Lonely Planet Indonesia

by Lonely Planet

  The lip of the crater in Cemoro Lawang (between the Cemara Indah hotel and Lava View Lodge) has lots of viewing spots where you can savour Bromo's superb scenery away from the crowds.

  If you're unlucky and cloudy weather curtails your views of Bromo, drop by the gallery at the Java Banana hotel to see what you've missed. And then stay another day and hope that the skies clear.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Cemoro Lawang

  On the lip of the Tengger crater overlooking Bromo, Cemoro Lawang is a tiny, charming highland village in a spectacular location. Its relaxed atmosphere and cool climate will come as quite a relief if you've been clocking up the kilometres in Java.

  Unfortunately two hotels (both Lavas) have a near-duopoly here and charge prices that are heavily inflated from the norm in Indonesia. Both operate a triple-level pricing scheme, ramping up their rates from low (5 January through April) to high (May to mid-September) and up again in peak season (mid-September to 4 January). Rates increase further (by around 20%) on selected weekends, some days in August, and over Christmas and New Year. Rates quoted here are for May to mid-September.

  Tengger IndahHOMESTAY$

  (Cemoro Lawang; r from 150,000Rp)

  An east-facing homestay in town, a stone's throw from the rim at the junction. Prim and painted with murals on the exterior, the interiors are simple, tiled and affordable. Nothing fancy.

  Cafe Lava HostelHOTEL$$

  (%0335-541 020; r without bathroom from 175,000Rp, with bathroom & breakfast from 425,000Rp; W)

  With a sociable vibe thanks to its streetside cafe and attractive layout (rooms are scattered down the side of a valley), this is first choice for most travellers, despite the steep prices. Economy rooms are very small but neat, and have access to a shared veranda and clean communual bathrooms (fitted with all-important hot showers).

  More expensive rooms have little porches with great views and wood furniture. The restaurant serves up reasonable Indonesian and Western grub and cold Bintang.

  Hotel Bromo PermaiLODGE$$

  (%0335-541 049; d from 610,000Rp)

  With close to the same majestic vistas as Lava View (but not quite), the tiled rooms in the wooden building are clean and come with wood-panelled ceilings and flat-screens. The dark wood rooms are the newest of the bunch. The restaurant is decked out with more of the wood panelling and is washed in classical Indonesian music.

  All things considered, it's the best value on the hill.

  Lava View LodgeHOTEL$$

  (%0335-541009; r/bungalows from 713,000/792,000Rp; W)

  This is a well-run hotel located 500m along a side road on the eastern side of the village. As it's almost on the lip of the crater, you can stumble out your door to magnificent Bromo views. It’s overpriced, but at least the wooden rooms and bungalows are comfortable enough (if dated) and staff are friendly and helpful.

  There's a huge restaurant here with the usual mix of Indonesian and Western food, but beware the bad cover songs masquerading as live music some nights.

  Ngadisari & Wonotoro

  Yoschi’s HotelGUESTHOUSE$

  (%0335-541018; www.hotelyoschi.com; r without shower 240,000Rp, with shower from 540,000Rp, cottages from 900,000Rp; iW)

  This rustic place has lots of character, with bungalows and small rooms dotted around a large, leafy garden compound. However, many lack hot water and cleanliness standards could be better. There's a huge restaurant that serves up pricey Western and Indonesian food (subject to a stiff 20% service charge).

  It's 4km below Bromo and tours can be arranged. Room prices rise by around 25% in high season (July to September, Christmas and New Year).

  Jiwa JawaHOTEL$$$

  (%0335-541193; www.jiwajawa.com; r incl breakfast 750,000-2,250,000Rp, ste/lodge from 3,630,000/4,000,000Rp, meals from 40,000Rp; W)

  A kind of ultra-modern mountain lodge, this excellent place has expanded its operations in recent years and was in the midst of a name change and rebranding at press time. It has a huge selection of stylish rooms (largely built from wood) that are of a high standard, though many are quite compact.

  You'll also love the elevated cafe-restaurant, which has sweeping views over villages and vegetable fields. The whole place is enhanced by the oversized prints of Indonesia, taken by the talented photographer-owner.

