Mt Bromo - Sureal and Spectacular!

Walking across the sea of sand at night was an adventure, not too sure if we were heading in the right direction. We were searching with our tourches for the white marker stones, and every now and again we would see one and breathe a sigh of relief that we were still heading in the right direction.

When we started the final ascent to the crater the wind shifted direction, and we got a whiff of sulphur - it is suffocating and gets into your lungs making it hard to breathe. This really lets you know you are close to an active volcano!

We arrived at the top when it was still night time, the sun had not even started to rise and we were the only ones there.

Slowly the light started to appear on the horizon and then we saw car lights coming down the road on the other side and across the sea of sand, bringing the hoards of tourists, but we were still the only ones up on the crater.

The sun slowly rose and nature in full glory was starting to paint the canvas. The yellow/ gold/ reds of the sun's rays coming above the mountains in the distance revealed the arai that was starting to sweep in and fill the valley below. And still the lights from the 4WDs were coming.

The sky turned blue and out of the mists below we could make out people coming, on horses to the bottom of the stairs! By the time they reached the bottom the sun had risen and everything else was covered in arai - yes, they had missed it! When they finally got to the top, most were only there for a few minutes then back down they went. As for us, we saw the lot!

Quick Tips:

Walk to Mt Bromo and back!

Make sure you leave early enough to catch the very start of sunrise.

Best Way To Get Around:

To fully experience Mt Bromo in all the glory that nature can provide, walk from the village, across the sea of sand and up to the crater of the volcano. You can see the places you pass in the moonlight and, during the return trip, in the daytime.

Each landscape looks so different - it's as if you have been to different places on your way there and on your way back.

If you ever go to Java, in Indonesia, no matter what you do, try not to miss out seeing Mt. Bromo.

Mt. Bromo is an active volcano and is very accessible by both walking and transport.

From the village of Mt. Bromo, if you choose not to walk the 3km across the sea of sand, which is in a large crater, you can arrange a 4WD to take you across and to the bottom of the Mt. Bromo crater. From there, you can hire a horse to take you up until the final 245 steps, which you will have to do under your own steam.

If you can, arrange to do the crossing at night so you can watch the most spectacular sunrise, and witness the mists roll in as the sun rises.

However, be aware that the smell of sulphur can be suffocating, so taking a good towel to cover your nose and mouth for when the wind blows the sulphur in your direction!