After the bucket-list waterfalls, it was time to move on to the next, and route-wise final destination: Mount Bromo. The road there isn’t bad at all, and it’s actually fun as it leads straight uphill (at ca. 2,5-degree incline) from Probolinggo to the basecamp villages.

BROMO

One very important thing to know: you go up to roughly 1500 meters above sea level (lookout points are at ca. 2400 m), which means cold. Especially when there’s no sun above your head.

My general rule at a higher altitude is that I’d rather pay more than deal with moldy rooms, cold water, and rundown crap. If anywhere, a freezing environment on a Muslim island is where you need bare-minimum standards.
I stayed at Omah Kayu Bromo because it looked so charming in the photos. And indeed: super cute, photogenic, fairly new cabins in the woods.. except that locals across the road blast crap music all night long and live for their small-dick energy loud-exhaustpipe bikes. So, the seemingly peaceful atmosphere didn’t match reality, and it left me with a sleepy bittersweet face. The bed and terrace are super comfy, but if you decide to stay here, definitely bring earplugs.

I arrived in the afternoon, just in time to check out the sunset. It was definitely cold, but with a vibe. Even though it got increasingly cloudy, I still caught lovely golden-hour light, and a pretty decent sight of smoking Bromo and the iconic grooved slopes of Mt. Batok. Seruni Point was my go to place, and I have to state: I’m surely not fit. I had to stop at every single turn on the way up to gasp for air. It’s steep, and it would probably be less painful if you were only climbing stairs, but walking up that steep asphalt sucks. At least there was no crowd; I only met five people, pretty much suffering the same way as me.

Of course, I had to do the sunrise as well, but after assessing the situation, I decided I didn’t want to walk up that asphalt road again. Seruni Point has a parking area with a wooden lookout that offers pretty much the exact same panorama as the top viewpoint. As I said, I look for shortcuts whenever possible. So I woke up at 5 am (instead of 3) in no rush, drove up to the spot, brought a canned coffee and snacks, and enjoyed the mystical view.. and the people struggling up and down the torturous asphalt.

I was never really interested in climbing mountains; I came for the sight, not for a hike or lava-field jeeping, so after returning to my cozy room, I took a hot shower and a nap, then just went on my merry way.

May is considered low season, so visibility can be tricky, humid, or misty, but there’s a mood in the imperfection. Although I didn’t get the dopest conditions or photos of my life, I lowkey enjoyed it – without that mind-blowing undertone I got at Uluru, for example. Surely this is not the make the most out of it Bromo trip one can have, but I was perfectly content with my version. Not being dramatic is also good enough sometimes; I left Bromo with zero disappointment or dissatisfaction.

Entry: 35.000 IDR village tax during office hours – if you come before or after, no one will charge you. If you go to the main entrance, they’ll charge an additional 255.000 IDR, but there are shortcuts – the road by Semesta Villa is a great no-fee option.

BANYUWANGI

What people may miss is that reaching a destination is only halfway. The painful part is never going there – it’s coming back. I hate driving the same road twice, so if possible, I choose a different route just for variety. Sometimes it’s not worth it, or you end up trading a good one for a worse, but East Java is pretty much the same everywhere. From Bromo, I took the northern road back to Banyuwangi. 5,5 hours of pure driving (about 220 km) where nothing happens – you just sit and proceed. I couldn’t spot anything interesting along the way, and cutting through the mountains might have been scenic, but also wet, and I wasn’t in the mood for poncho riding again.

Since it was a long day, and I don’t sit on ferries in the late afternoon, I spent the night in Banyuwangi. In Aston again, to give some rest to my tired body and a good meal for my stomach.

The next morning, I took off for the final mission: making it back to Bali. An interesting experience for the end tho: after disembarking in Gilimanuk, the police stopped every bike and car to check driver’s licenses. In all my travels across Indonesia, this was the very first time that’s happened. They didn’t differentiate between Indonesians and foreigners, so it wasn’t a full-on bule scam.. still, I’m sure that’s somehow part of it. To make your life easier, if you plan a trip like this, have all your papers sorted.

SUM IT UP

What a trip. What a week. Not to mention all the dirt and exhaust smoke – seeing my white face masks turn black every time convinces me they aren’t completely useless.

I’m glad I did this trip, maybe even better now, with all the travels of the past 8 years in me. I probably managed and took things easier than I would have before – already prepared for everyday conditions, rolling with the circumstances more comfortably, and sometimes lowkey enjoying it. I’m proud of myself for accomplishing such challenges, and I utterly love stunning locals – it happened every time they saw my Bali licence plate.

Taking in all the experiences, immersing in the incredible nature, capturing all kinds of visuals, and engaging in small talk is priceless. And maybe the best part is that you don’t have to plan anything ahead: just go and sort things out day by day or hour by hour, leave space for the unexpected, and know that Indonesia is one of the easiest places to travel. Whatever happens, happens.. it all goes into the memories.

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