


I jump out of bed when somebody is knocking at my door from my room at 3 o'clock Get up, I hear! I quickly pack up some stuff and meet the Swiss Shepherd (another tourist from yesterday) and another couple from Indonesia. Together we will share a jeep this morning. We hoist ourselves in the jeep and I put on my rented yellow fabric jacket again because it is indeed very cold.

 

It is about a half hour drive when we stop on the mountain Pananjakan. Here is a whole row of jeeps waiting. Suddenly we see a small glittering sphere looming; the sun rises and we have a beautiful panorama over the Bromo volcano with the rising sun behind it. It looks like a lunar landscape that is becoming increasingly visible with the increasingly brighter light. Bromo, which is the first volcanic mouth with its 2392 meters of altitude that we see seems to me rather like a tree stump.

 

It is certainly not the highest volcano here. From the much higher Semeru volcano comes a white little cloud that completes the view. The color palette is enchanting and indescribable. I should not, incidentally, think that some people have come a long way to see this - they have been driving all night from cities all over Java. Our driver points to something in the sand of the valley - that's where we go now he says while we drive off.



In the crater


We have been here for an hour if the driver reminds us to step in again; we drive to Bromo where we stop at a number of buildings covered with reeds. You can take a ride on a horse to the crater mouth or buy a cup of coffee at one of the stalls. Ofcourse prices are much higher than in a local bar.

 

My attention goes to the sales people behind these stalls that look like mummies; fully packed against the cold they are here to praise their merchandise. This must be a Hindu girl from the great "Hindu Tennger" group that lives here. I decide to walk to the edge of the crater myself.

 

It is about 250 steps that you have to take and those automatically warm you up. A whole group of tourists walk half a lap over the edge and try to look into the crater. You can also enjoy the view where you see many vegetables that are grown on the other volcanic walls which ofcourse are very furtile. It is actually only a small hole where steam comes out. The inner walls seem smooth and are black in color. That it can go wrong I realise when after a few months afer my visit here this volcano erupted again; there were two dead (tourists) and two other people were injured. I walk back to the jeep where the rest is waiting for me.

 

We drive back to Cemoro Lawang and I decide to go to sleep for a few more hours.


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tips & advice (2004)


Cemara Lawang does not have a bus station but does have a bus stop. The village can be reached by minivans (bemo's) via Probolingo. Then it is 28 km to Sukapura, 14 km to Ngadisari and finally 3 km to Cemoro Lawang. The whole trip probably takes you about 3.5 hours.

 

Cemara Lawang - Probolingo - Solo: sometimes you are Lucky that vans drive straight to Probolingo. They will then take an hour (for example 14:00 - 15:00). At 17:00 there is a big bus towards Solo. You will arrive at 01:00.


  • Name: Cemara Indah hotel

Address: Cemoro Lawang

Price: 10,000 Rp (single)

Phone nr. : 541019

 

Content:

This hotel is located on the edge of the mountain and has a beautiful view of the volcanoes in the park. The hotel has different rooms in very different classes; There are simple rooms for backpackers but also rooms with private toilets/showers and hot water and very luxurious rooms with TV.

 

Perhaps the best is its location and the restaurant. This also looks out over the valley and the volcanoes beyond.


Bromo-Volcano-Java-Indonesia-Fog-Lava

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