Exploring Mount Bromo, A Hidden Gem Of Indonesia

By Balkish Awang MALANG (Indonesia), May 4 (Bernama) -- While Bandung, Medan and Bali may be some of the most talked about holiday destinations in Indonesia, there is another hidden gem in the republic that is waiting to be discovered. Malang, the second largest city in East Java, is home to numerous hotspots and attractions including Mount Bromo. A recent tourism promotional programme organised by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism gave the writer a chance to indulge in breathtaking sunsets on Mount Penanjakan and later to Mount Bromo, an active volcano. The five-day Fam Trip Media Penang & Singapore 2016 programme took 10 media practitioners from Malaysia's northern state of Penang, who are also members of the Penang Mutiara Media Club, and 10 media personnel from Singapore to Malang. The ministry's Deputy Director Hari Budiarti, said East Java was the destination of choice for the media this time as there were many attractions to be introduced to Malaysians and Singaporeans. "Malaysians are very familiar with Jakarta, Bandung and Bali. East Java has extraordinary potential for tourism, and our media friends can see examples of this such as Mount Bromo," she said. EXCITEMENT OF WATCHING THE SUN RISE To get to Mount Bromo, the entourage got up as early as 1.30am (local time). A unique activity here is watching the sun rise at Mount Penanjakan first. Not an easy feat, the writer and the rest prepared themselves mentally and physically for the ascend. They left at 2am on a four-wheel drive, braving the 10 degrees Celcius temperature and darkness, seeking comfort in the warmth inside the vehicle. Besides the bone chilling cold, they also had to bear the hairpin bends of the mountainside. The journey from Sion View Hotel where they stayed, near Mount Bromo, to Mount Penanjakan took about 45 minutes. Upon arriving, this writer slowly made the way up the steps to the top for a spectacular view of the sunrise. An ear of grilled corn and a cup of hot coffee helped somewhat to keep the chill at bay as the writer continued to wait patiently. Despite the darkness, the viewpoint area was lively with the presence of hawkers selling grilled corn, fried bananas, drinks and even people renting out winter clothing to visitors. The sun finally came up slowly, leaving viewers awed at the sheer splendour they had been anticipating since 4.45am (local time). The view was indescribable but definitely better than anything they had ever imagined. The chance to witness the panoramic view before was amazing and the media group enjoyed their time there until 6am (local time) before heading to the peak of Mount Bromo. MOUNT BROMO, THE ACTIVE VOLCANO Then it was time to descend the mountain in the same four-wheel drive. This time driving towards Lautan Pasir and then straight to the top of Mount Bromo. Soaring 2,329 metres above sea level, Mount Bromo transcends four regions namely Probolinggo, Pasuruan, Lumajang and Malang. Though the ride to Bromo was dusty, the group barely felt the distance due to the beauty of their surroundings. Hari added that the volcano had erupted on more than 60 occassions since 1775. "The biggest explosion was in 1974 while the last time it exploded was in 2011," she added. It was an exciting experience. The view they got when they completed the climb of 245 steps to the top of the mountain was worth the sweat and each calorie burnt. Again, this writer was lost for words in describing the panorama from the top of the mountain. The sound of the strong wind at the peak and the view of a barren desert-like sea of sand and verdant landscape below created an enchanting feel. UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE The Star daily's assistant chief photographer Wan Mohizan Wan Hussein said the experience on top of Mount Bromo was nothing short of incredible. "This is my first time here on an active volcano. We also rode on horses for about three kilometres to get to the mountain. People from all over the globe gathered at the top for the most amazing view," he added. Wan Mohizan was speaking of the option available for visitors to horse ride or walk three kilometres from Lautan Pasir to get to the peak. Those who choose to ride a horse are charged RPI 150,000 (US$11). As Malaysia has no active volcanoes, Mount Bromo provided the Malaysian visitors an unforgettable experience at the top. Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) journalist Syarmila Rastam described the experience as fascinating, adding that it was the first of its kind for her. "This is all so fascinating and exciting. What a great programme for the media and I hope it will continue in the future. We saw an active mountain and could hear the rumbling sound it made, how thrilling!" she said beaming. APPLE PICKING After their mountain excursion, media personnel were taken to Kusuma Agro Wisata, a plantation growing apples, oranges, papaya, guava and dragon fruit. Here visitors can pick their own fruits and enjoy them on the spot. Tour guide Tarwoko V.H said besides the 60 hectare plantation, the Kusuma Agro Wisata located in Kota Batu also houses a hotel and water theme park. "Visitors usually don't pass up the chance to pick apples here. They are sweet and delicious," he said. According to Tarwoko, a kilogramme of apples were sold for RPI 20,000 (US$1.48), guavas for RPI 5,000 (US$0.37), while oranges and dragon fruit were priced at RPI 10,000 (US$0.74) per kilo. The groups wasted no time picking their own fruits and savoured them at the plantation itself. Whatever fruits they could not finish consuming at the plantation were packed neatly in a box for visitors to take home. Apples and guava are available all year round while dragon fruit are in season from December to April. Oranges are abundant between April and July. More than anything else, Malang with its numerous attractions provides visitors a good reason to be there any time of the year. -- BERNAMA