It’s time for another guide and this time it’s a guide for Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. I’ve never been into national parks in Indonesia, but Bromo Tengger Semeru is a very famous national parks because the difficulty level is rather low and reachable for non-hikers tourists. Bromo Tengger Semeru (okay, I think I will abbreviate it as BTS now) is like a starter national park for Indonesian who’s starting to get into hiking and adventure trip stuff. Why? Because BTS is a famous tourist destination for both Indonesians and foreigners, so the infrastructure is better than other national parks in Indonesia.
How to Get to Bromo Tengger Semeru?
Bromo Tengger Semeru is located in East Java and nearby three small cities that are possible to be the entrance to the national park; Malang, Probolinggo and Pasuruan. If you’re going to East Java by plane, you will arrive in Surabaya and it is closer to go to Malang (by car) rather than the other two cities. Surabaya has an international airport and is the second biggest city after Jakarta.
To get to Bromo Tengger Semeru, you can either drive or hire a guide/driver that includes car rental. It will be easier if you can hire guide that includes car rental (so like a tour package) if you’re not fluent in Indonesian or Javanese. When I was in Bromo Tengger Semeru, I was guided by Luis, she’s a local and now the nice spots in Bromo. You can click here to contact her directly.
If you’re getting here by car, I’m not sure you can reach Bromo area by normal car because I honestly only see 4×4 jeep due to the steep and hilly road conditions. It is also probably tiring to drive in Bromo area if you’re not familiar with the direction and bumpy road. Even Indonesians hire guides or rent car (with driver) because the roads are too advance.
Where to Stay?
Bromo Tengger Semeru is an Indonesian National Park and dare I say that the infrastructure is not gonna be as beautiful as other national park in the developed countries. One of the evidences can be seen from the accommodation in BTS. It has limitation and you shouldn’t expect the options be anything like in Bali. So here’s some of my recommendation from me.
Jiwa Jawa Hotel
Jiwa Jawa is the hotel I recommend the most if you’re looking for an accommodation near the famous sceneries in Bromo Tengger Semeru. It is definitely not cheap for budget traveler, but probably not good enough for luxury traveler. The room, facilities and service are decent. If you’re a foreigner, I recommend you to stay here and it’s probably cheap for you because Indonesia currency rate is probably cheaper compares to yours.
Plataran Bromo
Plataran Bromo is for the luxury seekers but I’m warning you that this hotel is far from The famous site of Bromo Tengger Semeru. It is not a strategic location and will waste your time on the road. Apart from that, Plataran Bromo is very upscale hotel. If you have an extra day or two, I suggest you to spend it here. Although it is expensive, I promise you it’s worth every penny.
Camping
Camping is something I don’t recommend if you’re not prepared and not an outdoor person. The weather is fluctuating like crazy, where it can be hot during the day and piercing cold at night. I also wouldn’t suggest if you’re camping alone, because it is better to have someone to watch over each other. Renting camping appliances is probably the best way to cut down stuff to carry from home.
Famous Spot in Bromo Tengger Semeru
Think of Bromo Tengger Semeru like a big playground and there are some fun spot in the playground that you have to experience. Apart from mountains, BTS has crater, valley, sand dunes, waterfall and hills, a true haven for nature lover. Here’s some of the famous viewpoint spots that I went and I recommend you to go. All of the spots below are reachable by jeep or motorbike.
Penanjakan 1
This is where every tourists go in Bromo Tengger Semeru, especially during sunrise. This place will be packed starting from 4am. From the parking place (for the jeeps), it’s around 15-25 minutes walk to get to the Penanjakan 1. What you’ll see? The famous Bromo Tengger Semeru scenery with the most beautiful colours (if you go before 4am). Because it’s a must-go place for tourists and local Indonesians, make sure you get here early to get the best spot. Bring blanket or extra jacket because it’s cold until sunrise. Oh and don’t forget camera to immortalize the moment of a lifetime.
Cemoro Lawang
Cemoro Lawang can be seen from Penanjakan 1. It is best during sunrise time. I didn’t go to Cemoro Lawang because it wasn’t on my itinerary and I think it’s better to be viewed from above. Aerial view of Cemoro Lawang is more enticing for me. Of course you need the right timing to get those picture perfect golden hour and fog.
I mean just look at the picture below. This masterpiece of nature is in Indonesia y’all. My country is so beautiful and I’m here to boast about it.
Mentigen Hill
This is not exactly in Mentigen Hill, but about 20 minutes from Mentigen Hill (and kinda in the edge of Cemoro Lawang cliff). I think this is my favourite out of all the spots in Bromo Tengger Semeru. Tourists don’t go here and I’m glad I found this place. This favourite viewpoint if mine is sandwiched between the sunrise and the famous scenery of Bromo. Hence, you will get the perfect lighting and picture because the sunrise light is literally illuminate the mountains, just like the picture below.
