bromo on foot

It was a quarter before 3am when I stepped out of the door of the house we were staying in. It was cool, but not as cold as I expected it to be. We didn’t have dinner so my stomach was rumbling. But at least I managed to get some sleep despite the noise from the garage which was just outside our room.

The same guy who had been bugging us since we got there late in the night was outside, waiting for us, still trying to convince us to take the ojek to Penanjakan. I told him we really prefer to walk.

“But it’s 21 kilometers!” He declared, hoping that we would finally give in. I smiled at him and said that no, it’s just a two-hour walk. It couldn't be that far.

Kris came out as the guy left. She asked which direction we were going. I really didn't know. Although we had a map, it was so crude we couldn't make anything assuring out of it. Luckily, an old man passed by and showed us the right way.

We were on our way to a viewpoint where we could see the sunrise and the landscape of the Tengger caldera. The famous Gunung Bromo lies within this caldera, among with other volcanoes and the cone-shaped Gunung Batok. Most people goes on a jeep tour to visit the crater and the volcano. In fact, hundreds of people take these jeeps everyday. Wanting to avoid the crowd, we chose to approach it on foot.

The whole time we were walking along the road, we were thinking if we were taking the right one. We expected that it would be a trail, but it wasn't. We heard a jeep going our way and when it passed us, I wondered if it was one of those used in the tour. If it was, we were doomed. It could only mean that the road we were following would stretch for 21km.

We had been walking for about half an hour by then. There were no other people. There weren't even signs saying that it was the way to Penanjakan. We contemplated on going back to ask for directions but that would mean we might not be able to catch the sunrise. Undecided, we continued walking, hoping that the road would take us to the place we wanted to go before it gets light.

The road started to climb steeply, winding on the slope. After scaling Merapi, it should be very easy for us. But we were drained. Our last food was our lunch the previous day. After the long journey from Yogyakarta, all we really wanted was to lie down when we got there.

Gunung Batok, Bromo and Semeru at the far end.

Since we didn't want to take the jeep tour, we just paid for the transportation from Yogyakarta to Cemoro Lawang. It was comfortable enough but still tiring due to the long drive. It took us more than 12 hours to get there. We stopped at the office of the tour agency when we got to Probolinggo and changed a van. They also explained the itinerary of the jeep tour and told us that if we want to join, we should buy there because it would be more expensive if we buy the tour in Cemoro Lawang. But we still stuck to our plan.

Our search for a place to spend the night took us to the checkpoint where tickets are also issued. We were taken aback when we found out that we had to pay 213,000 IDR. We didn't expect that amount, because while doing research, it was never mentioned so we thought it wouldn't be significant. (Later on I found out that the government raised the entrance fees to several sites just a couple of months before we visited Indonesia.)

Eye-catching Gunung Batok amidst the Sea of Sand. Patches of golden-brown grass make the plain interesting.

After unwillingly paying the said amount, we turned back and went to Cafe Lava Guesthouse to see if they could still accommodate us. They couldn't, but one man volunteered to take us to a nearby homestay. Upon realizing that we weren't joining a tour, he gave us a map and explained to us how we could get to the viewpoint. From him, we found out that tickets aren’t needed if we don’t enter the national park. And the viewpoint in Penanjakan wasn't part of the park.

Upon the man's suggestion, I went back to the checkpoint and asked if we could get our money back since we really just wanted to hike up to the viewpoint and not to Bromo. They said they wouldn't do that. I insisted, begged a little, but to no avail. One man added that there would be rangers on the way to the viewpoint to check if we have tickets and that even Cemoro Lawang is part of the national park and we need tickets just to be in the village. That couldn't be. But there was nothing I could do. So once we got to our room, I went to the guesthouse where the other people in our van checked in to sell them our tickets. But all of them have theirs. I was a little too late.

The crater of Gunung Bromo.

