When many people think of Indonesia, I'm sure, like me, they think of volcanoes, rice fields, beautiful beaches, temples and lush green forests.
Lucky enough to be back there in April, it's really hard to put into words how true your imagination of this country is. It's just magical, amazing and absolutely amazing. When you come back, I just know that you will talk about it like I did and try to ask all your friends to go!
Mount Bromo – the most famous volcano in Java
The views of Mount Bromo are some of the most iconic in the vast Indonesian archipelago. Only a few hours' drive from the beautiful city of Malang, which has a strong Dutch heritage with many colonial buildings, and is a great place to stay a few nights to end a trip from Yogyakarta.
There aren't many accommodation options around Bromo itself, but we usually settle for the lovely Java Banana hotel, which is in the small mountainside village of Wonotoro. Located about 2000 m above sea level, the village setting is a stark contrast to areas at much lower elevations; You'll find hillside farming and a more subsistence lifestyle, especially since the soil is so rich from volcanic ash. The views down the volcano's slopes are dramatic, and you can often see flat plains in the distance.
Ijen – a volcano that is rarely visited
Likewise to the stunning Ijen plateau, off the main tourist route and just west of Java. It's an old slog from Bromo, especially when you add an early wake-up call, but the views are always beautiful, so you can watch a few hours outside your window while you lie down!
About 6 hours into the journey, we left a beautiful paved road, and we had to hike for about 800m before we saw the sign for Ijen resort. The road is maybe only 5 km long, but it's probably one of the worst roads I've ever been on, and it took us about 45 minutes to reach the hotel.
It's worth it! I'm fortunate to have traveled a lot, and I've never taken my experiences for granted, but I can honestly say that the view on arrival from the hotel lobby was unlike anything I've ever seen before. Ijen resort has it all: 3 volcanoes in close proximity (one of which is archetypal conical), the most picture-perfect rice fields and forests, and not forgetting some palm trees for good measure.
Did they really design this look to look like a postcard! If you walk 25m to the other side of the resort you can see the Bali strait, Bali itself,
For those of you who want to depart from the city of Surabaya, you can use the Surabaya Bromo Ijen Tour package. This tour package will greatly facilitate your trip.
