Guess what. Finally i can check a box on my bucket list. Yes, Surabaya is a place that i really wanted to explore and travel. For your information, i've planned to go to Surabaya and already bought the flight ticket before Covid-19 hit us. AND guess what, the day that the government announce to do entire lockdown is the day that we were speechless and shocked. LOLL. It was almost a week before we fly to Surabaya. Couldn't understand and don't know what to feel. We just accept it and redeem our flight ticket. Luckily it could be redeem due to Covid-19 issue. Therefore, after 5 years of the unforgettable moment during Covid-19 lockdown, we manage to plan to go there again. Yeah, for years i've never forget to visit to Surabaya because i really wanted to visit Mount Bromo, Kawah Ijen, the remarkable Blue Fire and the great Tumpak Sewu. Finally after 5 years i got to see it!! I am so happy plus excited. I've prepared the itinerary for 5 years and can't wait to finally make it happen. Surabaya is basically one of my adventurous list trips.
The adventure began early in the morning, when the plane lifted off my heart already racing at the thought of volcanoes, waterfalls and astonishing landscapes waiting in East Java. The travel blockbuster begin. By 10.40am, the wheels touched down at Surabaya Airport, and the moment I stepped out, the warm Indonesian air whispered: “Welcome to your adventure.” The warm air greeted me like a lover's embrace or maybe like the slap remaining me "You miss the adventure 5 years ago, and now only you come back" I really can't wait to explore Surabaya. For this trip I booked a driver because to ease my journey, plans and limited time that I had. The places that I planned to visit are quite far from each other. Therefore, to have a driver is a better way to make success for this trip. My driver greeted and whisked me away toward Malang. He have waited in airport before we touchdown already. My first journey where the scenery slowly shifted from city chaos to peaceful countryside is to Malang. I requested to go Kampung Warna Warni Jodipan where the true taste of magic came with a burst of colors. A rainbow village painted like an artist’s wild dream. Every corner felt like a postcard come alive. A village so bright it looked like Picasso and colorful buildings, bridges & houses. Every corner screamed: “Take a picture! NOW!” You obeyed. I spend time there for almost 3 hours only. I really appreciate the colourful villages there because of their villagers initiative to make good of their area and river. They are so creative and i am impressive with what they have done. Before the sun goes down, we continued the journey to the next destination, to go to Tumpak Sewu district area. The journey about 2 hours. Obviously, the real seduction began on the road to legendary Tumpak Sewu. But, I've spend 1 night to stay there before explore the massive Tumpak Sewu waterfall. As I approached my homestay, the skies darkened a little, the air grew heavier and you thought “Wow… this place feels like a mysterious fantasy realm.” I also could almost feel the thunder of the waterfall echoing from afar. After reached the homestay, I checked in and took a nap like a romantic hero recovering from emotional damage, then roamed the town—food hunting, view hunting, soul searching… all the usual stuff. My driver recommended to ate one of the famous restaurant at the nearby town and the food there filled in my belly happily. Then I went back home and enjoying the cool mountain breeze. For your information, my homestay is just opposite the the huge & tall view of Mount Semeru. Night fell. I needed to have a good rest to prepare my mental & physical energy for tomorrow exploration. Quiet. Too quiet. But the waterfall awaited me.
A perfect soft beginning… before the real adventure started. I woke up early to the sound of nature calling, grabbed breakfast and prepared myself for the trek. I've woke up early in the morning to get ready to the adventure. The water to bath was so damn cold. I felt like i took bath with ice water. Can't stand with the temperature! After done with breakfast that have been prepared by the homestay owner, my drive drove to Tumpak Sewu. Guess what!!!I;ve got to see the best view of the massive and huge Semeru Mount just opposite my homestay. God Gracious! The mount is very huge. Can't believe i've stay just opposite the mount view. There were no clouds that covered the mount view in the early morning. What a great experience to see the massive volcanic mountain with my eyes that was last erupted on 2022. Fiuuu! Soooo bigggg & talllll...! Okay, lets continue to the main activity for today. Tumpak Sewu is very near to my homestay which is around 10 minutes drive. I arrived pretty early and i am one of the earliest tourist that arrived. It was a bit foggy because of the early morning vibe. The trail toward Tumpak Sewu felt like entering a jungle dream—lush, slippery, dramatic. But when the waterfall finally came into view… my breath froze. The path? Slippery. Steep. Possibly designed by someone who wanted to test your loyalty to life. But then… there it was. Tumpak Sewu. The waterfall of waterfalls. This waterfall if from Mount Semeru. A curtain of silver water falling into a hidden world, so breathtaking it almost felt romantic. If waterfalls could flirt, this one definitely winked at you. The waterfall is so huge and stand tall. The water current is so fast and loud. I'm kinda wet due to the strong wind which occurred from the waterfall. Luckily i wore a water resistant jacket. I am well prepared because i knew this will happen. However, i felt so cold and i'm shivering. It was foggy in the morning but finally the sky was clear after few hours. Thousands of streams poured down like silver threads from the sky. I wasn't just looking at a waterfall—i was staring into a natural wonder that felt almost unreal. I walked and climbed up and down at the waterfall. You need to have full stamina and strong leg in this activity. So please be prepared. Always becareful woth the slippery rocks and streams. Better to wear gripped shoe to avoid injury. However, i only wore rubbery slipper because i think it is comfortable and easy for to to walk in the water and cross the stream. I really love the adventure that i had at this waterfall. It was so enjoyable! The surrounding was awesome and beautiful. I took alot of photos and videos by the massive & famous curtain waterfall in the world. I also captured amazing photos by the unique rocks arrangement there. The silhouette was mindblowing too. I am so satisfied.
