It’s a four-hour drive from Malang to Mount Bromo including a change of buses in Probolinggo…View image. This smaller bus could negotiate the uphill twists and turns for the last 20 kms/9.3 miles. The ancient bus slowly ground its way up the narrow road, through small communities…View image, past the very fertile fields of corn, coffee, tomatoes…View image, cabbages…View image, into the mist with some sheer drop-offs, and finally above the clouds. Would you that last 20 kms/9.3 miles took over an hour? Believe it…

Mount Bromo is an active volcano and a very popular tourist destination in East Java, halfway between Yogyakarta and Bali. Tourists flock to Mount Bromo to witness spectacular sunrises at the crater rim and that is why we were visiting. Mount Bromo is the only active crater within a enormous caldera that contains seven eruptive centers. Once filled with a lake, the volcano perpetually emits clouds of sulphurous steam. The last eruption took place June 8, 2004 and two tourists were killed when molten lava reached as far as the Hindu Temple (see map below). It is said that you only have to worry about an impending volcanic eruption when the white smoke turns black. Hope the experts are right because if they’re not, there would be no escape.

changing buses in Probolinggo, Java 

through the mist on the way to Lava View Lodge, Mount Bromo, Java
The bus ground to a halt in front of Lava View Lodge and the group was left speechless by the sight of Mount Bromo spouting white smoke right on the lodge’s doorstep.

Lava View Lodge, Java
Views of Mount Bromo (2,329m/7,641′), Mount Batok (2,440m/8,005′), and Java’s highest mountain, Semeru (3,676m/12,060′). Fabulous view of the desolate caldera filled with grey sand…View image, and called the “Sand Sea” that we’d walk across before beginning a hike up Mount Bromo. Sights that I had never expected or encountered before. Even without the sunrise or hike, this was a major highlight of Java. The sellers were already waiting in front of the lodge with warm mittens and hats for sale in preparation for the cold morning ahead.

Mount Bromo in front of Lava View Lodge, Java 

A very early dinner and bed by 8:30 p.m. in preparation for a 3:30 a.m. wake-up knock, and 4:00 a.m. jeep ride to the Mount Bromo sunrise viewpoint. FYI: The food doesn’t live up to the view at Lava View Lodge, not just our opinion, but food is relatively cheap in Indonesia so no big deal.

ex-Marine and Marianne discussing the food situation at Lava View Lodge, Java 

Mount Bromo map, Java, IndonesiaGet the digital chapters you want, ditch the ones you don’t! Only $4.95 per chapter!