A Journey to the Summit of Mount Bromo, Indonesia

Nyssa Hartin is Goway’s Asia Team Leader. She recently explored Indonesia and gives her account of her unforgettable trek up Mount Bromo.

As an Asia Expert at Goway Travel, Indonesia has always held a very compelling draw for me. Of course I wanted to experience Bali, but the real pull for me lay a little to the west, on the mysterious and often overlooked island of Java. It is home to Mount Bromo, one of the most famous active volcanoes on the island. At a mere 2,329 meters high, it doesn’t earn its fame for being one of the tallest peaks around, but for being one of the top places in the world to watch the sun rise!

My journey started the day before – with a brief 1 hour flight from Bali to Surabaya, and then a 4 hour exhilarating drive through small villages. We passed breathtaking rice terraced fields as we drove up steep and winding roads into the mountains until I was high above the clouds resting in the valleys below me.

In the evening I took a brief “nap” before my alarm woke me up at 3 o’clock in the morning. It was time. Sleepily, I climbed into the land rover with my guide and immediately became alert as we tore down the pitch black, narrow road at breakneck speeds, to make it to the viewpoint in time.

After about 45 minutes, we left our jeep at the side of the road and made the rest of the journey by foot. As I made my way to the edge of the viewing platform, hushed excitement filled the air from the other adventurers that had gathered to watch what Mother Nature had in store for us – and believe me, we were not disappointed!