After the climb, rocky stairs and the mud, i felt so hungry. I ate brunch there having the indonesian cuisine. I am happy if my tummy happy. After fueling my stomach i returned to my homestay, cleaned up and prepared for the next chapter which is Mount Bromo. I prepared and packed all stuffs to put inside my driver's car. My homestay's owner cook some food before i checked out from that place. Just a pretty simple brunch again. I ate happily and feeling excited for next journey. I am tired with the Tumpak Sewu activity. I slept all the way along the journey. It was almost 4 hours. The journey felt peaceful—like the calm before the storm. When we almost arrive to Bromo, my driver stopped to the nearest mart to rest and find some food for snacking forawhile. The journey to my homestay at Bromo was quite challenging because the road can be wide and can be small. I could see some beautiful and greenary surroundings along the road and hills. The road to Bromo was quiet and cool, the mountain air greeting me as checked in at Mentigen Homestay. Oh my goodness!! I am so speechless to see the view of my homestay. Oh my! It felt different. Can't describe with word. So soo sooo amazingggg. My eyes were glued to the view. I can't believe i'm here. God are the greatest. Thank u God for the amazing and majestic view. From my homestay, i cpuld see clearly Mount Bromo and the smoke, i could see Mount Batok and the view of Whispering Sand (Pasor Berbisik). Those are in front of the Mentigen Homestay only. I think i chose the perfect homestay ever! I got the best view in a lifetime!! I also managed to catch beautiful sunset there. The priceless moment ever. Sunset by the Mount Bromo. Then, wandered the chilly town, ate good food at restaurant nearby homestay, watched clouds drift across Mount Bromo’s silhouette. gaze at the starry sky, night walk… and then your soul left your body when you saw the schedule, to wake up super early in the morning. A time when only ghosts, bakers and Bromo hikers are awake. I slept knowing i am about to face a volcanic destiny. Then came the announcement:“Wake-up at 2.30am.” This was no ordinary holiday. This was an expedition. It was so damn cold. My nose hurts and i can't feels my hands. The view at early in the morning was amazing too. I saw the moonlight reflection on the clear night sky and trillion of bright stars with the Mount Bromo, Mount Batok and Whispering Sandune. Uuhhh! That moment was a perfect gold for me. I'm in love. Although it was so cold, i still wanted to take photos and videos. At exactly 3.00am, the jeep rumbled to life like an action-movie entrance—the chariot into darkness. You held onto your seat as the jeep climbed through dusty trails, bouncing under the starry sky. My jeep is blue color. There are a lot of jeep during that day with alot of different colors. My jeep stop at the side of the road on the way to the Penanjakan Hill because the road is jammed with so many jeeps. So, i need to walk to go to the hill entrance. During the walk, the road seems lively with the jeeps engine and lightings although there is no street lighting along the road. I climbed in, shivering, laughing, half awake, half regretting life. The drive in the dark felt like a thriller. The wind howled. And then… i reached Penanjakan Hill. I climbed to the highest top hill to witness the perfect sunrise there. It was about 30 minutes walk & climb. I also got to see the beautiful stars gazing on the dark sky. “This is how horror movies start.” But your heart replied, “Relax, the sunrise will make it worth it.” And it did. A lot of people at the top of the hill and i quickly choose the perfect spot for me. We waited there for almost 2 hours to see the sunrise. Luckily that day was a clear weather and clear sky. The horizon began to glow. The sky shifted & transformed from dark to deep blue to fiery orange & yellow. Mount Bromo, Mount Semeru, Mount Batok and the entire Tengger landscape stood before you—majestic, timeless, unforgettable. Those mountains were stood below me, calm and mighty, like a dragon taking a peaceful nap. It was romantic. It was cinematic. It was spiritual. It was… absolutely freezing. However, i am so proud to see the God creations with my own eyes and feel the experience to catch awesome sunrise ever!
