- Climbing an active volcano?
- Watching the sunrise over Bromo?
- Reaching the sulfur lake atop Mount Ijen?
All this and more in just 3 days and 2 nights. 😉
3D/2N road trip through Mount Bromo and Ijen
To do a round trip through the volcanic areas of Bromo and Ijen starting and ending in Surabaya in just 3 days, we chose to hire a car with a driver in East Java.
Curious about the other options we considered and how I sorted it out?
Then check out the post where I share how I made the decision and where I booked the service.
And now, on to the adventure! 😉
Day 1: Surabaya – Bromo
We hopped into Abdul's car and headed toward Cemoro Lawang, the village sitting right on the edge of the crater that holds Gunung Bromo National Park.
The drive took around 4 hours.
From Surabaya to Probolinggo, the traffic was super heavy, chaotic, and downright surreal at times (well, a lot of times).
Good thing we had a local who drove just as wildly… Or maybe skillfully, considering that despite it all, we didn't see a single accident.
When hunger struck, we gave our best shot at saying restaurant in Bahasa: “Rumah makan”, and Abdul pulled over at the very next spot he found.
What did we eat? “Nasi goreng” and “mie goreng”, our brand-new favorite dishes ever since visiting Indonesia. 😉
Once we passed Probolinggo, the road became much more rustic and scenic.
Instead of cars and heavy traffic, locals were standing in the middle of the road trying to flag down cars to ask for money. But Abdul just honked his way past them (pretty much like he did when overtaking or running a red light—wait, what?).
Our “hotel” in Bromo
When we arrived in Cemoro Lawang, we asked him to drop us off at the Cafe Lava Hostel (much to his dismay, as he probably had a deal with Cemara Indah).
However, Cafe Lava was more affordable: €18 for a tiny double room with a shared bathroom and breakfast included. It barely fit the bed (not very big at that) and little else, but it was perfectly fine for a single night.
Crossing the Sea of Sand on foot to Bromo
Usually, travelers looking to hike up to Mount Bromo's caldera go in the morning after catching the sunrise from Gunung Penanjakan.
Most do it on a guided jeep tour. So, if you want to walk through the “Lautan Pasir” (Sea of Sand) at that exact time, the experience will be, to say the least, pretty dusty. 😉
We, on the other hand, started our hike down from the park office where you pay €2/person (PHKA) in the mid-afternoon, and we practically had the place all to ourselves.
A few motorbike drivers offered to take us to the base of Bromo, but that was it.
To reach it, you just have to follow some white markings on the rock. We went a bit off track, wandering through an almost lunar landscape, but we made it to the stairs without any issues.
And once you're at the top, wow!
The volcano all to ourselves: steaming, imposing, and in total silence.
It was an unforgettable sight.
One tip though: bring something to cover your nose and mouth. The sulfur smell is unbearable when you reach the crater rim.
Planning the next day
We knew there were 2 viewpoints where people gather to watch the sunrise over Bromo National Park:
- Penanjakan: the highest and most beautiful one, but road access (meaning for jeep tours) from Cemoro Lawang was blocked at the time.
- Seruni: a spot halfway up with good views, though not quite as epic as the first. Jeeps could reach this one.
The options?
- Go to Seruni in a shared jeep for €7/person.
- A 2-hour guided trek to Penanjakan for €30.
- Do the hike on our own with some super nice Swiss friends we met at the hotel over dinner.
Can you guess which one we picked? 😉
Fun fact: it was so cold and we had to wake up so early that we actually slept in our trekking clothes that night (fleece included).
Day 2: Bromo – Ijen
Trek to the Gunung Penanjakan viewpoint
We left Cafe Lava at 3:15 AM to reach the summit before sunrise.
In 45 minutes, we reached the intermediate viewpoint, Seruni.
This part of the path is easy to follow, as it's the same dirt road the jeeps use (heads up, you'll probably swallow quite a bit of dust).
From that point on, the trail becomes hikers-only, much narrower and steeper.
By the way, get ready to climb and climb. After all, you have to tackle an elevation gain of 600 meters.
The upside?
Even though it's 6ºC (43ºF) out, you definitely won't feel cold with all that walking.
In about 2 hours, we reached the Gunung Penanjakan viewpoint, right in time for the show:
Mind you, the minute you stop walking (say, to admire the views), the freezing temperatures numb your muscles in no time.
Thank goodness the coffee stalls had little stoves where we could warm our hands and get some feeling back as the sun rose over Bromo.
The hike down was way easier, but we stopped to snap photos at every single step, so it took us roughly the same time.
Drive from Bromo to Ijen
Since it was only 8:30 AM, we took advantage of the time to take a quick shower and have breakfast at Cafe Lava.
And while the rest of the travelers headed in droves toward the Sea of Sand, we hopped in the car with Abdul on our way to Ijen, thrilled to have visited Bromo the afternoon before without the crowds or hundreds of jeeps kicking up dust everywhere.
The drive starts by heading back towards Probolinggo and follows the coast all the way to Besuki.