Now allow me to rant about the colours during sunrise from Mentigen Hill. It was ridiculously BEAUTIFUL. Arrest me for overusing the word “beautiful” but I think that word was specifically made for this scenery. I never thought I can see these pastel and autumn colours in Indonesia because it’s a tropical country. But here I am, telling you about it.
King Kong Hill
King Kong Hill (Bukit King Kong in Indonesian) is another spot where you can get the best view of famous view in Bromo Tengger Semeru. The place can get pact during peak hour like the sunrise and sunset. It is because the tourists usually don’t have to hike or take stairs to see the famous view. A selfie or tripod can be helpful during busy time of King Kong Hill.
Cinta Hill
Not sure why it’s called Cinta Hill (or Bukit Cinta), probably there’s a behind-the-story with love as the main topic. If you want another perspective of the Bromo Tengger Semeru famous scenery, go here. Cinta Hill is not far from King Kong Hill. They’re kinda on the same side of the mountain. I think Cinta Hill has the highest altitude compared to the other famous spot surrounding the famous scenery (I might be wrong though).
Teletubbies Hill
This one is called as Teletubbies Hill (or Bukit Teletubbies) because it will reminds you off the teletubbies hill. I’m pretty sure newer generation will not know what teletubbies was (#legend). It’s basically just a wide green hill. You can do trekking or picnic (much hassle eh?) or pretending like you’re in The Sound of Music film. Camping here it’s pretty cool at night, where you can see the stars and (finger-cross) milky way.
Ngadas Village
I was actually contemplating whether to put Ngadas village (Desa Ngadas) in the list because it’s quite far from Bromo and not that worth the visit. Nevertheless, Ngadas Village reminds me of those picturesque Tuscany greeneries. There’s nothing to do besides looking at the scenery. I bet the colour will be prettier during harvest time.
Bromo Crater
Bromo Crater (or Kawah Bromo) is a must-go if you’re already in Bromo Tengger Semeru. You have to walk from the jeep parking lot or ride a horse to the bottom of the Bromo Crater. Then, you have to take around 250 steps to the top and to see the crater hole. Bring a mask when visiting this crater, for safety reason. This crater is still used for tradition ritual purpose, so please respect the place and don’t damage anything 🙏.
Whispering Sand Dunes
Missing the beach vibes? Worry not, because Bromo has it all. Whispering Sand Dunes (or Pasir Berbisik) is mostly for jeep and motorbike for them to do some stunts. Personally, I hate the sand dunes. My eyes got red and itchy, my nose don’t like it, my mouth hate the taste of sand and not to mention the sands we bring home as souvenir (note: I’m sarcastic). Good news for adrenaline junkie tho, you can rent those jeep and motorbike to satisfy your adventurous desire.
Pura Luhur Poten
Pura Luhur Poten is a Hindu temple located very near to Mount Bromo. It is for the Tengger people to do their ritual and to worship their God, Brahma. This is a religious place and I highly recommend to not curse or do anything stupid here (or anywhere in Bromo Tengger Semeru). It is due to the strong religious belief and better be safe than sorry.
Tips for Your Bromo Trip
Here’s a brief insider’s tips for you who’s planning to go to Bromo Tengger Semeru.
- Leave early from your accommodation so you can get the best spot from the viewpoint.
- Make sure you packed outfits for fluctuating weather. It might be chilly cold at night, but spiking hot in the afternoon.
- Get ready to eat instant food often, because restaurants or cafe in Bromo area is very rare and expensive.
- Check weather forecast to see if it’s possible to do your itinerary. Like, if you want to see milky way but it’s gonna rain soon, what’s the point of going just to be disappointed by the weather.
- Cash ready for your whole time in Bromo Tengger Semeru. It is because people in Bromo area is still not as advance and probably they are more comfortable with having cash. ATM and money changer are rarely seen in Bromo area.
- Indonesians, sharpen your negotiation skills here. Especially if you want to ride a horse, buy edelweiss or rent a jeep. If you can’t negotiate well, you will spend much more than you’re intended.
- Foreigners, get ready to spend more than us, Indonesians. Usually the entrance fee will be much more expensive than for locals. When the street vendors or the Bromo locals know you’re foreigners (and maybe it’s pretty obvious) they will higher the price rate multiple times. If you can speak Indonesian or Javanese, try to negotiate. If you cannot, language barrier may drain you but still try to negotiate too.
As always, hope you enjoy this Guide to Bromo Tengger Semeru. If you don’t enjoy it, please complaint down below so I can improve it 😁. I promise this year to update my blog more frequently so stay tune!
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