Still climbing the steep road, we saw people in food stalls by the road. We finally confirmed that we were on the right track. We came across some men on horses which we thought were the rangers referred to until they asked us if we wanted to take a ride. We continued climbing until we reached a set of stairs which led to Seruni Point. There were already a few people. Without words, we unconsciously agreed that that is where we would watch the sunrise. (The peak of Penanjakan a.k.a. the viewpoint was still 30-45 minutes away. The trail is found to the right, just before entering the deck of Seruni Point.)

Watching as the sky magically gets painted, the astounding landscape that was obscured by the darkness starting to present itself to us, and the sun slowly creeping up the horizon, we knew that we made the right decision of sticking to our plan. They were the reward waiting for us. We made an effort and it felt that we deserved what we were witnessing.

What we thought would be a boring walk back to the homestay turned out to be as interesting (at least for us) as the volcanic landscape we just saw. With the cool breeze and the gentle sunlight both touching our skin and illuminating the tranquil beauty of the countryside, we both concluded that it didn't feel like Indonesia.

Since it was still early when we reached the village center and since we already have the tickets, we decided to just make use of them. As we descended to the Sea of Sand, we noticed the jeeps parked near the foot of Gunung Batok and the hundreds of people climbing the 250 steps to the rim of Bromo. Thank god we didn’t have to share to sunrise view with that very huge crowd.

At the foot of Bromo, there were men with horses offering rides from the jeep to the bottom of the stairs. By the time we got there, the crowd had thinned out. We climbed the stairs, stopping once or twice. There are side decks along the stairs for those who wanted a little rest so as not to slow down human traffic.

Bromo was constantly spewing out smoke and unfortunately, the wind was blowing to our direction so we didn't spend a long time at the rim. Beside Bromo is the eye-catching Batok, which all the time I supposed was Bromo. I only found out when I saw that people were climbing 'the other volcano' instead of that beautiful one.

We opted to take the ojek on the way back. Surprisingly, the first ojek driver that we saw (and who noticed us) was the same guy who was waiting when I stepped out of the homestay. He was there when we left the ticketing office, offering to take us to a homestay but we had to decline, twice. He followed us on the road to the viewpoint, saying with a worried look that the place is very far. He only left after a number of no’s. And then finally, he got what he wanted from us. Persistence pays.

indonesia travel hacks

Seeing Bromo on the cheap

If coming from Yogyakarta on the way to Bali, the cheapest way to see Bromo is buying an all-inclusive tour to the volcano. This includes transport from Yogyakarta to Cemoro Lawang and onwards to Denpasar, accommodation, breakfast and a jeep to get around the volcano. Because we preferred to use our feet and didn't want to get stuck inside a jeep, we only paid for the transportation to Cemoro Lawang. And although we ended up spending a lot more, we didn't regret our decision. (Story coming up soon.)

One thing to remember though is that there is a hefty entrance fee (213,000 IDR) to see the volcano up close. If you don't want to shell out this amount, you can just walk up to the viewpoint in Seruni Point or higher to the peak of Penanjakan where all the other tourists are, to admire the beautiful sunrise and see landscape with Gunung Bromo, Batok and Semeru. We were told that there are rangers going around those viewpoints checking if one has the entrance ticket, but there are actually none. Also, this isn't illegal because at least Seruni Point and the other viewpoint below the peak of Penanjakan aren't part of the national park and you don't have to pay to be there.

The only downside of not paying is that you cannot climb to the crater of Bromo. But honestly, there isn't anything special about its crater. It's just another crater spewing volcanic gasses non-stop. We found that the walk from Seruni Point back to the village under the early morning sun was more exciting than being at the rim of Bromo.

When in Yogya, maximize the use of Trans Jogja

Trans Jogja is a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system which operates in the city of Yogyakarta. The cost of single-trip ticket is fixed at 3,000 IDR which is fairly cheap. It won't matter how near or far your destination is, or how many bus transfers you have to make. You will only have to pay the said amount.

The staff in the bus stations are very helpful, showing us which route to take and telling us when the bus we need to get into arrives.

The only problem with the Trans Jogja is that you might need to wait a long time for the right bus. We left for Prambanan at 2 in the afternoon and didn't get there until 4. So when using this service, allot ample travelling time especially when there would be several bus transfers.

