Indonesia - the name of the country uses the Greek word “nesos”, meaning “islands”. It consists of five large islands - Borneo, Sulawesi, New Guinea, Sumatra and Java. But the most famous and popular of the many Indonesian islands is small Bali. But here’s the thing: once here, any tourist begins to think about how else he can visit neighboring Java.

What possibilities exist for this? You can travel from Bali to Java by ferry or plane. By plane, of course, it is convenient and interesting - it flies right over the mouth of an extinct volcano, not far from which you can see the picturesque smoking smoke of its smaller brother... I can imagine what kind of photographs you can take!

Roundtrip

I won’t speak for everyone, my friends, but here’s the thing: if I’m sure of anything, it’s this:

1. the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection,
2. that the sum of numbers remains unchanged, no matter how the terms and positions are changed
3. that the time spent covering the distance from point A to point B, under equal conditions, will be exactly the same as if you go from B to point A.

That was until I decided to look on the Lion Airlines website for how much you can buy tickets from Denpasar Bali to Yogyakarta in Java. What I saw made me think. Take a look too:

My first thought was that old man Einstein was right! Here it is, confirmation of the theory of the great physicist about the distortions of space around the Earth.

But no, this time it didn’t come true. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but what we are seeing has absolutely no connection with the subtle effects of our planet's influence on the surrounding space-time, nor with paranormal phenomena, nor even with simply going crazy. But the whole point is simply that Java and Bali have different times, and Javanese is exactly 1 hour behind Balinese.

Indonesia Ferries

But we didn’t have to choose; the organizer of our trip, Doctor V, planned to move from Bali to Java by Indonesian ferry.

There is a well-developed and intensive ferry service between Indonesia's densely populated islands. The most popular crossings connect Java and Sumatra, Bali and the island of Java.

But between neighboring countries it leaves much to be desired: from Indonesia you cannot get to the Philippines by ferry, and from Malaysia you cannot get directly to Java. But that's not the worst thing. Indonesia buys old, sometimes decommissioned ships, unsuitable for operation, from various countries and uses them as ferries. At the same time, they are often loaded to the maximum and even overloaded.

It is therefore not surprising that ferry boats in Indonesia are prone to accidents and most boating accidents involve multiple fatalities. There are countless messages of this kind: “Ferry crash, 300 people killed,” “Ferry sank, death toll reached 15 people,” “There were 250 people on the sunken ferry,” “Fire on an Indonesian ferry claimed at least 17 lives.”

Of course, not all Indonesian ferries are completely painted, repainted floating ruins. They are very different, there are also ultra-modern ones with air conditioning and touch doors.

Road without end

After snacking on the breakfast offered by the hotel - coffee and an omelet or pasta, we said goodbye to Lake Bratan and went to meet the new island of Indonesia. Once you leave Bali, take a ferry 4.5 kilometers to the island of Java, you will immediately find yourself in a completely different world, with a different way of life, a different culture and religion.

But it’s still a long way to get there: it’s a four-hour journey to the crossing, then a ferry and only then - hello, Java! Om Swastiastu, beautiful island of Bali! We just met you and didn’t know much about you. This takes time. But we want to continue our acquaintance with you. We dream of coming here more than once, to the paradise island, where gods and demons live together with good Balinese people.

Well, on the road! I was frightened by the narrow one-lane mountain serpentine road and the matter was further aggravated by the suicidal driving style of local motorists. In order to minimize the inevitable worries and shocks, I decided to act proactively and sleep them off, which I did with all possible zeal. At this time, Sanya continued to build bridges and establish friendship between the great Russian and Thai peoples.

Tired of the uncomfortable bus seat, he put the laptop on the chair, connected a card reader with photos to it, and sat down on the floor... At first our comrades simply glanced sideways at the photos. Then there were pictures in which the sun glowed like a bright star against the background of the temple. Then they started squealing with delight and filming them with their phones directly from the screen.

Hearing this, the others sitting further away became interested. Soon the whole bus was making a pilgrimage and viewing. Everyone clicked their tongues in approval and patted Sanya on the shoulder, and somehow it so happened that at that moment that piece of ice that stood as a barrier between us and prevented normal communication suddenly melted.

