This isn’t a painting. It’s my amateur photo of Mt. Bromo!

Disclaimer: The unpleasant experience that I will be sharing does not erase my beautiful experiences and memories of Indonesia. There are scammers anywhere in the world and we always have to be vigilant wherever we go.

Travel Life isn’t Always Perfect…

I was on the last leg of solo traveling Indonesia and I was having the best time of my life! But then, not everything in life is perfect. I was ready to leave Yogyakarta, Indonesia for my adventures to the volcanoes. I booked my volcano tour through my guesthouse as this is a common place where you can buy your tickets. I was comfortable because I have arranged my Borobudur and Prambanan trips with them and they somehow gained my trust. On my previous Wander Blog, I shared the great time I had in Yogyakarta.


I thought I was lucky because I paid less than 1 million Indonesian Rupiah (approx. USD 70+) for the trip which includes a 10-hour van ride from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo, accommodation, plus the transfers to Mt Bromo and Mt Ijen - East Java's active volcanoes. I met a couple who told me they overpaid for their tour in Probolinggo and ended paying 2 million Indonesian Rupiah each (USD 140+).

From Yogyakarta to Probolinggo

We arrived past midnight at a travel agency in Probolinggo. I was all ready for bed time but then the owner stopped me. He asked me extra fees for the 4x4 ride and other services to get to the volcano which would cost my trip a total of almost 2 million Rupiah! I calmly asked why and I explained to him that I paid for everything as noted by the guesthouse owner in Yogyakarta. I wasn’t even complaining yet and then the unexpected happened...

It Took Me By Surprise

He started yelling at me to the point of verbal abuse. I couldn’t even suggest calling the Yogyakarta guesthouse because he was becoming more verbally abusive whenever I try to speak. He threatened to take me out of the tour group which included my accommodation for the night. It was already midnight and I took that 10-hour trip and there was nothing - no police stations or open establishments nearby. He didn’t want to take my ticket anymore, so my 900k Rupiah would have been for nothing!

Fellow Travellers to the Rescue!

There was a Spanish couple who was traveling with me and talked to me to just stop crying as this may even aggravate his already nasty mood. They heard all the shouting and they immediately asked the driver to take me with them. Luckily, the driver from Yogyakarta is the same driver for the 4x4 ride to the volcano. They arranged with the driver to not tell the owner that they will take me on the 4x4 ride. It will be our secret. I will just pay an extra fee, like a bribe, to the driver. Sometimes I wonder if the driver was part of the scam, but in any case we just had to choose the lesser evil.

Sometimes Fighting Back Isn’t the Best Solution

The owner accepted my ticket but he was firm in saying that I can no longer take the 4x4 ride to the volcano (that would take me forever on foot to trek!). I just agreed. We were silent about the arrangement with the 4x4 driver. He seemed contented that he gave me a punishment for complaining. As for the 4x4 ride, I only had to pay a smaller amount to the driver and I had to pay additional entrance fees when I got there. I still paid more. I totaled 1.2 million Rupiah in the end, but lesser than what the owner demanded.

A Unique Kind of Scam

After my trip, I read a unique kind of scam for the Mt. Bromo and Mt. Ijen tours. The one I read in TripAdvisor were also from girls and they received a similar kind of verbal abuse from a different tour agency. The name of the agency where I experienced this was Mahkota. I have researched about the Bromo and Ijen trips beforehand but didn’t find this information. And it would be difficult to find information unless you really search for the words “verbal abuse” and “scam”.

For a girl traveling alone, this was one of the scariest moments I had. It wasn’t just about losing some money, but losing that feeling of security.

Travelling Goes On

It was a really sad night. I also discovered that they booked me in the worst guesthouse I had ever seen but I didn’t let that ruin my trip to the volcano. We woke up after 3 hours of sleep and rode a 4x4 jeep to the volcano. It was a really short trek to the volcano because most have been covered by the 4x4 ride.

And Now, To My Happy Story!

It was still dark when we arrived but there were already several travelers waiting at the viewing platform. It was so cold but the view of the sunshine peaking through the clouds gave a sense of warmth.

The platform was so busy with tourists all ready with their cameras because we were just about to witness one of mother nature's best paintings. This is what it actually looks like when sunlight touches the volcanoes. It is no wonder that a lot of people would sacrifice a few more hours of sleep to witness this beauty. We just stared at it for as long as the sun rays shower the volcano and mountains with an orange glow.



After the sunrise and hundreds of photos, we all headed back to the jeep to get to the volcano crater. It took less than 30 minutes to get to the foot of the volcano. Upon arriving, we were be greeted by horses! Instead of walking and trekking to the crater, you can rent the horses from here. But as budget conscious travellers, we preferred to walk and have our work out!

Wander Tip:

The fast horses made it difficult to breathe with all the ashes and sand covering the area. It would be best to bring a face mask or cover half of your face with a cloth.

It was an easy climb with the help of these concrete stairs.

Up Close with a Dangerous Beauty

And there I was, face-to-face with the smoking mouth of a volcano. Yes, it is an active volcano and we were just looking over it like it was just a harmless wishing well.

There were railings on this viewing side of the volcano to protect the visitors. But I was really shocked to see some travelers walking on the narrow rim of the volcano. It was so difficult to take this photo and look at them as I was so scared of them sliding or falling to the crater!

We went back just after lunch time to change and get ready for the next part of our volcano tour - Mt. Ijen! From the restaurant, we can see Mt. Bromo but it looked a bit different. It is still beautiful but it isn't as painting-like during sunrise. This just goes to show how mother nature uses different elements like a painter would use in a painting.

My wonderful experience made me forget about the scam and the price that I had to pay. I met amazing fellow travelers and Indonesians who helped me enjoy my journey. To be honest, it took me days to compose and choose the right words. It was not easy to tell a scam story but I hope my happy story in the end was able to make up for it.

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This is my fifth blog on the different WANDERful places I visited in Indonesia. You may check out my other Indonesia travel posts here:

Wander Blog #1: Komodo Dragons on the Flores Islands

Wander Blog #2: My Eat, Pray, Heal Experience in Ubud, Bali

Festivities in Ubud: A Wedding, a Funeral and a Dance

Wander Blog #3: Climbing the Massive Temples of Yogyakarta

Photos taken using Sony NEX-C3D

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UPDATE: More photos of Mt. Bromo and Mt. Ijen in my Wander Snaps post

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