The Toyota Land Cruisers of Mount Bromo

Michael Satterfield - 12/29/2022

It was a hot and humid morning in the small village of Cemoro Lawang, located at the base of Mt Bromo in eastern Java, Indonesia. The air was filled with the sounds of crowing roosters and the faint smell of sulfur emanating from the nearby volcano. Tourists from around the world travel to the famous mountain to watch the sunrise which is claimed to be one of the most beautiful places in the world to watch daybreak. I booked the tour through my hotel, Jiwa Jawa Bromo, meaning I just need to get dressed and show up in the lobby at around 4:30 AM.

Buzzing up and down the mountain is an unending line of Toyota FJ40 and FJ45 4X4s, the preferred mode of transportation for the tour guides, and were known for their rugged reliability and ability to handle the rough terrain of Mt Bromo. But I had never seen so many in one place, outside of horses, or off-road motorcycles nearly all the traffic going up the mountain was one of the iconic Toyotas, ours was green. 

Driven by a seasoned guide named Agus, he would take us up to the mountain in the morning for sunrise and then down into the valley below for a picnic before we made the hike to the rim of the volcano. He had been leading tours up the mountain for years and was an expert at navigating the treacherous road. Behind him followed a line of FJs, each carrying a group of excited tourists eager to catch a glimpse of the sunrise from the top of the mountain.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the convoy reached the summit. The tourists piled out of their vehicles, gasping at the breathtaking view. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape. In the distance, the active volcano of Mt Bromo could be seen spewing ash and smoke into the air, a layer of clouds made the peaks look like islands in the sea. 

Mount Bromo isn't just smoking, it is an active volcano and has erupted several times in the recent past, with the last major eruption happening in 2011. Despite the risk, it is still one of Indonesia's most popular tourist destinations  The mountain is also a sacred site for the local Tenggerese people, who follow the Hindu religion and believe that the mountain is the home of their ancestors.

The tourists spent the next 30 minutes or so marveling at the beauty of the sunrise and capturing it on their cameras and smartphones. As the sun rose higher in the sky, we reluctantly climbed back into their FJs and began the descent back down the mountain, toward our picnic lunch.

I asked Agus how many miles were on his Toyota Land Cruiser, and he said over 500,000 kilometers on the original engine, but his odometer stopped a long time ago. Agus shared that his friend and fellow tour guide, Galang has a 1975 Land Cruiser with over 1.5 million kilometers (nearly 1 million miles) on the original engine and transmission. For many Indonesians, this generation of Land Cruiser marketed locally as the "Toyota Hardtop" is the quintessential do-anything vehicle, and it gets bonus points for being built in the capital city of Jakarta. 

After lunch and some time exploring the valley, it was time to hike to the edge of the volcano, for a few dollars you can hire a horse and guide, or you can make the long walk up the flight of stairs that takes you to the top of the volcano where you not only can look down into the smokey crater but look out for miles over the valley was shaped by the lava flows from this still very active volcano. 

Having been up since 4:30 in the morning, trekking all across the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, it was time to load back up in the Land Cruiser and head back to the Jiwa Jawa Resort for a shower and some evening entertainment. If you have the chance to visit Indonesia, Bali is nice, but take some time to explore the amazing island of Java and all it has to offer too.