Bromo Camp House

The service was good. I misunderstood “camp” as glamping and didn’t realize there was no air conditioning. Turns out the nights were so cold that it was my first time using a blanket 😀.

We were the only guests, and the place is truly out in the middle of nowhere. The rooms were clean and all right. Staff helped set up our tour and transport, and even had breakfast ready after we got back from Bromo. Without a bike, finding decent vegetarian food is difficult, so keep that in mind.

The cabins were impressively clean, although the bedsheets smelled noticeably of sweat. It could get noisy, but they provide earplugs, which was a nice touch. We skipped the on-site restaurant and ate at the nearby Lava Hotel instead. Breakfast was pretty basic: rice, beef, tofu, tempeh, fries and corn, plus tea with a very strong jasmine taste, coffee, fruit juice and fresh fruit. For a budget stay, we found this a step up from many nearby homestays and hostels. It’s a convenient base for an early Bromo tour, about 30 minutes from the main Mount Bromo viewpoints. Still, I wouldn’t rate it at the four stars shown on Booking.com. To me it’s more like three.

The place has a small, motel-like feel, and the decor is pleasing. Cleanliness and comfort were both fine, and the staff were friendly, though foreigners may run into a language barrier. Our two rooms didn’t have the same shower situation: one had no hot water even after we let it run, while the other had working hot water. There are no fans or air conditioners. It gets freezing after midnight, then quite warm and humid once the sun comes out after 9 am. Maybe management could add fans. Breakfast is simple nasi goreng with a fried egg, and a choice of coffee, tea or mineral water.