Most people hire a jeep to get to Penanjakan View Point for the sunrise which makes the place crowded. Even with bad traffic on the jeep at the peak season or public holiday, you need to walk a few meters from the road to get to the viewpoint so as not to lose the moment to see the sunrise over Mount Bromo.
How To Avoid The Crowd
- During the normal season, you will be picked up by the jeep driver from your hotel between 03.00 - 03.30 AM, to avoid the traffic jams it is better to leave your hotel earlier. Yes, you will wait a bit longer for the sunrise but this will help you to secure a spot for the sunrise.
- Bring extra cash to hire a motorbike taxi, the worst condition was a traffic jam that made even the jeep stuck in the middle of the street. We advise you to hire a motorbike taxi to take you to Penanjakan View Point so as to not lose the sunrise moment.
- The last option you can consider is going to Seruni View Point and King Kong Hill without hiring a jeep. You can just walk for about 1 hour from your hotel, is this for real? Yes, it is. This is how you can do it.
Stay at the hotel/homestay near Cemara Indah Hotel
Stay as close as possible to the Bromo area, the closest place to stay is the Cemara Indah Hotel. You don't have to book a night at this hotel, you can stay at the nearby homestays around this hotel for a more affordable price. We use Cemara Indah Hotel as our reference to find the walking track to start your sunrise walk.
You can find a walking path in front of Cemara Indah Hotel, this is the only path to walk to Seruni View Point which will take 1 hour to walk. If you go to this path there will be fewer people as most of them go by jeep tour to get to Penanjakan View Point. There is only one way from the hotel to Seruni View Point so that you will not get lost.
Seruni View Point to King Kong Hill
After one hour of walking, you will see a viewpoint called Seruni. This is another viewpoint to see the sunrise and Bromo landscape. You can even walk further up to King Kong Hill to get the best view of the sunrise as this is higher than Seruni V.P.
You can check behind your back to find a small walking path that will lead you to King Kong Hill. Some locals use the path as a shortcut to go to Seruni Point from their home that located further up the hill. Simply speaking, you can ask the locals there (coffee or snack sellers) about the path to go to King Kong Hill as they go through this path every day to sell coffee at Seruni View Point.
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| Seruni View Point |
On the way back from Seruni View Point we can just walk back in the same way, it is beautiful to walk side of the local fields or you can also hire a motorbike taxi to go back down more easily.
Things You Need To Know
Going to Seruni and King Kong Hill on a walk is quite challenging as it is not a common way to explore the area. The path to get there is fewer with street lights, there are few of them along the way but you still need a flashlight to get through. Maybe you will also meet a few locals who will try "To Scam You For Extra Money", I read that happens to some people moreover if you are a foreigner
Pay Entrance Fee Scam
There is no entrance fee or donation fee to go to Seruni View Point, the only legal entrance fee is when you are entering Bromo when most people go there by hiring a jeep. When you meet locals asking you for money for the entrance fee or donation, just ignore them or you can report it to the local authority as it is totally a scam.
Jeep Hire Is A Must?
The path is open to the public there is no obligation for you to take a jeep, or motorbike taxi (ojek), you can even go in your own car to get to Seruni View Point. There is a place to park your vehicle about 100 meters away from the viewpoint.
Go To Bromo Crater Via Shortcut?
You may see some locals cross the cabbage/potato field to get to Bromo Crater when you are going down from Seruni View Point. If you think that is the shortcut to get to Bromo Crater, we highly advise Do Not Ever Try To Do That Idea. Going to Bromo Crater from the shortcut without a permit is considered illegal and you need to pay an entrance fee 10 times more than the normal price.
Also Read: Bromo Midnight Tour From Surabaya
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