Must-Visit Locations in East Java, Indonesia
Underneath the enormous Tumpak Sewu waterfalls in East Java, Indonesia
If you’re living in or traveling to Bali, and if you’re looking for real, raw, authentic adventure, look no further than the island to the west of Java, Indonesia. Dotted with volcanoes, waterfalls and lush jungles, Java is an adventure that keeps on giving. Here’s my must visit spots for you to include on your next Javanese adventure.
The smoking craters of Mount Bromo and Kawaijen have become popular tourist destinations in Java, but the island is also dotted with jungle, ancient temples and plentiful waterfalls which if you hire a driver for a 3-day trip you can hit multiple per day. If you would like the contact for the driver I used on my 3 day trip, feel free to message me on Instagram!
We flew from Bali to Surabaya - a cheap $40 ticket. From there, we explored the city and the colorful neighborhoods, which a local told us was a student group’s attempt to make the city more cheerful.
From Surabaya, we woke up at 2:50am and drove to Air Terjun Tumpak Sewu Lumajang, which is almost a 4 hour drive. We arrived just in time for sunrise, which is simply incredible with Mt. Bromo looming in the background. We also hiked down the mountain path to the river leading to the waterfall below, which is a view I’ll never forget.
You have to be careful as you’re going down, since it’s very steep and you’re practically sliding/falling down a river until you reach the bottom. It’s a true jungle trek, filled with monkeys, beautiful plants, humidity, and a lot of water.
This whole trek took more than half the day, but we still had another waterfall in us! So we took a quick drive over to Kapas Biru Waterfall, which had another steep and strenuous 1.5 hour hike to its base.
It could have been the fatigue from the previous hike, but this one felt significantly harder. The path is well marked, but incredibly steep, and at some points you have to climb down a 15ft ladder to reach the path on the ledge below. In spite of the difficulty, it’s a beautiful climb into the gorge, filled with rice fields, rivers, and bridges.
You can also get amazing photos right below the waterfall once you’ve made it - but keep in mind, you will get absolutely SOAKED!
The following morning (after about 3 hours of sleep), we headed off for another sunrise mission over Mt. Bromo. Although we got pretty unlucky with the weather, we did get to drive around the base of the volcano in large 4x4 Jeeps!
Although a tropical climate, we were pretty high up and the weather was a bit chilly. Make sure you pack some warmer clothes (a sweatshirt and a windbreaker should be perfectly fine!) However, I was in shorts, and it was manageable, albeit a bit chilly.
You’ll have quite a long drive ahead of you for this final trip, so make sure to catch up on all your sleep! Our last stop in East Java is Mount Ijen, the famous sulfur volcano. Depending on the season, you may need to wear a heavy-duty gas masks to keep your lungs healthy while you’re hiking.
The path is very clear, although steep. I think it took us about 2 hours to reach the summit, and we did just in time for sunrise, since we started at around 3:30am. There’s shops at the bottom that you can warm up with Indonesian coffee and noodles.
On your way up, you’ll probably run into local workers who are bringing sulfur down from the summit of the volcano. All of the ones I bumped into were very friendly, and it’s hard to image that their jobs everyday is hiking up and down 4 or 5 times with 20kgs of sulfur over their shoulders.
Once you reach the top, there’s a beautiful view over East Java, and you can even see the island of Bali as well. Take it all in (except for the toxic sulfur fumes which you’ll definitely smell.)
Sulfur miner
Me with my Chinese-grade gas mask
After Ijen, a ferry over to Bali is close by, and it’s about a 3 hour drive back to Canggu.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my recommendations for East Java - there’s hundreds of activities to choose from, and I can’t wait to go back to experience more of them. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram