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The Trials of Trying to Conquer Mount Bromo Without a Tour

Why you should never trust tourist information in Indonesia

By Sh*t Happens - Lost Girl TravelPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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Mount Bromo, active volcano in Java, Indonesia (photo credit to the author)

The First Trial

“No, we don’t need a tour to do Mount Bromo! We don’t want to spend more time on a jeep than at the actual volcano, all crowded with loads of other tourists rushing around. No, let’s do it properly. I read a blog about how to get there on your own. It looks simple enough.”

— Me

Famous.

Last.

Words.

Planned Trip Itinerary:

1. Flight from Bali to Surabaya.

2. Shuttle bus from the airport into town.

3. 2-hour bus to Probolinggo bus station.

4. 2 hour bus to Cemoro Lawang.

Sounds simple right?

Real Trip Itinerary:

1. Flight from Bali to Surabaya.

2. Shuttle bus from the airport into town.

3. Bus does not drop you off at Probolinggo bus station. The driver shouts at you to get off outside a “Tourist Information Office.” He won’t allow you to stay on the bus to the bus station and practically shoves you, the only two foreign tourists, off the bus.

4. Ask at the tourist information office about where the bus station is. They won’t tell you. Instead, they try very hard to sell you a tour of Mount Bromo. You say that all you want is the bus to Cemoro Lawang.

5. You are taken across the road by a disgruntled Tourist Information Man. He flags down the next bus and shoves you on it. He says that this goes to Cemoro Lawang/Mount Bromo.

6. It seems suspicious, so you double-check with the driver and several passengers that this bus defiantly goes to CEMORO LAWANG, right? They all say yes and waft you away with a wave of the hand.

7. You are constantly pestered by hawkers or buskers, who come onto the bus at every single stop and don’t leave you alone until they have some money from you.

8. Three hours later, you get told to get off the bus. Asking around in the town, you find out that this is not Cemoro Lawang. This is another town three hours in the WRONG DIRECTION!

9. You have to get back on the bus and travel for three more hours back to Probolinggo.

10. You spend the time feeling like a piece of stewing beef simmering in a pot on an overcrowded, swelteringly hot, sweaty public bus. You stew in the fact that you just spent 6 hours on a bus for no reason other than “Tourist Information Man” wants to give you a “fuck you” for not booking a tour.

11. You want to throw yourself in front of a bus to avoid ever having to get on another bus again.

12. You have to spend the night in Probolingo because you’ve wasted the whole day on a bus.

13. You wake up the following day to find out that the bus station was only about 5 minutes away from the “Tourist Information Office.”

14. You flip off the ‘Tourist Information Man’ as you pass him, shaking your head angrily and giving looks that could kill.

16. Two hour bus to Cemoro Lawang.

The second trial

So that was a great start to our trip!

Mount Bromo from afar by day (Photo credit to the author)

As annoyed as we were by this experience, we had survived our first trial and were just happy to be in this lovely, little mountain town overshadowed by a glowering volcano.

I popped on my woolly hat and hiking boots and set off wandering the local farms and sampling the quaint shops and restaurants. We spent one day there just enjoying our surroundings and taking it all in before getting an early night.

The next day we were to set off in the dark to make it to watch the sunrise over the crater of this great volcano.

Cemoro Lawang — little farmhouse on the side of a mountain (photo credit to the author)

It turns out it’s not easy to hike a mountain in the pitch black. Who knew?

A torch seems a pathetic tool against the rocks, branches, and potholes along the way. I kept tripping up, and the fact that I didn’t break an ankle is somewhat of a miracle.

It didn’t help matters that my ex got weirdly upset if someone overtook us. “We won’t let them beat us!” I’d look at him confused (not that he could see this). “It’s not a race.” But for some reason, to him it was, and the probability of breaking my ankle rose considerably as I tried to keep up with him in the dark, racing up the mountain at breakneck speed.

After what felt like forever on this obstacle course in the darkness, we found our dream spot for watching the sunrise over Mount Bromo. We’d scouted it out the day before, tracking down one that was a decent distance away from the main viewpoints. Away from the tourist jeeps. Away from the crowds. We found a little shelter to climb on the roof. It was perfect!

The second trial complete!

The Third Trial

My ex spent a good forty-five minutes setting up his camera and tripod, and after he patted himself on the back. We were ready. Sunrise, hit me!

Que voices. Lots of voices.

Before the critical moment, a group of about 10 to 15 Indonesian teenagers clambered up onto our shelter and set up shop — Bang in front of us and the camera.

I was trying so hard not to laugh when I saw his face. He seemed more annoyed because they didn’t know how to use their cameras for such a situation.

“Well done, that tiny flash is going to illuminate the volcano, MILES away. Urgh!” -my ex

He took the lacking photography skills as a personal insult. Not so clever now, with your beautifully set up tripod, eh?

We overcame this trial by using my handheld camera instead and simply focusing more on enjoying the moment rather than obsessing about the perfect photo.

After all, if I want the perfect picture, I only need to go on google images. What’s more important is to experience it through your own eyes and thoroughly soak it all into your memories, not just your camera lense.

The sun rising over Mount Bromo (Photo credit to the author)

Was it worth it?

Of course, it was. Nature always is. It was something worth sharing with every single person on that shelter.

Mount Bromo just after sunrise (Photo credit to the author)

The powerful, raw-boned, and calloused monstrosity smiled wryly as we silly humans ooohed and aaaahhed at his smoke ring, party tricks.

I thought he was a rather charming ambush predator. He was lying in wait for us to take a step closer before his jaws sink in and devour us all in smoke and ash in one eruption. Don’t forget, Bromo is a live volcano after all.

The crater smoking not letting you forget it’s alive (Photo credit to the author)

It was one of those moments when you look at nature, and it simply takes your breath away.

What else takes your breath away? The smell. Like the smell of a dog farting under the table while you’re trying to enjoy a beautiful meal. A dog who was subsisting solely on a diet of rotten eggs. Oh, volcanic sulphur!

Mount Bromo, the things we go through for you!

It's a good job you’re worth it. Despite the trials, I’d do it again without a tour as it was magical to be able to spend as long as we liked there watching and to complete the beautiful, slow descent back down, taking in the beauty around us with every step.

The views hiking back down the mountain (Photo credit to the author)

Despite the trials, this is still one of my favourite memories of our whole trip to Indonesia. The majesty of watching the sun rise up over a smoking volcanic crater.

I’d do it all over again just for that one moment.

Thank you for reading! Hearts and tips are always welcome and your support is very much appreciated.

This story was originally published on Medium

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About the Creator

Sh*t Happens - Lost Girl Travel

Hi! I’m Georgie and I share travel stories of when sh*t happens. I think that sometimes the worst things that happen to you traveling, are often the funniest

Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/sh.t_happens_lost_girl_travel/

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Comments (2)

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  • Dharrsheena Raja Segarran2 years ago

    Whoaaa this was literally a roller coaster ride

  • Thanks for taking us through this gruelling ordeal, but glad you came out well and shared this story

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