Mount bromo or Gunung Bromo is an active volcano in east Java. At 2329 meters it is not the highest peak but is famous for the spectacular sunrises which can be seen with Mount bromo at the backdrop. It is one of the most iconic volcanoes in Indonesia. Singapore to Mount Bromo tour is one of the easy weekend getaways.Mount Bromo last erupted in March 2019(ongoing). The volcano belongs to the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The name of Bromo derived from Javanese pronunciation of Brahma the Hindu creator god.Mount bromo sits on a plain which is called ‘Sea of sand’ .
The beautiful Mount Bromo
Singapore to Mount bromo tour is easy to plan and there a lot of operators who help organise the tour. We started the new year of 2020 with a visit to this mesmerizing beauty. To look down crater of an active volcano would be a very new experience, however Mount bromo also offers wonderful scenic beauty.
We would be talking about the below in this blog to help you plan a wonderful Singapore to mount bromo tour.
- How to reach Mount Bromo from Singapore?
- What should you wear , what should you carry to Mount Bromo?
- Where to stay ?
- Seeing the sunrise on Mount Bromo.
- Hiking Mount Bromo up the crater to see the active volcano.
- Any other details, along with our experience.
Singapore to Mount Bromo-
Singapore to Surabaya
There are various flights from Singapore to Surabaya, which is the closest airport from Mount Bromo. The prices are quite reasonable and there are some cheap options available. The price range of the flight could be around $56( if there are offers) to 150$.There is a domestic airport Malang as well but it is difficult to find flexible regular commercial flights. So Surabaya us a better option.
Myself, my husband and one of his friends travelled to Bromo, on the first weekend of new year in 2020 and we had the most amazing time. However we had to pay a little bit more for the flight as it was peak holiday time. We had booked Scoot, early morning flight so that we reach the hotel in time.
After sunrise the view of Mount Bromo was spectacular!!
Surabaya to Mount bromo!!
We had booked a car, from the local tour operator and comfortably travelled from Surabaya to the mountain village of Cemoro Lawang to stay for the night there. The base of Mount Bromo is called Probolinggo. The drive was around 3- 4 hours and was quite comfortable.
Seems like Bromo is rising from a sea of clouds.
However if you want to, there is a train which goes from Surabaya to Mount bromo base. They are very clean, however they can get booked early, so reserving a ticket before hand is advisable. The train ride will take you only 2h and will cost between 30k to 200k IDR.
There are also public buses but they do not have aircon and can get hot and the ride could be uncomfortable, if you can find other travellers or are in a big group then best is to get a private car / uber.
Mount Bromo Entrance Fee
There is an entrance fee to enter Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park. For Indonesians the price for entrance to the national park is at around Rp30,000 per person. For foreigners there are two price prices. On weekdays the price for the entrance ticket is at around Rp 240,000. On weekends and Indonesian public holidays the cost is at around Rp 340,000.
| Entrance Fee | Weekdays | Weekends & Public Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Foreigners | Rp 240,000 | Rp 340,000 |
| Indonesian | Rp 27,500 | Rp 37,500 |
Weekends can get super crowded especially during Indonesian public holidays. Since we went in New year we got a huge crowd. This causes traffic on the way as jeeps park on either side of the road and there is traffic from both sides.
What should you wear , what should you carry to Mount Bromo?
It gets very cold in the morning when you go to the sunrise point, however it keeps getting warmer after 7 AM and so my suggestion is layering of clothes, wear a shirt and cover up with sweaters and jackets. You would need something for your neck and nose. It would be good if you carry gloves as well, light little warm ones would do, or you can hide it in your jacket pocket. You would also need sunglasses as the sun can be very bright.
Layers of clothes at sunrise from King Kong hill.
Also carry a small backpack when you go to the sunrise point or hike up Mount Bromo. You would need to keep all the layers of the clothes which you open when it starts getting warm. Also you would need a bottle of water, and also something to eat because you might get hungry from your activities. A good camera is always critical to capture the wonderful pictures to last lifelong.
Where to stay when visiting Mount Bromo from Singapore ?
Most tourists would have to stay in the Cameron Lawang village which is the base of Mount Bromo from where the tour begins. We stayed in Cafe lava which was a very good budget option and had good food options to try. We booked the hotel via our tour guide. However Booking.com shows similar prices and you could use the below link to book your Mount Bromo stay.
Booking.com
The view from our Hotel. Far off is Mount Semeru.
There was fog and rain but Bromo still stood out.
