Colorful Indonesia with pristine nature and unique sights has always attracted tourists. An incredibly attractive country, which includes more than 13 thousand islands of volcanic origin, has long become a standard of exoticism. Here you can enjoy the views of majestic temples, soak up the golden sand, go on exciting excursions, get acquainted with the original culture of the indigenous people. Indonesia is a wonderful place where a beach holiday is combined with an active one, which is very much appreciated by travelers.
Volcanoes of Indonesia
The world's largest archipelago is located in a tectonic fault zone, which is why there are so many dormant volcanoes. They become a powerful magnet for everyone who gets acquainted with the landscapes of the state, full of bright colors.
Volcanoes are one of Indonesia's top attractions and walking tours on them are enjoyedhuge popularity. Many tourists who go on a long journey dream of looking into the real underworld.
Java National Park
In the east of the fifth largest island of the state is one of the most famous volcanoes in the world, attracting visitors with its destructive beauty. One of the most powerful and destructive natural phenomena, which can destroy entire cities, delights with special grandeur.
National Park of Java Island Bromo-Tengger-Semeru is considered the most visited volcanic complex. Being part of a mountain range, it is open at any time of the year, but keep in mind that during the wet season (November-March) due to precipitation, you can not get here.
The climatic conditions of the park are far from resort: the average daytime temperature does not exceed 20 degrees, and at night it drops to zero.
Indonesia's most popular volcano
This is where the famous volcano Bromo is located, which tourists come to watch from all over the world. It is popular due to its easy accessibility and constant seismic activity. The top of the volcano was destroyed after another earthquake, and now a natural phenomenon with a disproportionately large crater diameter of 600 meters looks very strange.
Rising majestically above the terrain, the 2,379-meter-high Bromo Volcano is spectacular in the early morning and at sunset.
More than 25 thousand years ago, this place was a cone-shaped stratovolcano, consisting of lava layers. Afterstrong earthquake, he lost his top, which led to the formation of a sandy caldera (recess in the vent). As a result of the destruction, an active volcano appeared, causing great interest not only for tourists, but also for scientists.
Sacrifices to the gods
Indians live at the foot of the giant, throwing food, plants or even animals into the mouth of the sacred volcano to appease the gods. Since ancient times, Bromo Volcano, surrounded by legends, is a place where various rituals were performed. For example, the Yadnya Kasada festival, intended to calm a natural phenomenon, lasts about a month, during which it is customary to bring sacrificial gifts and pray to the Hindu gods, begging for blessings.
This ritual originated in the 15th century in the east of the island of Java. Bromo Volcano has always been seismically dangerous, and only the brave ones descended to the crater during its activity.
A unique attraction - meeting the sunrise on Bromo
Tourists rush to the island to meet the sunrise on the edge of the crater in which Bromo is located. This is such an incredible sight that it is remembered for a lifetime. Early in the morning, around four in the morning, tourists make their way along the sand formed as a result of constant eruptions and stretching for 10 kilometers. The surface, reminiscent of the moon valley, amazes with its unusual appearance.
Tired travelers climb a 300-meter staircase covered with a thick layer of ash for about half an hour, after which they take positions on the observation deck, from whichgreat view of the volcano. You can also buy a bouquet of dried herbs from local residents and drop it into the crater to appease the giant.
In the middle of a lifeless sandy valley, in the dark, the outlines of sheer cliffs are visible, resembling huge giants. When the fog clears, the mighty Bromo volcano in Indonesia appears in all its glory, the slopes of which are devoid of green vegetation, and the frozen lava and ash resemble landscapes of scorched deserts.
Birth of a new day
The timid rays of the sun, breaking through the mountain range, intensify the play of light and shadow, and only the camera of the camera captures the amazing changes taking place in the folds of the slope of the volcano. Everything happens so fast that the human eye cannot follow the lightning movement of the sun.
Light floods the entire valley, which is called the "sea of sand", leaving no chance for the darkness of the night. The day is born, painting the mountains and the plains in golden hues. From the observation deck, this unforgettable sight looks in one breath and fascinates with unearthly views of the majestic beauty of nature. The scenery, which is more like an intro to a sci-fi movie, leaves a lasting impression.
