AdventureSmoking Volcanoes: Bali to Bromo
Canggu, Indonesia
8 days
An eight-day, 950 km ride from Bali into East Java and back, built around two volcanoes: Bromo and Kawah Ijen. It starts on the coast at Canggu and heads north through Tabanan's farmland and up the hillside roads below Mount Batukaru, then on to the far northwest tip of Bali. Day three crosses the Bali Strait by ferry from Gilimanuk, after which the route runs through East Java's rice fields, villages and forested hills to Ambulu, then climbs into the Bromo-Tengger highlands. One full day is given over to riding down into the Tengger caldera and across the ash plains of the Sea of Sands, with an optional climb to the crater rim. The final day starts at 3 a.m. for the climb to Kawah Ijen, whose crater holds one of the world's largest highly acidic lakes, timed to reach the rim at sunrise. Expect five to six hours of riding a day, a top elevation of 2,400 m, two ferry crossings and a mix of tarmac, rough stone tracks and volcanic sand. Rated Intermediate +, minimum four riders.