When we reached in the evening from Singapore to Probolinggo via Surabaya in the evening, our tour guide took us to the viewpoint just next to our hotel to see the expanse of black patch on which Mount Bromo stood in all its beauty and worth the first glimpse of Mount Bromo. Though it would have been better if it was not raining and so cold with fog covering most of the view.
Seeing the sunrise on Mount Bromo.
Early next morning we wanted to go to King Kong hill to see the sunrise in the background of mount bromo. This you need to do in one of the 4×4 vehicle which can go uphill to the king kong place. The drivers know the right time to start for this trip as they know the sunrise time and alos how much crowd to expect.
Sun shining through the clouds, Mount Bromo.
Bright and clearing, waiting for Mount Bromo to appear.
The fog covered view of Mount Bromo
We were told to be ready around 3 AM to start early as it was New years and there was going to be a lot of crowd. The viewpoint is Penanjakan Viewpoint. It is generally very cold in the morning and because you are at height. So wear the layers of clothes as when the sun has risen, it starts to get hot and so better to have layer of clothes.
While travelling to reach the sunrise point we were a little worried and started to panic as there were too many jeeps which covered the whole way. There is a love hill which is at a lesser height than king kong hill and is the place where the local Indonesian tourist head to . So the roads till that is super busy and over crowded with jeeps. We were scared we would not reach the point on time, however we were luck we did. In Fact we were a little early and waited for the sunrise. There are some shops so you can get a cup of coffee for the kick and the warmth while waiting
I can rule the world!!
Happpy US!!!
Beautiful sunrise and a wonderful experience.
Slowly there was light streaking across the sky trying to lift the fog from around Mount Bromo to create a wonderful experience. The sun shining brightly and Mount bromo crater visible but all around was white smoke of fog and it was a magical sight to cherish forever. You would marvel at the majestic sunrise which takes place. The photos do not do entire justice but here they are to show you a glimpse of how beautiful the sunrise at Mount Bromo is .
You can never have many pics with Mount Bromo.
The majestic Bromo and Semeru.
I can never forget this site!
There are some point which your tour guide would take you to get the best photos and see Mount Bromo from all possible angles. We decided to walk from King kong hill to Love hill and it was one of the best decisions of our life. The walk was lovely and throughout the walk we had a view of mount bromo and clouds floating around it, also we could see the crater from far spewing fumes of ash and smoke.This walk is highly recommended and please if possible do do it. Also we came to see one of the other beautiful Mount Semuru, which looks so gigantic and was a wonderful site.
Hiking Mount Bromo up the crater to see the active volcano!
Once you come down from the King kong hill, you would be taken across sea of sand to start your hike up the Mount Bromo to see the crater of this active volcano and to experience the sulphur fumes. Even the jeep ride across this black sea of sand and ash is an experience. Indonesians our very people friendly and they love clicking pictures for their guests. So we climbed on top of the jeep one by one to get the best pics with Mount bromo in background.
The local Flowers at Mount Bromo.
The crater with smoke erupting from the base.
There are two options to travel up Mount Bromo, you could take the horses or ponies which would take you to the stairs and from there you can walk up the stairs for 10-15 mins to reach the crater. Though I do not encourage animal tourism in anyway but then we had to take the horse, because of a leg sprain and we were getting delayed for our flight back to Singapore. Since I am not fond of riding horses , I was quite scared, especially since the walk is up and down a hill and balance is critical. I had a feeling I am going to fall so many times and was sitting hardly breathing.
The stair are quite steep and gets busy so you would need to climb slowly. The site above is something which we had never seen. You could feel the rage of the volcano as it continuously spews hot fumes of sulphur from deep within its core. We stayed there for quite some time exploring the beauty around and also experiencing the thrill of seeing my life’s first active volcano. However after around 30 mins the fumes were causing cough and so we decided to come back down.
Satisfied with the morning spent exploring Mount Bromo.
Sea of Black sand and ash.
When we came down, and was waiting around we saw vendors selling a local flower called Edelweiss plants. They are beautiful and so different in colors and shapes. The locals arrange them in beautiful bunches , small and big and sell them. We took a little one to bring back home. However we took some amazing pics with these flowers.
It was time to go back to the hotel, check out and leave for Surabaya to catch our flight to Singapore. The journey wa amazing, a perfect short trip from the Singapore and great way to start New years. Highly recommended to plan your trip to Indonesia. If you want to read about the famous Bali, the click Bali, Indonesia
One of my favourite adventurous trip to Indonesia was a trip to Yogyakarta which was amazing, Read here What to do in Yogyakarta? An interesting adventurous itinerary Jogja!
Lombok in Indonesia is famous for its pink beach and you want to read about the hardships we went through to reach the beach read here Lombok, Indonesia