  8Information

  There are two entry posts as you drive uphill toward Cemoro Lawang and into Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park. The first will charge a mere 10,000Rp entrance fee, but the second is the real ticket. And that ticket costs 317,500Rp. Steep? Yes, but worth it. Information about trails and mountain conditions is available from the PHKA post (%0335-541038; h8am-3pm Tue-Sun) in Cemoro Lawang and also at the PHKA post (%034-357 1048; h8am-3pm Tue-Sun) on the southern outskirts of Wonokitri. Both extend their opening hours during busy periods. The park’s official office is located in Malang. There’s a BNI ATM close to the crater lip in Cemoro Lawang.

  8Getting There & Away

  Probolinggo is the main gateway to Bromo. Hotels in the Bromo area can book minivans to Probolinggo (35,000Rp, two hours) where you can catch long-distance buses to Yogyakarta (90,000Rp to 150,000Rp, 10 to 11 hours) and Denpasar (125,000Rp to 150,000Rp, 11 hours). Many people arrive on tours from Yogyakarta, which involves a punishing overland journey, usually in a cramped minibus. Alternatively, if you don't mind changing transport, the most comfortable (and fastest) way to cover this route is Yogyakarta to Surabaya by train, then a train or bus to Probolinggo and a minibus up to Cemoro Lawang.

  Tours to Bromo are also easily organised in Malang, where you can arrange 4WD hire in hotels and travel agencies.

  BROMO BY BUS

  Minibus trips to Gunung Bromo (and on to Bali) are very popular with travellers. However few enjoy the experience, as the route involves a long, slow overland journey in cramped conditions. Ten-hour journeys can take 13 hours, and the air-conditioned bus promised turns out to be a rusty tin can on wheels. The most comfortable way to Bromo is to take a train (or even fly) to Surabaya and then another train or bus on to Probolinggo.

  If you do decide to do the trip by minibus (from 200,000Rp, 11 to 13 hours) note that many operators often terminate short of Cemoro Lawang, and drop you off at a (poor) hostel on the way up the volcano (which is sure to be paying a commission).

  Travellers also have regularly reported mysterious ‘breakdowns’ on the Bromo route, which cut into travelling time and mean that you don’t reach Cemoro Lawang. Others have experienced problems with onward connections to Bali. Purchase your ticket from a reliable agent – we suggest Great Tours – and check up-to-date information with other travellers and on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree internet forum.

  Gunung Semeru

  Part of the huge Tengger Massif, the classic cone of Gunung Semeru is the highest peak in Java, at 3676m. Also known as Mahameru (Great Mountain), it is looked on by Hindus as the most sacred mountain of all and the father of Gunung Agung on Bali.

  Semeru is one of Java’s most active peaks and has been in a near-constant state of eruption since 1818 – it exploded as recently as March 2009. At the time of research the mountain was open to hikers, but periodically officials will warn against attempting the summit due to volcanic acitivity.

  Trekking tours from Malang usually take two (or sometimes three) days to get to the summit and back. Helios Tours in Malang charges 750,000 per person, per day for a three-day, two-night hike including all supplies, transport, meals and an English-speaking guide.

  To hike the peak independently, take an angkot (10,000Rp, 45 minutes) from Malang’s Arjosari bus station to Tumpang. Here you can charter an ojek/4WD (70,000/550,000Rp) to Ranu Pani village, the start of the trek. There are several homestays (all around 100,000Rp per person) in Ranu Pani (2109m). Good ones include Pak Tasrip and Pak Tumari, both of which serve meals and can organise guides (150,000Rp per day), tents and sleeping bags (which are essential).

  Hikers must register with the PHKA post (%Tumpang
Office 034-178 7972), which is towards the lake in Ranu Pani. It will have the latest information about conditions – you may not be able to access the summit and may only make it as far as the Arcopodo campsite. Staff might also ask you to produce a health certificate. Expect to pay a small fee for a climbing permit and entrance for the national park (317,500Rp).

  Rangers will direct you to the trailhead for Semeru. The route is lined with markers for some distance and passes three shelters, so it's difficult to get lost. You'll pass pretty Ranu Kumbolo, a crater lake (2400m), 13km or 3½ hours from Ranu Pani. The trail then crosses savannah before climbing to Kalimati (three hours), at the foot of the mountain. From Kalimati it is a steep hour-or-so climb to Arcopodo, where there is a flattish campsite.