Borobudur and Prambanan on the cheap

Yes, the entrance fees are a little too steep and no, you can't get away with it if you really want to see these temples. But there is a way to save a little when visiting these temples.

Ask for the combination ticket. It exists although it isn't advertised at the ticket counters. It only costs 360,000 IDR, saving you about 8 dollars. And it is valid for two days.

Another way to save when visiting these temples is using the public transport to get there. Prambanan is just across the terminal (called Prambanan Terminal). If coming from Malioboro, this route is served by Line 1A. To get to Borobudur, take Line 3A, get off at the terminal and take a bus to Borobudur. The entrance to the temple is about 10 minutes' walk from the terminal.

Eat at warungs

Local restaurants in Indonesia are called warung. They serve cheap but tasty local food and their serving is huge.

In Ubud, around the Monkey Forest Road area, we found that the warungs located there weren't really geared for the locals but for tourists. They aren't as cheap but compared to other restaurants in the area, they still are cheap. The warung near the southern end of Guotama street was particularly good. We also noticed that there are restaurants called warung but they are actually in the midrange to high-end budget.

Accommodation in Ubud

Knowing that we may reach Ubud late, we had a guesthouse booked for us before we left Yogyakarta. But we didn't expect that we will reach Denpasar at almost midnight, when public transport to Ubud was impossible. And a hired car was way out of our budget. So we ended up spending a night in the city instead.

The following morning, we took a bemo to Ubud and asked to be dropped along Monkey Forest Road. The LP guidebook lists a few homestays and we walked to the nearest one. We were greeted by an old lady and showed us a room. Actually, it wasn't a room. It was more like a pretty two-storey villa, which looked fairly new by the way. And the bed had lace draped over it. How romantic. Considering its price, which is just 300,000 IDR, it was an easy bargain. But again, it was out of our budget. So the old woman just led us to another homestay across the street.

Since all the rooms in that particular homestay only have double beds, we opted to stay there for just a night and find another one later that day. Walking around, we discovered that homestays abound. The term homestay must be a misnomer in Ubud because the rooms aren't really part of a house. In general, homestays are compounds with several buildings surrounding a garden. The family manages and lives in the compound, but guests don't necessarily live with them, which is the essence of a homestay. Anyway, the cheapest rooms which accommodate two persons cost 150,000 IDR. It seemed like every street has at least one homestay. So there really isn't a need to worry about accommodations in Ubud (except maybe when it's the peak season). Just be sure to check the room first because at the same price, standard pretty much vary.

The airport tax

Thinking on spending your last Rupiah on souvenirs before leaving Indonesia? Hold on first. There is an airport tax which must be paid by all departing passengers, without exception. The cost varies depending on the airport or if it is an international or domestic flight. In Surabaya, I paid 200,000 IDR for my flight out of Indonesia. Generally, the smaller the airport, the cheaper the airport tax you would have to pay. (Here's a helpful link to know how much you should pay.)

*The only country that does not include the airport tax in the ticket cost, aside from Indonesia, is the Philippines.

Know your local public transport

So you were instructed to take a bemo to get to your hostel and hire either an ojek or becak to get around the city. Are your eyebrows in furrow wondering what those are?

A bemo is a mini bus which runs a certain route and shared with other passengers. All the bemos I have taken in Bali are very old and beat up. (I mean really, you'd wonder how it is still running.) Some bemo could also be hired and function as a taxi. The fare is fixed, but prepared to get ripped off.

An ojek is simply a motorcycle which you can flag down anywhere and can take you anywhere you want to.

A becak is a three-wheel vehicle. In Java, the driver sits at the back and two (average sized) passengers can fit in the carriage in the front. The becak is either pedal-powered (more common) or motorized. This is a nice, slow way to get around the city. Although we found it a little too pricey for our budget.

The following aren't just applicable to travelling in Indonesia, but to any place one would go.