The huge crater itself can easily be walked around the perimeter in fifty minutes, and walking along the edge of a living mountain is breathtaking. True, not all daredevils venture on such an adventure and limit themselves to being on the observation deck, photographing unique landscapes. As tourists admit, if you go down forty meters deep, you can see how fromvents erupt white puffs of sulphurous gas.
Hindu temple and Tengger village
At the foot of Bromo, the operating Hindu temple Pura Luhur Poten Bromo is comfortably located in the open air, and you can look there even from early morning. Sometimes it is covered with ashes and dug up by the locals, who believe that the dangerous monster is the entrance to the underworld.
On the edge of the caldera is the small village of Chemoro Lawang, a very popular place among travelers who come to enjoy the nature of Java. The tenggers living here, who have preserved the Hindu way of life to this day, worship the deity and ask the Bromo volcano not to send fiery lava to the inhabitants.
The acquaintance with the sight begins from the village, so housing prices here are unusually high. Tourists who have been here say that the cost of one room in a hotel can exceed 100,000 rupees (approximately $10). But due to the very good location of the village - on the very edge of the cliff, from where a gorgeous view of the volcano opens - no one suffers from a lack of tourists.
Volcano Bromo: how to get there?
A minibus runs through the city of Probolinggo, which will take you to the right place - the village of Cemoro Lawang, located an hour's walk to the volcano. Transport departs from a stop near the bus station, and the fare is 35-45 thousand rupees. The serpentine road takes two hours.
To get thereto Probolingo, you can take a bus in Denpasar or Yogyarta (11 hours), Malang (2.5 hours). Those wishing to travel by train will choose the starting point of the second largest city in Indonesia - Surabaya.
If tourists go to the volcano from Bali, then their path passes through the port of Gilimanuk, located in the west of the island. The ferry, which leaves for Java, will stay on the road for about an hour, and from the end point - Ketapang - you will have to travel six hours by bus to the village of Chemoro Lawang.
Tourist Tips
You can visit the Bromo volcano during the dry season, which starts in May and ends in September.
Those who want to meet the sunrise at the volcano need to take care of warm clothes, because it is very cold on the observation deck, blown by the winds. A face mask is also required, which will protect from the ash that covers all roads and trails. Many even buy respirators. In addition, you will need a special case and lenses for the camera, so take care of this in advance.
Delightful pictures are also obtained on a cloudless night, when the Milky Way sparkling with stars above the Bromo volcano is clearly visible. From the beauty of the amazing spectacle, the heart stops, and the myriad of shining lights against the dark sky will remain in memory for a long time. It seems that you can touch the stars with your hand.
You can hire a horse to climb the steep stairs, but you will have to walk the last tens of meters to the crater yourself. You should not refuse the services of a guide who knows which places to avoid, because every half an houra natural attraction throws out not only ashes, but also stones. Hiking alone comes with a certain amount of risk.
To get to the volcano, you will have to pay a service fee (permit) in the national park - 220 thousand rupees. The price increases depending on the season and on weekends.
Major eruption this year
Many scientists deal with the problems of natural phenomena, including the traveler-researcher Oleg Kovtun. Bromo, Ijen and Semeru volcanoes have always been a source of concern for local residents, who listen with fear to the tremors of the earth. Seismologists working in Indonesia warned of the danger back in the summer, and in the fall, a strong eruption of the formidable giant Bromo began - the most dangerous volcano, which has been constantly active for more than 20 years.
To date, residents of neighboring villages have prepared for the evacuation, and tourists are prohibited from approaching the crater less than two kilometers. A huge column of ash rising above the volcano is a beautiful and at the same time frightening sight. A few months earlier, the monster was dusty and buzzing, frightening the indigenous population. The calmly smoking volcano Bromo, whose photo today is truly terrifying, exploded and turned into a fiend.
The Blue Lights of Ijen
There are many fire-breathing giants in Java, whose beauty fascinates tourists. The mighty volcanoes Bromo and Ijen have long become the visiting cards of the country, and foreigners who have heard about the locals come to see them.attractions.
Travel to the Ijen volcano, which gave the name to the national park, is very popular. You can look inside the smoking giant and see a hot lake filled with sulfuric acid. Vapors of hazardous substances do not allow to stay here for a long time. Sometimes the sulfur ignites, and then beautiful blue lights appear, which become the most striking sight.
As you probably already understood, coming to Java means leaving an indelible mark in your memory of involvement in amazing natural phenomena.