Then, i went down to go back to my jeep. It was easy to go down from the hill but i am so happy to see the beautiful view from up the hill while i'm descending from it. It was still so cold although the sun is bright in the morning and i'm still wearing my jacket, gloves and beanie. Next activity is to go to Bromo crater or know as Kawah Bromo. I went there by the same jeep. That crater is located at Mount Bromo. On the way to that place, my jeep drive stop at a wide place area that could see various mountains surrounding us. The view was amazing. Seems like heaven. My jeep drive stop there for about 20 minutes for me to enjoy the view and took photos. He also helped to shot photos of me with the blue jeep and the amazing mountains as background. Then, we continued our journey to Bromo crater for 10 minutes. I could see the Mount Bromo from jeep. Can't believe i see it live! Finally i've arrived and there is a lot of stalls and horses there. Some of the horses followed our jeep to the parking area. The horses were decorated beautifully by their master. You can ride a horse to reach to the entrance of Mount Bromo. But, i felt pity with the horses there. They look tired and starving because from the parking area to the Bromo entrance is about 500m walking distance. Therefore, i just walked across the seas of sands and enjoyed the surrounding view only. After all i prefer to walk then riding a horse. On the way to the Bromo entrance, i stopped by at a small stall that sell coffees, teas, snacks and hot maggi cups. I took seep of hot coffee in the middle of cold breeze. What an amazing experience ever to have a hot coffee surrounded by beautiful view, greeneries and mountains. After a quick break, i continued to walk until reached the entrance while witnessing horses passed by. Finally, i arrived at the famous staircase of Mount Bromo. I climbed up the stairway leading to the Bromo Crater. It has 245 steps to reach the top. It took around 30 minutes to reach the top depending on your own fitness. It is to be considered as decend to ascend this mountain. Is it safe to visit mount Bromo? The national par regularly monitors Mount Bromo's activity. If there is dangerous volcanic activity, the park would be closed for safety reasons. Therefore, if the national park is open, it is absolutely safe to visit. My first impression to reach the Bromo Crater was speechless. I've made it! I got to see with my eyes the active volcanic crater of Bromo which have been erupted recently on 2015. I could hear the sound of the volcano grumble in the crater, to see the yellow sulphur scattered around the crater and smelled the smokes. I just enjoyed the view from above and walked until the end of crater's route which is accessible for tourist. What a nice creations to look at from above. Then, i went to Pura Luhur Poten which is just nearby. It is one of the highest temples in Indonesia that still functions as a place of worship for Hindus. This temple was built in Javanese and Balinese architectural styles infused with think Hindu cultures. After done with Mount Bromo i went to Teletubies Savanna Hill to walk through the golden & green savannas of Bukit Teletubbies. It is located in the same area as Mount Bromo. It offers peaceful landscape and beautiful nuance. From the jeep i could see the green savanna hills which remind me of a child's series called Teletubbies. The shape and atmosphere are indeed similar to it. A very vast green meadow and majestic hill with some beautiful flowers grow abundantly in that location. This place is definitely a must to take wonder photos and videos. I really felt calm and very close to nature when i came here. Also walking across Teletubbies Hill, where i half-expected Tinky Winky to pop out. Then, i bought a strawberry ice cream just to chill before proceed to next destination. Next location is Pasir Berbisik (whispering sand Bromo) which is a vasty sandy area also located near to Bromo crater. This hidden wonder of nature is found in a large area covered by fine sand. It appeal lies in the distinctive rumbling sound produced when footsteps or wind cross this sand. I stopped there for about 40 minutes to feel the whispering experience. Sometimes, during freezing season this area can reach to the lowest temperature which ice and snow are formed with 2 to 3cm thickness!! I wandered across the whispering sands of Pasir Berbisik, where the wind carried stories older than empires. I kept going crossing Pasir Berbisik, where the wind whispered things that may or may not have been positive. Well, just enjoy the vibes. After done with all the activities, i went back to Mentigen Hill where my hotel located to have quick clean. Back at the homestay by 9.00am, i showered off the volcanic dust, rested, then began your next journey—to the mysterious world of Ijen. It's time to check out and headed to another place which i am pretty excited. I took a hot bath, packed my stuffs and checkout the hotel. I will never forget my hotel because i think it is the best hotel ever. The surround & the view are so damn superb and priceless. What a precious moment i had. The journey to other city begun. But first, i told my driver to stop at any restaurant to have lunch because i am starving! I ate traditional Javanese cuisine at a java restaurant and i loved it. Then, we proceed to next city and i took a long nap in the car after all the activities and exhausted.