Have an idea of how much you should pay for something

When we took the mini-bus to Borobudur, we knew that we only had to pay 15,000 IDR each. But when we were about to pay, we were asked to give 35,000 IDR each. We still gave that amount, hoping that we heard it wrong and the excess money would be given back to us. But the collector left instantly upon receiving our money.

Feeling cheated, we asked the other tourists how much they paid. One couple paid 25,000 while the other gave 15,000. We really wanted our money back so once we arrived at the terminal and all the other passengers have alighted, we approached the collector and told him that what we gave him was too much. We were expecting that we would have a hard time doing so. But to our surprise, the collector gave us back the 40,000 without even a slight hesitation.

Haggle hard (if you can) and accept that you'll get ripped off

Here's the thing. You'll get ripped off no matter what, every time you travel. Sometimes you'll know about it which will make you feel bad or angry and in others, you'll have no idea you're shelling out more than you should.

From Batubulan terminal in Denpasar, we took a bemo to Ubud. Our old LP guidebook said the fare should be about 6,000 IDR and to allot for inflation, we thought we'll be asked for 15-20,000 IDR. To our surprise, the dispatcher said that the fare is 35,000. We went to what looked like an office and asked how much the fare to Ubud is but they didn't seem to know the answer. A man outside was telling them 35,000 and that's what they told us. It turned out that the man was the bemo driver.

Since we had no other choice, and taxi would be more expensive, we agreed and the dispatcher said that we'll just have to wait for more passengers. (Tip: Go to the terminal earlier when there are more bemos and passengers.) But only three came, and they were only going halfway.  So he asked for more money, or we'll wait more. In the end, we paid 85,000 for the two of us, thinking that there'd be no other passengers. Once the bemo got out of the terminal, the driver picked up more passengers. That wasn't what we were expecting.

A few days later, I was back at that terminal. The same dispatcher greeted me impishly and asked where I was going. I needed to go to Ubung terminal to catch a bus to Banyuwangi. I knew that the price he told me was just too much and I said I refuse to pay that amount. We had a little argument and after realizing that I wouldn't win anyway, I just ignored him. I was standing there wondering why I even argued when the driver called my attention. He took me to the terminal with the price that was acceptable to both of us.

kawah ijen: the blue flame, the sulfur miners and the search for sunrise

If you ever find yourself in Indonesia searching for something unique to see in the country, go hike to the crater of Ijen. Do this walk under the stars and you'll be rewarded with such a rare phenomenon.

In the eastern part of Java lies Kawah Ijen, a volcano which should be known for two things - its lake which contains a very acidic water and the display of blue flames. Gases constantly emitted by the volcano reacts with the water, forming hydrochloric acid. This gives the lake its green color and a pH close to 0. To top it off, a very strange event could be observed in the crater which is known as the blue flame. The blue flame, which looks like lava flowing out of volcanic fissures, are actually produced from sulfuric gases which ignite once they come in contact with air. (Read on.)

A few days before I went to see Ijen, I was at an office of a tour agency in Probolinggo waiting for our ride to Bali. A guy working for the agency asked me if I was interested in doing a tour to Ijen and I said of course, I was. He quoted me 500,000 IDR and although I was expecting the price to be that much, I still said that it was too expensive and I couldn't afford it.  He offered a 'special price' which was 100,000 IDR cheaper and maybe if I didn't feel like I was robbed by Bromo that day, I would have grabbed his offer.

There are two ways to get to Ijen. The more popular one is via Bondowoso but I find it more complicated with lots of vehicle transfers and thus more time consuming. Since I was coming from Bali, I took the more direct route from Banyuwangi. From there, it was less than an hour's drive by private vehicle to Pos Paltuding, the starting point of the trek to the crater.

Wondering how I got to Ijen on a tight budget? I got lucky.

I booked a room at the only accommodation listed in Hostelbookers. And although it wasn't something to write about and it was very much a little out of the way, a couple was also going to Ijen that day and we split the 450,000 IDR rent for a mini van. Some say that the road to Pos Paltuding is in a bad state and that a 4x4 is needed. This isn't true. Although the road gets really steep, it's completely paved.