Yes, we are farangs, alas, we are not Thais. Aware of this unfortunate fact, our Thai friends nevertheless decided to admit that we were the kind of farang who could be accepted into decent Thai company. I woke up and fell asleep, and Sanya and the Thais kept talking and talking and laughing.

Watermelons and degrees of friendship

We immediately liked the restaurant where the driver took us. It was very picturesquely located on the shore. But there were no places - it was a holiday! We went further. The second one looked like a simple eatery. But the hungry Thais rushed there as if they had not had poppy dew in their mouths for a day.

And we hesitated - the place caused fears. How is it: the best coffee on the road - take a sip...

Here we are, but I didn’t want to stretch my legs, so Sanya, instead of lunch, bought three watermelons - one for us, and two to treat the horde of Thais. Which further strengthened the friendship and increased the warmth of the relationship. I don’t particularly like watermelons, so I limited myself to one piece, and Sanya ate half of it with a spoon.

Surprisingly, we didn’t see many fruits on the tropical island; in comparison with Thailand, Bali clearly loses. Theoretically, there is an extraordinary variety of them, but to buy them at any time, anywhere... Maybe it was the off-season for them - after all, we were in the summer. Or maybe our nomadic life has become a hindrance. If we were in one place, then we could go to the markets to find an abundance of fruit. But they weren’t full.

Bali Ferries and Selat Bali Narrows

Selat Bali - the Bali Strait - connects the waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. At its narrowest point it is 2.4 km, and its maximum depths do not exceed 60 meters.

Between the western tip of Bali - Gilimanuk Harbor and the eastern point of Java - the port of Ketapang, there are tirelessly plying ferries that burn diesel fuel during the day and at night. The government's long-term plans include building a bridge across the strait that will connect both islands.

And now we are entering the territory of the ferry crossing from Bali to Java. She is huge. We get in line. Having experience of sailing on ferries plying from Trat in Thailand, we understand this for a long time. A bunch of buses, huge trucks, cars, mopeds... Oh, it’s good if we leave by morning. Sanya became depressed and sat down with the driver to find out how long we should wait in line. “Five minutes,” the driver answered. Silent scene...

It turns out that everything is different in Bali. A huge number of ferries sail here. One leaves, and another immediately takes his place.

The driver turned out to be right, within ten minutes we were on a ferry towards Java. The ocean was calm. And against the background of this silence and smooth surface, the elastic jets of the current stood out especially. They crossed our path and curved, sometimes in a semicircle, sometimes turning into spirals. We didn’t take our eyes off it – beautiful and creepy at the same time...

Why do a hundred thousand live in this world?

And then I remembered...

It is believed that the salty basis of ocean waters was laid by the products of paleovolcanic eruptions in the Archean era, because volcanoes are not only rivers of lava, but also gas mixtures of complex compositions. The products of the eruption condensed and poured down as acid rain. There they reacted with rocks that in the future would become the seabed. As a result of the reactions, salty solutions of the primordial ocean were created.

Then, for hundreds of millions of years, rivers along their path washed salts out of rocks and volcanic rocks and carried them into the ocean. But that's not all. There is another constant and reliable supplier of mineral impurities - these are giant faults at the bottom of the world's oceans, through which they come in large quantities from oozing basalt from the very depths of the earth.

However, whether a tiny puddle in the yard or the great world ocean, both are equally subject to the law of the water cycle in nature. Water evaporates, steam rains down onto the ground and falls into rivers, which on their way continue to sharpen stones, dissolve and absorb everything possible and give the resulting pinches of salts to the ocean.

It’s logical to assume that its salinity should increase from year to year? But scientists say that the concentration of salt in the depths of the sea has remained constant and has been approximately 3.5 percent for a good one and a half billion years. Oops …. So where does the excess salt go from the water???

First steps on the island of Java

The crossing takes about an hour, all this time we stood on the upper deck of the ferry, looking at the water. Finally the port appeared. Another ten minutes of waiting until the berth becomes available for us. And so we, having left the Bali ferry, settled into two minivans and are already driving around the island of Java!