Well, off to another active volcano. Mount Ijen here i come! Then the journey to Ijen began. I checked into Baratha Hotel & Resto around 3pm. The hotel was pretty nice and clean. I took a rest for awhile before had dinner. This time i'm having my dinner in the hotel only because i need to gather my energy for next adventure. I ate special fried rice with a juice. It was okay and made me full. I rested early and prepared for another piece of chaos. Guess what, i sleep with my hiking attire so that i will not be late because I need to get up early. I woke up at 12.30am. At this point, sleep was just a myth. At almost 1.00am sharp, my car rolled and darkness wrapped around the car toward Paltuding Basecamp. It was around 2 hours journey from the hotel. Therefore, I continued my sleep in the car. The air grew colder. The darkness thicker. Every shadow on the road looked more dramatic than necessary. Actually the route to the base camp was pretty dark and without any street lightings. I am quite nervous and not felt good at the moment. But, I catched a glimpse of Mount Ijen far away without the moonlight & bright stars surrounded it. Yeah, it was like a star gazing moment. That midnight has clear sky with lots of stars. The moon was an add up to make it more dramatic vibe in the middle of cold night. The road to the base camp is at the middle of a forest. I can't see anything from my car's window. Sooo darkkkk! Finally after few hours we reached to the basecamp town. My driver stopped at one coffee shop to wait for my mountain guider. I bought a hot coffee and fried bananas for munching while waiting my guider. He is an experience mountain guider. He also provides me a headlamp and gas mask for the hiking trip. It is a must to have those gear & equipment to climb Mount Ijen because it is an active volcano with a lot of sulphur smokes. Then, after 1 hour we are ready to hike. I am so excited! The reason I am so excited to go to Ijen is because I wanted to watch the famous blue fire in the world. For your information, there are only 2 places in the world which we can witness the blue fire, in Surabaya Indonesia and Iceland only. You will be the luckiest person in the world to witness and experience the rare fire in the world! My guider did a proper briefing before the hike. He explained clearly about the gears, the route and safety. I took a photo at the big gate entrance of the Mount Ijen as memory and proof that I have been to Ijen. Lots of tourists during that time joined hiking too. With a headlamp lighting my steps, i began the trek up Kawah Ijen—a climb whispered about by adventurers around the world, one step at a time. The night was silent, but have been cheered up with all energetic & excited hikers to see the blue fire. The sky was full of stars. The air felt… ominous. The route to reach Mount Ijen was quite challenging. I thought it would be easy. But, the route will test your patience, energy & mental. Sometimes, it going up, sometimes it going down, sometimes flat and sometimes so damn steep which will make your leg tight. Sometimes I can't catch my breath too and have to stop to rest. Maybe it because of the height altitude, the higher you go the less the oxygen/air you get. It can be a contributing factor of exhaustion. Knowing me, I don't like to make too much stop during hiking but this Ijen made me do it. Too much steep slope to climb, aarghhhhh! I think I put a lot of pressure to my legs. But no worries there have many check posts along the route. I'm a bit exhausted with the journey. Where is the destination? I keep asking myself during the hike. Why it feels so so farrr? Are we there yet? Is it still far? This is how it pressured my mental. But I need to be patience and never give up. Yes, some of the tourist give up. I saw it. They hired a carrier to carry them to go up. But with charges. Pretty expensive. Along your route to Mount Ijen, there are local people that offer you to rent a carrier and carry you to Mount Ijen. But they will carry you manually. The local people are an experienced hiker which they can hike and walk fast although with lots of load on them. What a mind-blowing to witness this event. Yes, the will carry you to go up by themselves. Such a strong man! However, I have no intention to use their service because I want to challenge myself and enjoy hiking. Yeah it was tired and exhausted but I know I can go through it. Majority, tourist from China mostly use this carrier service. LOLL! So I continued the hiking from one check post to another check post, from one steep slope to another steep journey. My guider was a bit fast too. I can't match with him but he still tried to wait for me although I know he can walk very fast and leave me behind. The last check post is almost there. After that check post the route will be flat. I was so relieved after heard that from my guider. By the time I reached