TZIf you’re here at Mount Bromo for the sunrise, don’t forget to include stargazing too. Stargazing is made possible at Mount Bromo because of the low light in this area. It is possible to even see the Milky Way if the sky is clear enough, so if you love for a beautiful start to your day, be sure to make this part of your itinerary for the day!
The hike:
Day started early at 3am today in order to get a good spot for the sunrise at Mount Bromo. We arrived sometime between 4 to 4.30am. It was pitch dark then and I got slapped in the face by the super cold weather at 5 degrees Celcius. Glad we got to enjoy some hot Milo with fried bananas (their local snack) before the sunrise.
Soon after warming ourselves up for a bit, we began taking a short hike upwards to the top of a hill where we plopped ourselves down on the bare ground waiting for the sun to rise. We were pleasantly surprised by the millions of beautiful stars above us as we sat in darkness. I’m glad we had this time to stargaze and enjoy the peace and serenity that surrounded us.
After approximately an hour and a half, the sun started to rise and this beautiful view unfolded in front of our very eyes. Stars above, Mount Bromo below, and us in the middle.
We were so caught up with the beauty of the sunrise on the left that when I turned back to look to my right, my jaw literally dropped as what was initially pitch black was now what you see in the picture below. IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!
I did not realise that we were so high above sea level (2,329m to be exact) that the clouds were below us. This view just made all that shivering in the morning worth it.
How to prepare for the stargazing/ sunrise at Mount Bromo?
1. Dress in layers – Bring a fleece jacket or thermal wear to prepare for the cold morning but the hot afternoon
2. Wear shoes with good grip as you will be climbing on loose soil and volcanic ash.
3. Prepare some water and snacks as you’ll be out for the whole morning till afternoon and may get hungry along the way. However, do remember to leave only footprints and no litter behind for whatever you bring there!
4. A great camera to capture the awesome views! You might want to consider a tripod too to capture that timelapse video of the sunrise over Bromo.
How did we get around Surabaya:
We signed up for a private tour package with one of the local tour groups in Surabaya. They were such amazing guides that it made our trip 10x more memorable. If you are interested in the private tour I signed up for, just drop me a message for more information.