Many kilometers of mountain serpentines and the fantastic beauty of the Ijen volcano await us ahead.

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I'm planning a holiday in Indonesia and want to visit several islands. I was thinking about taking a ferry between the different islands. However, many people have told me bad things about ferries in Indonesia, including:

(a) The ferries are packed with too many people, significantly exceeding the limit set for health and safety reasons

(b) Ferries are not seaworthy and may therefore be involved in a tragic accident

(c) Ferries will give you a rough crossing to the point that you will get sick

Basically, I just want to know if the situation is really that bad. For example, are there safety records of Indonesian ferries to give an objective view of the situation?

To be more objective, some pointer questions:

1. Is this true or are people just complaining for no good reason?
2. What things could go wrong if ferry operators put more people than the limit?
3. How often do accidents occur on ferry routes compared to the number of ferry crossings per year? For example, are you significantly more likely to be killed in a boat accident in Indonesia than in a plane crash?
4. What are the other ways to travel between Indonesian islands and the advantages/disadvantages of each? Flying is an obvious one, but is it really practical (to get to typical tourist destinations quickly enough to fit into, say, a 10-day holiday) and do they have similar safety risks to local carriers?

Gerrit

I've heard scary stories about airplanes in Indonesia too. The truth is that in a country with less (enforceable) regulations/lower public transport safety standards, you may have a higher risk of getting into an accident.

Flimzy

I've edited the question in an attempt to focus it (by removing the request for alternatives) and make it more objective (by asking for security records). If you think I've messed up your question, please feel free to revert my changes.

hippietrail

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask about the safety of ferries in a given country. For example, in the Philippines there is a very terrible story, and in South Korea it is extremely controversial. If he is responsible for these countries, then he is responsible for arbitrary countries.

Answers

jpatokal

One by one:

1. Yes, Indonesian ferries are so bad. Overcrowding is common, safety precautions are often lacking, and the high seas are often rough. As a simple example, the Jakarta Globe category "Indonesian Boat Accident" is for 2014, and see the links in this answer to some stories of a typical tourist ferry crossing (Flores-Lombok).
2. Either a) nothing happens, or b) the ferry sinks and you will most likely die.
3. Indonesian planes much safer: no one has died in a plane crash since 2011, and it was a turboprop on a marginal airline (Nusantara). With the exception of the Sukhoi Superjet crash (which was a demonstration flight of the new Russian aircraft at an airshow and not a commercial flight), the last jet failure occurred in 2007.
4. Indonesia is all islands, so you can take a boat or fly. But flying is very practical (much more practical than ferries, IMHO): fares are very cheap, and the major carriers (Garuda, Lion, Air Asia) are quite reliable and safe.

It's worth noting, however, that there are big differences between ferry operators. National operator Pelni has not had a conch since 1981, despite plying all year round throughout Indonesia's backwaters. The large car ferries (Sumatra-Java, Java-Bali, Bali-Lombok) are also quite respectable. These are small, off-the-beaten-path, bad-weather speedboats that will most likely kill you.

Last but not least, if you only have 10 days, how many islands are you planning to visit? Could you easily spending all that time in, say, Bali, and 10 days to even get through Java and Bali, would be quite a rush in my book.

For an island country like Indonesia, water transport is of particular importance. Indonesia has more than 300 passenger ports, 43 of which have international status. Passenger ferries and boats allow more than 14 million passengers to travel annually throughout Indonesia, as well as to neighboring countries - the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.

In addition to sea routes, Indonesia has more than 10,000 km of river passenger routes along the country's 50 rivers. Most of their length is on the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra.

The largest ferry network between all the inhabited islands of Indonesia belongs to the state-owned company PELNI, which operates modern and spacious European-built ships. Another leader in the country's passenger sea transport market is ASDP, which organizes high-speed boat flights between popular destinations around the country.

Indonesian ferries are often overloaded (sometimes up to 2-3 times),
which dramatically increases the chance of an accident during bad sea weather.
Therefore, before you travel on an Indonesian ferry, make sure that the weather will be calm during the journey.