  From Arcopodo, it is a short, steep climb to the start of the volcanic sands, and then a tough three-hour climb through loose scree to the peak. Semeru explodes every half hour and the gases and belching lava make the mountain dangerous – stay well away from vents. On a clear day, there are breathtaking views of Java’s north and south coasts, as well as vistas of Bali. To see the sunrise, it is necessary to start at about 1.30am for the summit.

  SEMERU ESSENTIALS

  Semeru is a highly active volcano and its status changes rapidly – check with the national park office in Malang, locally in Ranu Pani village, and also online at www.gunungbagging.com.

  Because several hikers have died of heart attacks climbing Semeru, officially you're supposed to have a health certificate to confirm that you should be able to make it there and back. These are best obtained in Malang in advance.

  Nights on the mountain are bitterly cold (often near-freezing) and inexperienced climbers have died of exposure. Make sure you have adequate gear and clothing.

  The best time of year to make the climb is May to October when you have a decent chance of clear skies and dry weather.

  Bondowoso

  %0332 / Pop 71,000

  Bondowoso, suspended between the highlands of Tengger and Ijen, is the gateway to Bromo and Ijen and home to some of the island’s best tape, a tasty, sweet-and-sour snack made from boiled and fermented vegetable roots.

  Tape tastes vaguely alcoholic and can be found on Jl PB Sudirman, where dozens of shops sell it by the basket (15,000Rp). The ‘321’ brand is reportedly the best.

  It's mainly a transit and market town, tours to Ijen can be organised here. There are many (cramped) minibuses to Ijen (35,000Rp), all leaving before noon for the 2½-hour trip. Other destinations from Bondowoso include Jember (10,000Rp, 45 minutes), Probolinggo (20,000Rp to 30,000Rp, two hours) and Surabaya (normal/air-con 40,000/55,0000Rp, five hours).

  4Sleeping

  Palm HotelHOTEL$$

  (%0332-421201; www.palm-hotel.net; Jl A Yani 32; r incl breakfast with fan & mandi 190,000Rp, with air-con 320,000-610,000Rp; aWs)

  Just south of the huge, grassy alun-alun, this good-value hotel's huge, heat-busting pool makes it a great escape from Java's punishing humidity. Take your pick from simple fan-only options with cold-water mandi or smart, spacious air-conditioned rooms that show a minimalist design influence.

  The brightest and most inviting are set toward the front of the main building. The restaurant is good. Transport to Ijen can be arranged (4WD costs 600,000Rp).

  Ijen Plateau

  The fabled Ijen Plateau is a vast volcanic region dominated by the three cones of Ijen (2368m), Merapi (2800m) and Raung (3332m). A beautiful, forested alpine area, the most dramatic scenery is yours as you wind through the rubber and clove groves, climbing up and over a pass, before dropping into an extinct crater (the so-called plateau), now home to evocative, shade-grown coffee plantations, threaded with streams and gurgling with hot springs. Along with the plantations and their company kampung, there are a few isolated settlements here. Gunung Ijen is Javanese for ‘Lonely Mountain’, after all. Access roads to the plateau are poor and perhaps because of this, visitor numbers are relatively low, though steadily increasing.

  Virtually everyone who does come is here for the hike up to the spectacular crater lake of Kawah Ijen. You can see the mountain's dramatic, gaping mouth looming above the highland rim. Those kinds of sweeping vistas combined with a temperate climate make the plateau a great base for a few days up in the clouds and away from the crowds.

  1Sights

  Java’s finest coffee, both arabica and robusta varieties, is produced in the Ijen Plateau area, along with cacao, cloves and rubber. It’s possible to visit coffee plantations, including Kebun Balawan ; visits will usually include a wander through coffee groves and an impromptu tour of the plantation’s factory. This plantation has thermal pools and a gushing thermal waterfall (5000Rp) set amid lush jungle.

  A HEAVY LOAD

  The Ijen volcano produces a lot of sulphur, historically known as brimstone. Around 300 collectors (all men) work here, getting up at around 3am to hike up the crater and hack out the yellow stuff by hand. Their only protection against the cone’s noxious fumes are cotton scarves, which they tie around their noses. These DIY miners then spend the next six-or-so hours scurrying back down the volcano with 60kg to 80kg loads on their backs.

