Rising from the heart of East Java, Mt Bromo is one of Indonesia’s most iconic volcanoes. Named after Brahma, the Hindu god of creation and standing at 2,329 meters above sea level, Mt Bromo may not be the highest volcano in Indonesia, but it is definitely the most impressive with its raw volcanic beauty.
Mt Bromo is an active volcano nestled within the vast Tengger Caldera, an immense volcanic crater formed when a much larger ancient volcano collapsed into itself several hundred thousand years ago. What makes this landscape even more fascinating is that Mt Bromo is part of a smaller, younger caldera nestled inside the larger Tengger Caldera. In essence, it’s a striking geological marvel: a volcano, within a volcano, within yet another ancient volcano, a layered natural wonder that truly captures the imagination.
I’ve been longing to visit Mt Bromo for some time and the chance came when I joined a group of photographers for a short trip there. The closest city with international flights is Surabaya, the capital city of East Java. There are daily flights (2 hours flight time) from Singapore with SIA or Scoot. From here its a roughly 3 hours drive to Mt Bromo. We stayed at a hotel built near the edge of the caldera which gave good views of Mt Bromo.
The local people living here are the Tenggerese people, descended from the ancient Majapahit kingdom. Many Tenggerese are farmers, cultivating crops such as potatoes, cabbage, and onions in the fertile volcanic soil. Tourism has also become a vital part of the local economy. Their culture blends Hinduism with local customs, and the mountain holds deep spiritual meaning for them. They celebrate the annual Yadnya Kasada festival by offering crops and livestock to the volcano’s crater.
Most visitors come to Mt Bromo to watch sunrise from the various viewpoints located around the caldera’s rim, visit the crater of Mt Bromo and ride jeeps, motorbikes or horses on the Sand Sea. Enjoying the cold weather up in the mountains is also a good respite from the tropical heat of the lowlands in Indonesia.
Mt Bromo is an active volcano with major eruptions documented since the 19th century. Its last eruption was in 2019 where a 1 km exclusion zone was declared around the crater. Before that in 2015-2016, tourism was halted due to a major eruption.
At the bottom of the caldera is the Sand Sea (locally called Lautan Pasir). This is a vast windswept plain of fine dust and ash from countless past volcanic eruptions. The Tengger Caldera stretches more than 8 km from rim to rim when I measured it on Google Maps. To put this scale into perspective, you could easily fit all of Singapore’s HDB towns within the boundaries of the caldera, and there would still be room left over. And as grand as this seems, Indonesia’s Toba Caldera in Sumatra dwarfs even Tengger Caldera; its enormous crater lake contains Samosir Island, which alone is about the size of Singapore.
Standing on the rim of Mt Bromo, surrounded by sulfur clouds and the vast Sand Sea, it’s easy to be humbled and awed by how geological forces have created this immense caldera through volcanic activity which continues to this day. Whether you come for adventure, reflection, or simply to witness a legendary sunrise, Mt Bromo promises an experience that lingers long after the journey ends.
If you are thinking of visiting Mt Bromo, here are a few tips to take note of:
Cold Weather
It gets pretty cold in the evenings and early mornings if you are thinking of going out to watch sunrise from one of the viewpoints. Temperatures can drop to less than 10°C with strong winds on the mountain top, and wind chill can make it even colder. Its best to dress in layers and wear a windproof and waterproof outer shell to keep out the wind. Most people and myself also wore gloves and beanies to protect our hands and heads/ears from the wind and cold. Good hiking boots with warm socks are also recommended for walking on uneven terrain.
I also found out that the local hotels/guesthouses/homestays don’t have heating in the rooms, although hot water is always available for bathing. You might be lucky if they have a small space heater in the room. So prepare some thermal pajamas or thick sleeping clothes.
Dust
The fine dust and ash in the Sand Sea can affect those with respiratory problems, so a scarf to cover up, dust mask or N95 mask may be necessary. Sunglasses also help to keep dust from your eyes and protect against the sun’s glare reflecting off the pale sand.