Popular ferry routes in Indonesia

• Java-Sumatra (every hour, from Merak port to Bakauheni port)
• Java-Bali (every 15 minutes, from Ketapang port to Gilimanuk port)
• Bali-Lombok (every hour, from Padang Bai port to Lembar port)

The most important ports of Indonesia on the map

Water transport ticket classes in Indonesia

Depending on the amenities and level of service, ferry seats in Indonesia are sold in several categories:

• I class - cabin with 2 berths, with private bathroom, TV and air conditioning
• II class - cabin with 4 berths, with private bathroom, TV and air conditioning
• III class - cabin for 6 beds, with shared bathroom and air conditioning
• IV class - bed in a dormitory
• Economy class (ekonomi class) - shared cabin with unlimited passenger seats and a minimum of amenities

Travelers looking for an unusual experience will surely enjoy a trip on the traditional Pinisi schooners, on which members of the Bugis ethnic group have been traveling between the islands of Indonesia for many centuries. You can easily hire such an exotic vehicle in the largest port of Jakarta - Sunda Kelapa.

Tickets and prices

Passenger ferry tickets in Indonesia can be purchased at ticket offices at departure ports, carrier offices, post offices (Pos Indonesia) and travel agencies throughout the country. You can purchase ferry tickets in advance - a maximum of 21 days before departure.

The cost of ferry tickets in Indonesia depends on the travel distance and seat class. You can learn more about the cost of ferry tickets in Indonesia on the websites of transport companies and directly at port ticket offices.

After three days spent in the town of Candidasa, I hit the road again, continuing to move to the east of Indonesia, from one island to another for the second month now in the cheapest way - by public transport. Now my path lies to the island.

From Bali to Lombok by ferry

The cheapest option to get to the island is by ferry or public ferry. This is public transport, only by sea. A ticket for an adult costs 40 thousand rupees. (then in 2013 there were 36 thousand). The ferry departs from the east coast of the island from the port of Padang bai Padangbai. According to the schedule, ferries run every day and every hour. Look on this map or on the main page of the site on the interactive Google map of my travels. Watch the short video at the end of this article.

In addition to this route, there are many others departing from other ports of the island, but they are more designed for tourists, so speed boats are more expensive, but also faster. You can also leave on a large ship from the port of Benoit, but only 2 times a month. More on this later.

I already told in a previous article about Candidasa how they wanted to deceive me, but I found out everything in advance and was sure.

How long it takes to travel from Bali to Lombok by public ferry or ferry depends on the weather. Minimum 4 hours, but I got 6 hours - the waves got in the way. Let me show you and tell you how it was.

At first everything was very beautiful and wonderful and I was almost happy that I left Bali, where almost every local wants to profit from you or deceive you.
I was looking at the sea and enjoying it, when suddenly I accidentally saw whales - for the first time in my life. No, they did not water spectacular fountains, as in the pictures, but simply three black whales floated along the waves at once, quite close to the ferry ship. But I photographed dolphins - completely by accident when I was filming a video.

There weren't many people on the ferry; there were only about five tourists, including me. All independent travelers. The inside of the ferry is quite decent and there is a cafe. You can sit and take a nap, but there are so many cockroaches there - it’s a nightmare. The locals don’t pay any attention to them at all and don’t even crush them, so it’s better to sit on the deck.

About two hours later very strong waves began. This is why it is difficult to predict the arrival time. As I was told, there are often waves in this area. At first I didn’t understand what this strange sound was, the grinding and some strange shaking of the ferry from time to time. I was in the salon. It all got in the way a little. It didn’t stop for a long time and I became worried. I went outside and there were waves, of course, we were floating on the ocean after all. I ask a local guy, he seems to be wearing an impressive looking suit)).

“Yes, it’s the ferry that hits the stones,” he answered. I went to the salon again, but this time with an idea of ​​how this heavy colossus, which also transports two loaded trucks, motorcycles and a bunch of other things, hits the bottom of the stones. And the noise, sounds and tremors only intensified.

