Depending on the degree of volcanic activity, the Indonesian Centre for Volcanology and Disaster Hazard Mitigation sometimes issues warnings against visiting Mount Bromo.
The major access point is Cemoro Lawang (also Cemara Lawang or Cemora Lawang - blame the East Javanese accent!) at the northeastern edge of the caldera, but there are also trails from Tosari (northwest) and Ngadas (southwest). The village of Ngadisari, on the road from Probolinggo about 5.5km before Cemoro Lawang, marks the entrance to the national park. Both Cemoro Lawang and Ngadisari are rather picturesque, with brightly-painted houses and flower beds outside.
If a landscape was ever needed to demonstrate the meaning of the phrase desolate beauty, then this is surely it. Rugged, barren volcanic peaks, gravel plains and that sea of sand. Truly unworldly.The park also includes large areas which are very lush and green fed by rivers from the high tops. The medium elevations are clad with much thinner forest before this gives way to the barren plateau and peaks.
Temperatures are refreshingly cool during the day but outright cold at night as temperatures can drop to zero in the dry season and are rarely much above 5°C in wet season. Daytime temperatures anywhere in the park never exceed 20°C with low teens being normal.
It can rain at any time and the mean average rainfall of 6.6m is best measured in metres, not mm! Most of that comes in the wet season though - November to March. During periods of heavy rain in January and February especially, many parts of the park are inaccessible due to flooding. Landslips are also a real issue at these times.
When is the best time to go?
June – August where there is less rain but more tourists. August is also the month for the Kesada / Kesodo festival for the Tengger people if you are interested.
But that being said, Indonesia being a fairly mild weather of just rain and shine, anytime is a good time to go Mount Bromo, only check out for local weather when you are there for best clear sky for your sunrise experience. If you do not have much days then hope for the best when you are there.
Also try to avoid weekends if you do not want the crowd.
How to go:
Fly into Juanda international airport at Surabaya. There are direct flights from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Bali.
Distance from Surabaya airport to the Mount Bromo national park is about 70km and the time it takes is around 4 hours due to heavy traffic and congestion. On the way, you would pass Probolinggo town which lies at the major highway across java. Here is where most backpackers would usually share a transport to take them up to the Bromo Tengger Semeru National park.
1. By plane
- The nearest major airport is in Surabaya (IATA: SUB), three to four hours away by car (and more by bus). Surabaya is well served by regular domestic flights from Jakarta and Bali and some other countries in Asia. Private cars can be arranged in the arrival hall. In the arrival hall there are approximately 8 different private car companies as well as independent drivers available to negotiate and arrange rides. Fare for a drop off is around IDR650,000 (for an AC car, including fuel and tolls). You might be able to get a car with driver (including fuel and tolls) for IDR500,000 after some negotiation (March 2014).
- Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport (IATA: MLG) at Malang is a small regional airport with flights from Jakarta only and access from here makes sense if you intend to enter the park via the Tumpang/Ngadas route.
2. By train
There is a railway station in Probolinggo. It is around 10km from Probolinggo train station to Probolinggo bus terminal and you can use a Bemo for Rp 5,000. Lookup the picture from the terminal to avoid a scam (stop at hotel/travel agency). Outside Probolinggo bus station you can take a Bemo to Cemoro Lawang for Rp 35,000 (Nov 2015). The Bemo will only go once it is filled with 15 people. If you arrive after 16:00, it will be difficult to fill up the entire Bemo. You can negotiate there this a group. Before entering Cemoro Lawang, you will need to pay a conservation fee of Rp 10,000 (Nov 2015) to go inside the village. The Bemos drop you off in the village at the t-crossing; to the left goes to Cafe Lava, the right goes to Cemara Indah Hotel. It takes 1.5h to drive to from Probolinggo to Cemoro Lawang.