the flat area, I saw the big bright moon looks so close to us at the mountain. I was speechless and just enjoy the view. It was super duper gorgeous! I stopped for awhile to enjoy the precious moment that I can't get everyday in my life. Okay, enough with that. My guider advice to start wearing the gas mask right here. The sulphur is started to smell strong at this region. I quickly put on my mask and ready to next route - to THE BLUE FIRE of course. But guess what, I need to faced new challenge! This time the route is a bit tougher and risky. I need to go down and go down deeper from the mountain. The route was imbalance, too rocky and hard. I need to walk one step at a time because it is very dangerous, one foot wrong you can fall down and knock your head, dead! We need to go down because the blue fire is located near to the Ijen's crater. Yes, it seems like you go deeper into the crater area to risk your life just to see the rare blue fire in the world. Well, i still wanted to take the challenge eventhough it is risky but i believe we need to take risk to get what we want in life. Then came the sight i’ll never forget: The Blue Fire—A surreal electric glow rising from deep within the crater, like something out of a fantasy film. Like the mountain was casting a spell. This wasn’t just a hike. It was a scene from a dark fantasy romance where the hero enters the underworld to witness forbidden magic. My bucket list can be "tick" and "checked". Important tips to see blue fire is, you need to arrive before dawn because you can't never the see blue color of the fire when the sun comes out. I am so happy and grateful that i've managed to arrive there early and witness closely and a very close up moment with the blue fire. I took a lot of photos and videos to enjoy and save the precious moment although there were quite cramp & crowded at the blue fire section. Then, i sat down by the rocky hill opposite the crater lake to wait the dawn. I watched sulfur miners carrying impossible loads. Finally, the sunrise moment that i've been waiting for. I witnessed the turquoise crater lake reveal itself as dawn slowly arrived. It was dangerous, magical, humbling. The turquoise lake appeared at dawn, glowing like a secret gem only me allowed to see. I admiring the sceneries, mountain, rocky hill and the lake with cold breeze. Then, i went down to check out the massive yellow sulphur and the huge smoke. No worries. I have my gas mask put on to protect my breathing. It was unique so i came close to see it. For your information, local people here take the yellow sulphur and make crafts with various of designs from it. They sell those crafts nearby the crater. So creative and cool! After done with lake, crater and blue fire, i need to climb up to the rocky hill to go back to the main gate entrance. Up and down route had started again. But this time it is daytime, therefore i got to witness very amazing view with the clear blue sky from the mountain. I'm happy although pretty tired. I stopped at 1 check posts to rest and had a hot coffee & bread for breakfast. Going down is super fun then going up...LOLLL
After hiking down, i returned to my hotel for decent breakfast like a reward from the gods and a much-needed rest. Done with bath and packed all stuffs. But the sulphur affect was real. My necklace turned into brownish black due to the smoke i guess. I need to clean up my necklace when i reach my hometown ASAP. I journeyed back to Surabaya to check in to Lively Hotel City Center. It took around 3 hours to reach Surabaya city. I said goodbye and said thans for being nice and helpful to my driver for the awesome journey and experience that we had. I rent a bike a day to enjoy a final night of lights, food and wandering. The city welcomed with lights, food and places. That day i went to Suramandu Bridge, Tunjungan Plaza, Submarine Monumen and Surabaya Town Hall. The next day i went to Tugu Pahlawan, Kenjeran Park, Cheng Ho Mosque, Kya Kya Surabaya and the famous Patung Suro & Boyo—all within easy reach. I know my epic journey was nearing its end.
I returned the rented bike and packed my things, ate breakfast and stared at the clock with betrayal in your heart. The adventure was ending. At 2.35pm, your flight left Surabaya, carrying with it your tired legs, dusty shoes and a soul that had experienced waterfalls, volcanoes and blue flames. Your East Java adventure? A story of romance between me and nature. A comedy of sleep deprivation. A dark fantasy of mountain shadows and glowing fire. A cinematic masterpiece of landscapes carved by time. And above all—an epic that only you could live. My East Java adventure was not a trip. I love SURABAYA.
It was a legend.
Do visit to my travel photos in my Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LIMIPHOTOGRAPHY) to see my journey to Wonderful Surabaya
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