- “Why is it that the captain really can’t choose the path and doesn’t know the bottom? This can't be! I decided to find out and walk along the ferry. Nothing special except for the strong waves. I observed and found out that all these “passion-faces” are a matter of waves. The wave hits the side and breaks into pieces, at this time the heavy ferry is not carried away by the wave, like small boats, it simply shudders. The sound, like the grinding of metal, is also from the waves. Once again, having concluded that there is no need to listen to anyone, because they themselves do not know, well, they are not that smart and meticulous. I took several photos.
This riot of waves lasted for an hour and a half, so it seemed to me, then everything calmed down and you could watch how beautiful the sun was setting.
Well, the sun has almost set, and we are all floating on the ocean. Again I arrive at night, as I once did in

Visiting Mount Bromo in Indonesia on your own is quite possible if you know the logistics.

I’ll tell you how to get and get to Bromo National Park for free. The post contains technical information with maps and prices.

Travel period - end of January 2018(rain season)

***
I have a list of places I want to visit in my lifetime. The line “Climb the volcanoes of Java in Indonesia” has been on this list for many years.

If you go to volcanoes, then go to the most spectacular ones. It’s decided - we’re going to Bromo National Park! There are several volcanoes standing side by side and chugging fervently (they’re not chugging now, but oh well).

The first photo shows what we should have seen. On the second what we saw ↓

Bromo – Tengger – Semeru National Park

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is the famous volcanoes of Indonesia and the “sea of ​​sands” around. One of the most epic views of the volcanoes of our planet is there, in the east of the island of Java.

There are only five volcanoes in the Tengger caldera: Bromo (2329 m), Batok (2470 m), Kursi (2581 m), Watangan (2661 m) and Vidodaren (2650 m). A little further behind them you can see the highest peak of Java - Semeru (3676 m).

How to see the national park? We arrive in the village of Cemoro Lawang. At 3.00 am we go or drive to the observation deck of Mount Pananjakan and watch the sunrise with a view of several volcanoes. We go down to the temple at the Bromo volcano and climb to the crater.

It is customary to watch the sunrise at the lookout, because in the morning there is a higher chance of seeing all the volcanoes. Then the clouds come.

Entrance to the national park Bromo costs 220,000 rupees ( 17$ ) per person. We didn't pay anything. Below I’ll tell you which route to take so as not to buy entrance tickets.

What's good about Bromo National Park?

You can get there on your own or with a tour from the island of Bali or from any airport in Java and get the most amazing impressions for an inexpensive price.

A walk through the crater of an active volcano is a pleasant way to spend the morning!

How to get to Bromo

Nearest international airports:

in Java: Surabaya ( SUB), 95 km; Yogyakarta ( JOG), 350 km; Jakarta ( CGK), 835 km

on Bali— Denpasar ( DPS), 360 km

Visa. If you flew to Indonesia from another country, then at any of these airports you can get a stamp for 30 days for free (for Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians).

Bromo - Ijen Tours

Standard program for the island of Java: Borobodur and Prambanan temples near Yogyakarta → Bromo volcano → Ijen volcano

At any resort Bali you can buy a Bromo + Ijen tour. You pay 200-300$ (travel, accommodation, tickets to national parks) and you go to Java for 3 days with other Chinese.

IN Yogyakarta group tours are sold for 70$ per person on the route Yogyakarta → Bromo → Ijen → delivery to the ferry to Bali. This tour is a profitable option if time allows you to travel through half of Java by bus or train.

On your own from Surabaya

We traveled independently by public transport from Surabaya airport (closest to the national park).

I was only interested in Bromo, Ijen and the further transfer to Bali. Temples, waterfalls and other treasures of Java were postponed for another time.

Our route:

• Airport Surabaya- bus terminal Purabaya, 25,000 rupees ( 2$ ), 30 minutes

• Purabaya - bus to Probolinggo, 30,000 rupees ( 2.5$ ), 2h 30 min

• Probolinggo - green minibus to Cemoro Lawang(village near Bromo), 70,000 rupees ( 5$ ), 1 hour 30 minutes

The entire journey from the airport to Bromo took 130 km, 125,000 rupees (9.5$ ) per person, 5.5 hours taking into account transfers and waiting for buses.