3. By road
There are three established routes into the park:
1) The Probolinggo → Ngadisari route (Cemoro Lawang and Mount Bromo)
The nearest larger town is Probolinggo, on the north coast of Java about 45km as the crow flies from the park (but it feels a lot further). This is by far the most common route used to access the park as it is the most straightforward (but not necessarily the most interesting). About 6km west of Probolinggo on the main coastal highway, turn south at the village of Ketapang. From there the road snakes up for 40 km through Sukapura (not a bad idea to stay the night here as the hotels are good) to Ngadisari and finally Cemoro Lawang on the edge of the caldera. Total journey time about 1h30.
To get to Probolinggo from Surabaya, take a Damri shuttle bus from the Juanda International Airport in Surabaya to the Bungurasih bus terminal (also called Purabaya) in the city. Then take a Patas (express) air-conditioned bus for the 2-3h journey from Surabaya to Probolinggo (about IDR25,000). Buses without air-con, but with fans, cost IDR14,000. WARNING: On the return journey from Bromo, when the minibus drops you in Probolinggo you may be dropped off on the opposite side of the road to the bus terminal next to a tour company. Someone from this company will try to persuade you take "his private AC bus". In reality all he does is flag down the public bus as it leaves the terminal and tries to charge you more for the ticket. Make sure you get the bus from the terminal!
Minivan at probolinggo
Green and blue Mini-Buses (10 seats) from Probolinggo to Cemoro Lawang are located right outside the terminal: IDR250,000 (translates to IDR40,000 per passenger). Departure from the the terminal bus station as soon as the bus is full or someone pays the full price. Can delay the bus up to 2.5 hours to get enough passengers though after 16:00 it's quite hard to get enough passengers, its possible to negotiate for a whole minibus at IDR300,000. However, the drivers can sometimes be less demanding for return trip back to Probolinggo, and can start out with fewer passengers on board.
In general it is hard to get enough passengers as they lften go with 15 seats buses. Mostly they leave half empty and the passengers have to pay the full price. Which is IDR 450,000 for the 15 seat bus. Note that no locals will take these buses and it is a business purley for tourists.
The small yellow mini buses can you bring from the city center of Probolingo to the "Terminal" (bus station) for IDR 4,000 (Oct, 2014). They try to overcharge by IDR 5,000 or more. If you want to explore Bromo at early morning, you can use 4x4 jeep. Price about IDR.500,000 - 700,000.
2) The Pasuruan → Tosari route
This route is only a little harder than the Probolinggo option and Pasuruan has the benefit of being closer to Surabaya. From Pasuruan on the main north coast road between Surabaya and Probolinggo, take the road 45km south to Tosari via Pasrepan. Irregular buses ply this route or you can drive it in a regular car. From Tosari to Wonokitri it is another 3km via a local bemo or on the back of a truck. From Wonokotri up to Bromo it is a really nice, three hour 14km trek, so you do need to start very early if you want sunrise. Alternatively you should be able to hire a 4x4 with a driver for that journey. There is accommodation in both Tosari and Wonokitri.
3) The Malang → Tumpang route
This route approaches from the south east and is seldom used due to the lack of facilities. Certainly the most off-the-beaten-path way to approach the park. Take a microbus from Arjosari bus station in Malang to Tumpang and then a 4x4 vehicle or a heavy truck from Tumpang to Ngadas. There are no facilities to speak of at Ngadas but you will find informal accommodation in family homes in the village. At Ranupani up on the top there is very simple homestay accommodation avaiable - ask at the park office there. The route from Ngadas on to the caldera is interesting because it transverses the Sea of Sand and directly passes Mount Bromo. A dirt road leads across the flat bottom of the caldera, up to Jemplang on the southern rim and on to Ranupani where you should check in at the park office. You have to take a 4x4 vehicle (unless you prefer to walk).
It is also possible to rent a motorbike and do the journey on your own. See the "Do" section in the Malang article.
Source:
- http://wikitravel.org/en/Bromo-Tengger-Semeru_National_Park
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