  It’s arduous work that pays very little (around 800Rp per kilo), and yet the non-stop, physical exertion keeps the collectors incredibly fit. Few report health problems despite breathing great lungfuls of sulphurous fumes virtually every day of their lives. The sulphur collected is used for cosmetics and medicine, and is added to fertilizer and insecticides.

  2Activities

  The magnificent turquoise sulphur lake of Kawah Ijen lies at 2148m above sea level and is surrounded by the volcano’s sheer crater walls. At the edge of the lake, sulphurous smoke billows from the volcano’s vent and the lake bubbles when activity increases. Ijen’s last major eruption was in 1936, though due to an increased threat access was closed in late 2011, and again in March 2012 for a few weeks.

  Ijen is a major sulphur-gathering centre and you’ll pass the collectors as you hike up the trail. Most now ask for a fee for photographs, though a cigarette will usually be accepted as payment.

  The ideal time to make the Kawah Ijen hike is in the dry season between April and October. However, while the path is steep, it’s usually not too slippery, so the hike is certainly worth a try in the rainy season if you have a clear day. Make it for sunrise if you can.

  The starting point for the trek to the crater is the PHKA post (admission weekdays/weekends 100,000/150,000Rp; h7am-5pm) at Pos Paltuding, which can be reached from Bondowoso or Banyuwangi. Sign in and pay your entry fee here. The steep 3km path up to the observation post (where there’s a teahouse) takes just over an hour; keep an eye out for gibbons. From the post it’s a further 30-minute walk to the lip of the wind-blasted crater and its stunning views.

  From the crater rim, an extremely steep, gravelly path leads down to the sulphur deposits and the steaming lake. The walk down takes around 30 minutes; the path is slippery in parts and the sulphur fumes towards the bottom can be overwhelming. Expect burning lungs and streaming eyes if you do make it to the bottom. Take great care – a French tourist fell and died here some years ago.

  Back at the lip of the crater, turn left for the climb to the highest point (2368m) and magnificent views, or keep walking counterclockwise for even more expansive vistas of the lake. On the other side of the lake, opposite the vent, the trail disappears into crumbling volcanic rock and deep ravines.

  4Sleeping

  This is a remote mountain region and, with little competition, the budget accommodation is pretty sketchy. The two guesthouses are run by coffee estates, whose owners clearly prioritise beans over beds. Few staff speak any English and email booking requests may or may not be answered. Room availability is also limited, so prepare yourself accordingly. However, if the lodge rooms are full, management can source local homestay options (125,000Rp to 150,000Rp) for you within moments.

  Sempol village, home to Arabika, has a couple of warungs. Pos Paltuding has a small shop
for provisions and a cafe serving little more than noodles.

  Catimor is set in the village of Blawan, a hamlet gushing with hot springs and a cascading stream. It's a special place and the preferable landing spot. Book ahead.

  oCatimorLODGE$

  (%0813 5799 9800, 0813 3619 9110; catimor_n12@yahoo.com; r 125,000-325,000Rp; Ws)

  This budget lodge boasts an excellent location in the Kebun Balawan coffee plantation, close to hot springs. Unfortunately, there has been little or no maintenance for some time and the whole place is pretty creaky (especially inside the original wooden Dutch lodge, which dates back to 1894). There's also a separate block of cheap, reasonably clean, if featureless rooms.

  Be sure to indulge yourself in the spring-fed hot tub, or brave the chilly swimming pool. Staff do their best here considering the remote location, and the meals are quite good. An ojek from Sempol is around 30,000Rp. Although management can arrange homestays if they are full, those do not include access to the hot spring.

  ArabikaLODGE$

  (%081 1350 5881, 082 8330 1347; arabica.homestay@gmail.com; r incl breakfast 175,000-325,000Rp; W)

  This dated, usually chilly mountain lodge is managed by the Kebun Kalisat coffee plantation, which is a short walk away. Sadly, it's not in great shape these days, and cleanliness could be better – the more you pay the cleaner the rooms seem to get – but all rooms have hot water and a bathtub in which to enjoy it.