If you go to Bromo from any other city in Java, you still need to get to Probolinggo and take a minibus from there to the village of Cemoro Lawang. You can get to Probolinggo by bus or train; we buy train tickets at tickets.com in advance

Details ↓

1. Arrival at Surabaya airport. 10 minutes at the airport - we go through passport control, get an Indonesian stamp, change money into rupees.

The course was 1$ = 13,150 rupees(in the city they gave 13,250 rupees for $1).

The airport is decent, people are friendly. Two modest taxi drivers approached. No, thanks, we don't need a taxi. OK. They smiled and showed where the bus was.

2. We leave the airport and immediately see someone standing 100 meters away. Damri bus. 25,000 rupees ($2) per person, in 30-40 minutes we are at the bus terminal Purabaya bus terminal

3. We leave Damri bus and enter the arrival area of ​​the bus station Purabaya. We need a zone Departure.

We go up to the 2nd floor of the station, look for sector 10. From there buses go to the city Probolinggo. If you get lost, you can ask anyone - they will tell you.

We find a bus and pay 30,000 rupees ($2.2) per person, we go to Probolinggo 2h 30 minutes.

4. In Probolinggo they are trying to drop us off near the travel agency. They say that buses to Semoro Lawang go from there. No thanks. We go to the Baya Angga bus terminal in Probolinggo

5. We leave the terminal on foot and go to the bus stop. minibuses to Cemoro Lawang(100-200 meters). On the map above I have marked all the necessary stops.

It’s 15.30, and foreign backpackers have been bored at the green minibus parking lot for an hour. They are waiting for the bus to be full. If the bus is full, you pay 35,000 rupees ( 2.6$ ) per person. There were only eight of us (and there should have been fifteen), we each paid 70,000 rupees ( 5.2$ )

The driver tells funny stories about how scary and dangerous the road to Cemoro Lawang is. Funny, because the road there is excellent. Mountain serpentine, asphalt everywhere without holes.

We are waiting for this green miracle to finally go. The humidity is hellish

6. An hour later the minibus finally left. To Cemoro Lavanga from Probolinggo just 40 km, drive 1h30 min. We sit next to the driver so as not to get carsick when turning. The overview is excellent, the views are pleasant. It's finally cool - we're climbing higher into the mountains.

Hotels in Cemoro Lawang

There are many guest houses in Cemoro Lawang, some of them are on the internet. We stayed at Bromo Otix guesthouse. I booked 2 days before the trip. Rooms with shared toilet from 11$ . For a superior room with its own shower and toilet they paid 225,000 rupees ( 17$ ) per night.

In January, on a weekday, you can easily find accommodation on site for 100-150,000 rupees. A shared toilet, a small blanket and no hot water are normal practices. Our room had a hot shower, a warm blanket and a view of the hills from the terrace.

The village of Cemoro Lawang turned out to be a very pleasant settlement compared to other similar places on the island of Java. The streets are clean, potatoes and cabbage grow in even rows on the mountain slopes.

View from the terrace of our guest house

Where to eat

Dinner and breakfast in a cafe Resto Lava

We ordered Sauteed vegetables and beef with rice. Behind 3$ From the nose the food is simply superb.

There are several trading shops in the village, where we bought cookies and water for the trek.

Route through Bromo National Park

Standard program on a jeep:

• Dawn at the mountain observation deck Pananjakan with a view of 5 volcanoes (there are several viewing points, everything is in maps.me, the best views are from King Kong Hill)

• Descent down to Bromo National Park to the temple

• Hiking to the crater of Bromo volcano

• Return to Cemoro Lawang

My map in maps.me with markers of key points

We met an actress from Amsterdam and a couple of Frenchmen. We thought it was cold and wet to walk. Let's go in a jeep like white people.

A jeep lifts you up at 3.00 am Mount Pananjakan(3 km), waits in the parking lot while you walk (1.2 km) to the lookout, watch the sunrise, return, get into the jeep, drive to the foot of Bromo, climb to the crater, descend and ride in the same jeep to your village for breakfast .