At about 2 in the morning, we started walking to the crater. At first, it seemed like there were only the three of us. Later on, we caught up with a large group of tourists and men who turned out to be sulfur miners. A guide wasn't really necessary because the path was very obvious, even in the dark. And when confused, I just waited for the other people to pass me and then follow their track.

At some point during the hike, I could get a whiff of the sulfur when the wind blew to our direction. As we got nearer to the crater, the sulfuric gases lingered in the air causing discomfort. When the group of guys in front of me took out their industrial grade masks, I got envious. All I had was my headwear made of thin material to cover my nose and it was barely enough. The miners weren't using any. I guess you'll get used to it with time.

Upon reaching the rim of Ijen, we were greeted with a big signpost telling us that descending to the crater is strictly prohibited. Those ahead of me didn't seem to mind the warning and went on their way passing through a gate which I think never got locked. I overheard a few saying that they would only go down with their guides. I observed for a moment. Looking down, I saw the blue flames. It was the reason why I was there at that hour and I had to see them up close.

The trail to the bottom of the crater was harder to tackle than the path we took to get to the rim. The steps which are carved from the rocks on the slope are mostly uneven. But since it's used by the miners who carry a very heavy load, it can't be that difficult. In any case, some of the miners moonlight as guides for a fee. Sometimes the trail gets too narrow and we always gave way to the miners going up carrying sulfur. Once or twice, I got confused which path to take. I still acted as if I knew what I was doing to avoid the awkward situation where I'll be asked if I needed a guide and I still haven't learned how to gracefully say no. But the miners were just kind enough to show me the right path to take, even without me asking.

So what's so special about the blue flame aside from being a very rare occurrence? I'm not sure. Well, strange is beautiful. And the feeling of seeing something you haven't seen before and will probably never see again - that's special.

I tried to get as close as I could to the flames. And although the spot is practically covered with smoke, I lingered as long as I could to marvel at this rarity. Amidst the smoke, I saw a silhouette moving around. It turned out to be one of the miners gathering sulfur. I didn't know how he could stay there for long. I only hoped that he had the proper mask on.

The miners have been gathering sulfur from Ijen for decades now. It's hard to believe that they carry loads of up to 90 kilograms on foot, everyday, up to the rim and down to the station where they get paid. It is indeed a very taxing job. Backbreaking. Literally. I've only seen a few who are wearing the proper protective equipment. Their health are jeopardized because they are regularly exposed to dangerous gases every time they go down the crater. They might be getting more money mining sulfur rather than doing any other job available, but when the danger and the possible long-term effects inhaling those toxic gases are factored in, they are getting the short end of the stick.

Once I got my fix of the blue flame (and when I couldn't bear the smoke anymore) I started to make my way back up to be able to see the sunrise. When I got there, I came across several people who has just arrived and wondered if they were there primarily to see the blue flame. Going down, I heard the girl ahead of me asking her guide why the flames could only be seen at night. Self-explanatory. Dawn was already approaching. I just hoped they made it on time to be able to see the flames. As for me, I decided to walk along the crater rim to find a spot where I could watch the sunrise. I spotted a small group and was told that at that time of the year, the sun would be blocked by a portion of the volcano.

I didn't want to stop there though. I just didn't know where to go. I looked around, walked a little and found that there was a trail amidst the bush, going along the crater rim. I followed the trail, sidetracking to the edge a few times to catch a glimpse of the lake but most of the time, the view was concealed with smoke. I continued walking as the sky started to change its colors. I wasn't going to get the sunrise view I was hoping for but it was still beautiful.

I stopped by an abandoned remains of a building where there was an instrument set-up. I'm guessing it's being used to monitor the volcano's activity. (I may be wrong, though.) I had the place all to myself for quite some time, watching as dawn breaks and enjoying the stillness. Until a few people started coming. I felt a little selfish and I didn't want them to be there. But there was nothing I could do.

On the way down, I saw more and more people going up to the crater. They've missed the blue flame. They probably aren't aware of it or maybe just not as interested. Maybe the views are much clearer and as beautiful during the day? Maybe.