I spent a night at the popular beach town (or rather resort and mass tourist maimed town) at Kuta. Kuta is certainly a fun place to be - provided you Surf or party! I neither Surf nor Party - so, it was more of a night halt for me to catch the early morning flight to Surabaya (East Java City) from Denpasar. They have a departure tax for domestic flights as well - IDR 30,000.
If you are planning to stay at Kuta and are looking for budget accommodations, I would recommend the Jalan Legion region (particularly the Poppies Gang I and II). Some of the budget accommodations are losman style and range from basic to comfortable. They are all located in alleys. So, if you are used to places like Texas then it will creep the Jesus out of you. Again, that is what travel is all about.
After landing at Surabaya, I took a shuttle (Damri) to the Bungurasih Bus Terminal. They have Arrivals and Departures terminal (like Airport :)). There are several air-conditioned buses (Patas) to Probolinggo. Probolinggo is the nearest big town to the Bromo National Park. The A/c coach drops you right in front of a tour operator’s office at Probolinggo (looks like he is the monopoly operator out there). He pretty much arranges all the tour logistics to and fro Bromo National Park (particularly for non Indonesian Tourists).
The trip to Cemara Lawang, a village located at the north-east corner of the Park, costs about IDR 25,000. They put you on a smaller sized shuttle and it is cramped. On the way to the village, it stops to pick up locals (some school children as well). It is all part of the travel experience. Finally, they drop you in front of the Cemara Indah Hotel.
All these tour operators in this part of Java work hand in glove. They get their share in the operation and work so swiftly that you don’t notice a glitch. Right from the bus journey from Surabaya to Probolinggo and then to Cemara Lawang. In typical Martin Scorcese style, this reminds me of the following dialog from the movie, Casino:
Ace Rothstein: [voice-over] “In Vegas, everybody’s gotta watch everybody else. Since the players are looking to beat the casino, the dealers are watching the players. The box men are watching the dealers. The floor men are watching the box men. The pit bosses are watching the floor men. The shift bosses are watching the pit bosses. The casino manager is watching the shift bosses. I’m watching the casino manager. And the eye-in-the-sky is watching us all. “
If you forget about how much you spent or struck a deal to get to Bromo National Park, I think, it would be a fascinating experience. The drive to Cemara Lawang is scenic! It is located at about 2500 meters from sea level and the temperature drops as well. So make sure you have your winter wear!
First view of Mt. Bromo (sending up smoke), Mt. Semuru (still active volcano) and other peaks is just unbelievable! You have to see it to believe it! There are some places in Earth that you should visit before you pass off and this is one! I am very fortunate to have seen the beauty of mother nature over in this part of the world. After you decide on your accommodation at Cemara Lawang, you can ease a bit and take a way along the road headed in western direction. After about 1 to 1.5 Kms, you can cut across one of the cultivable fields and take a trail that leads you all the way to the flat bed (valley) area. The view of cliffs and such a vast open area is phenomenal! The mist adds to the mystical effect and with the volcanic black soil, you feel like you’ve been transported to some other planet!
You can walk to the small Hindu temple located close to Mount Bromo. It should be about a health walk of 5 Kms (to and fro). The receptionist/manager at Cemara Indah Hotel is a real *jerk*. So, it is of no use asking him for trail information. All they try to do is make money out of visitors. You have to bargain to bring the price down as some of the economy class accommodation are more like rat holes! Some standard rate rooms offer a better experience. Check out other hostels and losman in the area.
After the trip to Bromo, I along with other backpackers were taken back to Probolinggo - from where we left for our respective destinations. Some headed east to Bali and some (like me) to the Central part of Java. It is about 8 to 9 hours on road to Jogyakarta (a.k.a Jogya). It is supposedly a University Town. So, you can imagine the youthful atmosphere out here.
Jogya is also the cultural capital in Java and is an access point to visit nearby wonders like Borobudur and Prambanan. I arrived late in the evening and tried one of the Gudeg Restaurants. There are street bands and live bands performing in and around the Malioboro region close to Jalan Sisorowijayan. At the Bintang Bar, you are treated to live band performance on wednesdays, fridays and saturdays. I enjoyed the Blues Band performance. Absolutely rocking!
I’m planning to spend about four days over here - before heading to Jakarta.
P.S: I have not yet met an Indian traveller. But I have met a couple of people of Indian Origin. Quite surprisingly, I happened to meet the First Indian Secratery for Political Affairs (of Indian Embassy) at the base of Mt. Bromo.