At that point, it veers off toward Bondowoso, and the scenery turns lush and green, packed with volcanoes and leafy forests.
Gorgeous… until we got close to Sempol:
Arriving in Sempol
The road was riddled with massive potholes (one of our tires ended up damaged) and hundreds of trucks were making things worse, crawling at a snail's pace and spewing exhaust fumes.
That last half hour made us wonder if the whole thing was even worth it.
We passed through 3 coffee plantation checkpoints where we paid 5,000 IDR (about 50 cents) for them to raise the barrier.
And when we finally arrived at Catimore hotel (this time picked by our driver), they were out of standard rooms, so they put us up in the colonial house…
Total nightmare!
It was dirty, the mattress was ancient and super uncomfortable, the windows wouldn't close properly…
The only silver lining was that we could take a walk to the nearby waterfalls to clear our heads before going to sleep.
Day 3: Ijen – Surabaya
Hike up to the Ijen sulfur lake
Up and at 'em at 3:30 AM. Breakfast was pretty underwhelming too…
The bright side of Catimore? This time Abdul was able to get a good night's sleep in a shared room that was much better than ours. 🙂
By 5:10 AM, we had arrived at the base of Ijen volcano.
And after another hour of hiking straight uphill along the very same trail the sulfur miners were hauling their loads down, we made it to the summit.
The view of that turquoise blue lake contrasting with the bright yellow oozing from the sulfur mine made the previous day's journey completely worth it.
Besides, compared to what those miners go through, our hike was a total walk in the park.
There's nothing better than looking at the situation from another perspective.
The miners try to sell you sulfur figurines, take photos with you for a few rupees, or offer to take you down into the mine for a small fee so you can see it up close. That day it was closed to the public due to toxic fumes, although they kept going down anyway.
After soaking in the visual spectacle, we headed back to the base of Ijen (Pos Paltuding), where we enjoyed another coffee and biscuits while Abdul pumped up the spare tire he'd had to swap out because of the previous day's damage.
Return to Surabaya
It took us 7 hours to reach our accommodation for our final night in Surabaya: the Hotel Majapahit, the luxury hotel stay we treated ourselves to on this Indonesia road trip...
And what a perfect time for it!
After all the miles and hours on the road over the last 3 days, the early mornings, hikes, and lumpy mattresses, arriving at the Hotel Majapahit felt like finding an oasis in the desert:
- A cozy, spotless room.
- A pool all to ourselves.
- A small spa (separated by gender).
We took the opportunity to mix up our diet a bit and had dinner at Sarkies, a well-known restaurant right inside the hotel.
Next stop
The next morning we had the best breakfast of the entire trip and set off for Derawan, a remote island off the coast of Borneo.
Budget
- Accommodation and meals:
- Cafe Lava (room + dinner + breakfast): €24 (€12/person).
- Catimore (room + breakfast): €16 (€8/person).
- Hotel Majapahit (room + breakfast): €118 (€59/person).
- Extra meals: €20
- Car transport with a private driver: €154 (€77/person).
- National Parks: €9 in total
- Taxi from Surabaya to the airport: €10
- Other expenses: €2
In total, we spent €353 over 3 days and 3 nights doing the Surabaya-Bromo-Ijen-Surabaya circular route (€59 per person, per day), treats included. 😉
What to pack and other tips
Clothing
Because of the altitude, it gets really cold in this part of Indonesia, especially at night.
Traveling in summer? It doesn't matter, trust me on this. Pack a good fleece, layer up with two pairs of pants, and grab the warmest wool socks you own.
Got a pair of gloves that don't take up much room in your backpack? Toss them in (I really missed having mine).
And pack your hiking boots (water-resistant ones are best).
Sun
Even if the temperatures are low, don't let that fool you.
As soon as it comes up, the sun is just as harsh as anywhere else. So remember to put on sunscreen, wear sunglasses, and keep a hat handy.
Travel insurance
Don't risk it. Nowadays, traveling fully covered with IATI, one of the best insurance companies for travelers, is super affordable.
3 weeks of hassle-free, relaxed travel around Indonesia for €110? Knowing that we wouldn't even have to pay upfront if something went wrong? Delayed baggage, personal liability, and massive medical coverage if needed... I never travel without them anymore.
And if you want to save even more, book through this link to get a 5% discount on the final price.
Useful Links
- Cafe Lava.
- Cemara Indah.
- Catimore.
- Hotel Majapahit.
- Other accommodations in the area.
- Flights to Indonesia: Trabber, eDreams, and Momondo.
- 5% discount on your IATI travel insurance when booking from here.
Road tripping through Indonesia? Then you'll love these:
- How to organize your visit to Bromo and Ijen: 4 options.
- 3-week road trip through Indonesia: Java and Borneo.
- Experience a sunrise from Borobudur temple.
- Meditate with Buddhist monks at Mendut temple.
- 4-day klotok boat trip through Borneo: encounter wild orangutans.
- Prambanan, Indonesia's largest Hindu temple.
- Selogriyo: a Hindu temple tucked among rice paddies.
- Pulau Derawan: how to get there and spend 7 days on the island.