Late in the evening at our Otix guesthouse they offered a jeep for 400,000 rupees, negotiated for 350,000 rupees ( 26$ ) per car. Good price, because there are five of us. Only 70,000 rupees ( 5$ ) per person.

There is only one problem - if you go by jeep, need to pay entrance fee to Bromo National Park for 220,000 rupees ( 17$ ) from everyone.

“Somehow a lot,” said the French. “For that kind of money, the two of you can eat in warungs and drink coconuts for a week.”

This is our first day in Indonesia. So far everything seems cheap after Malaysia. Okay, let's not upset our new friends. Let's all go on foot together!

Our walking route

• Walking on King Kong Hill. We left the guesthouse in 3.00 , were on top in 4.30 . Go 4.2 km.

The climb is easy. First, 3 km along an asphalt road, then a little up the steps, then the most interesting thing is along the mountain path up. At night, walking on wet ground through grass and bushes is an invigorating experience.

• Meeting the dawn at the King Kong Hill observation deck at 5.00-5.30. There were about 20 people around, there was enough room for everyone. There are many more people looking at other people.

People stand on each other's heads, shoot stories and take pictures of the sunrise. And we sing a song about Mango Juice and eat cookies

• At 6.00 they took motorcycle taxi 100,000 rupees each ( 7.5$ ) per person, in 20 minutes we descended to the parking lot of the temple near the volcano. There was no charge to enter Bromo National Park.

Motorcycle taxi is a super attraction. I wholeheartedly recommend it if you are not afraid to fly as a passenger on a motorbike from the mountain and then along the sand.

You can walk from the observation point to the Bromo crater in one and a half to two hours.

• At 6.30 we climbed Bromo, walked around the crater, then walked back to our village through a sea of ​​sand. At 9.00 we were already sitting in the cafe.

Total consumption

Overnight 17$

2 breakfasts, 2 dinners - 12$

Motorcycle taxi for 2 — 15$

Road Surabaya Airport - Semoro Lawang - Probolinggo - 26$

Total $70 per night for two

What do you remember?

Dawn? No. Crater? Yes cool. But the most vivid impressions were from walking up to the lookout in the dark, from riding a motorcycle taxi and from walking back to the village through the “sea of ​​sand”.

It's good that we didn't take a jeep. The case when the path itself turned out to be more interesting than the goal.

What else can you do?

If you arrive in Semoro Lawang during the day, you can climb the Bromo Crater along the local trail for free and walk there alone.

The walk from the village to the crater is only 40 minutes. Everyone runs to see the volcanoes at dawn, and in the evening there is almost no one in the national park.

The free trail leading to Bromo is on the map in maps.me. All observation points are also marked there. If you put the necessary marks in the application in advance, it will be very easy to navigate.

How to dress for a volcano

It's cool on the volcanoes at night. In January it was +12+15. Pants, fleece (bike/jacket), sneakers and a hat are the minimum set of clothing. Trekking boots are not needed, regular sneakers are enough.

Hats and scarves are sold in Cemoro Lawang. A man in a wool blanket stalks tourists throughout the village and offers a headdress for 20,000 rupees ( 1.5$ ). A great souvenir.

You can take a headlamp if you have one. At night it’s a useful thing.

Bromo Height 2,329 m. Height of Panajakan 2770 m. It is unlikely to be hot at any time of the year.

The hat came in handy!

Rainy season in Java

High season to visit Bromo - from April-May to August. More sun, less clouds.

We were in end of January. It only rained for a couple of hours at night. Sunshine in the morning and afternoon. Yes, at dawn it is cloudy and foggy, but the volcanoes are visible.

It may not be the best time for photos, but if you’re just going to enjoy nature, then the clouds don’t really bother you.

You can safely visit Java during the rainy season (December-March). There are fewer people, and the rains in Java are not so bad. On weekends there are a lot of tourists near Bromo at any time of the year. Both Indonesians themselves and guests from other Asian countries come.

It's better not to look at the weather. Google forecast (and so on throughout January and February) ↓

Reality ↓