Explore Bromo Volcano Independently: Ultimate Travel Guide (Part 2)

✍🏻 Bromo and Malang are charming, albeit small, cities where English isn’t widely spoken. To bridge the language gap, it’s wise to download a reliable translation app before your trip.

🏨 We booked our accommodations through Booking and Traveloka. If you search for the village in the second image on Google Maps, you’ll find a variety of hotels. Comparing prices across different platforms, as shown in the third image, can help you snag the best deal.

🚙 Since our trip was spontaneous, we didn’t reach out to the hotel front desk in advance. Typically, you can rent a Jeep at the hotel, which is perfect for capturing those Instagram-worthy shots. The Jeep is mainly for photo ops; you don’t need it to ascend the mountain. On the way down, be prepared for heavy traffic on the winding mountain road, which can take over two hours to navigate.

🌋 Now, let’s dive into the hiking experience.
We began our ascent at 3 AM, feeling fresh and energized without any prior travel fatigue. The night sky was breathtaking, keeping us wide awake and in awe. For gear, bring a bottle of mineral water, a cozy knitted hat from the village, a flashlight for easy navigation, and a tripod and phone for capturing memories. Make sure to secure your phone, as it’s easy to drop while climbing.

From the hotel, there are three distinct sections to reach the first viewpoint:
1. A relatively flat path with few Jeeps, where you might encounter occasional hikers and motorcycles.
2. A dirt road in the mountains, where locals offer horse rides.
3. Stairs leading up to the first viewpoint.

Though none of these sections are particularly long, the steepness of the mountain path can make the climb quite tiring. After reaching the first viewpoint, some more challenging paths await. I recommend hiring a local guide for the motorcycle section for 50,000 Indonesian Rupiah. For the horse riding and stairs, walking is sufficient.

1️⃣ Upon reaching the first viewpoint, you can capture stunning photos of the starry sky. Many people choose to rest here. If you arrive early on the first day, it’s a great spot to explore.

Next, you’ll see people using their hands and feet to climb another short section, about five minutes long. Other paths are passable but not well-maintained and can be a bit dangerous. In less than an hour, you’ll find many people waiting on a platform to watch the sunrise.

2️⃣ You’ll come across a fork in the road: one is a wide, flat path, and the other is a difficult dirt road going up.

I recommend taking the first path and enjoying a hearty breakfast. The second path leads to the second viewpoint, a popular spot for girls in tank tops to take photos. You can head there after the sunrise.

3️⃣ Following the suggestion, after breakfast, ask the local staff about the highest viewpoint. It’s located behind the shops, where a road up the mountain is lined with parked Jeeps. Follow this road to reach the highest viewpoint, offering the best view of the sunrise. Other viewpoints may still have obstructions.

I’ll share the map route a bit later; it’s just that the specific points are a bit hazy in my memory right now.