Ijen Crater is one of the pride tourism in Banyuwangi Regency. In fact, it is not only a favorite of local tourists, but also popular among foreign tourists. Ijen Crater has many attractions that make it always crowded with visitors. For those who are bored of vacationing in the same places and want to try a more exciting and extreme tour, this crater tour is worth a try. Even this tourist destination is said to be a must visit even once in a lifetime.
Get to know Ijen Crater Tourism
Ijen Crater is a crater with a depth of up to 200 meters with an area of around 5,466 hectares. Ijen Crater is not only known for its stunning natural scenery, but also for its rare blue fire phenomenon. This phenomenon blue fire is only found in two in the world, and one of them is in Finland.
The Ijen Mountains Forest Area was designated as a Nature Reserve on October 9, 1920 based on the Decree of the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies No.46. Then the 92 hectares area became the Ijen Crater Natural Tourism Park on December 10, 1981 by Decree of the Minister of Agriculture.
Meanwhile, the remaining 2,468 hectares still has the status of a Nature Reserve. The thing that is quite proud is that the Ijen Crater Nature Park has been designated by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve.
Ijen Crater Tourist Attraction
There are many reasons why Ijen Crater is so recommended to visit. None other than the attractiveness of these tourist attractions which are quite diverse. Here are some special attractions that make us obliged to visit it.
1. Beautiful Natural Scenery
One of the reasons why Ijen Crater is so enchanting and it’s a shame to miss it is because of the beautiful natural scenery presented before our eyes. We can feel this natural wealth starting from the starting point of the climb to the peak area. Even though you are tired of the existing trekking routes, it will all pay off with a landscape that is so beautiful and soothing to the eye.
2. Seeing Sulfur Miner Activities
During the trip to the top, we will meet some local residents passing by while carrying sulfur. These people are miners who transport sulfur from the mountains to settlements. Of course, we can learn from the struggles of these miners. How come? These miners always carry sulfur weighing up to 50 kg in one go. You can imagine how hard it is to pass through steep terrain and up and down for a life. Thus, if we were to cross paths with these miners on our way, then it would be better if we gave way first. Maybe if you’re curious, we can help transport the piles of sulfur. Want to try?
3. The Blue Fire phenomenon
As previously explained, Ijen Crater is famous for its blue fire phenomenon or blue fire. This attraction is what makes a lot of tourists who come and are curious to witness it first hand. This Blue Fire Spot is near the crater, so we have to go down the crater area first to reach that spot. Be careful when going down the crater and it is advisable not to enjoy it too long. Considering that the smell of sulfur in this place is quite pungent and strong and also the tracking path is very dangerous because the path is rocky.
The phenomenon of blue fire doesn’t only attract the attention of tourists, but also researchers and geologists. If we don’t want to miss witnessing this blue fire phenomenon, it would be better to start climbing in the early hours of the morning. Because the best time to see the beauty of the blue fire that is burning is when the surroundings are still dark.
The time needed to climb from Paltuding Post is around 2-3 hours of travel depending on the physical strength of each tourist. That’s why it is highly recommended to start climbing early in the morning. As information, the entrance to the Ijen Crater area opens at 02.00 in the morning ( plan will be open at 01.00 AM in 2023 ).
4. Enjoying the Sunrise View
It’s not only the blue fire phenomenon that we can get when climbing in the middle of the night. After we are satisfied with watching the blue fire, we can watch the beautiful view of the sunrise from the top of Ijen. The sunrise spot is different from the blue fire spot, from the crater we need to climb a little more up to the spot to witness the sunrise. The best time if you want to witness the stunning and beautiful view of the sunrise is start from June until october. Because of this, it is not surprising that Banyuwangi is nicknamed the “Sunrise of Java”.
5. Tosca Green Lake Crater
Another thing that makes this Ijen Crater Tour so special is because of the presence of the Ijen Crater lake with the Tosca green color which is so instagramable, and this crater is the largest acidic crater in the world. This view is so spectacular combined with the length of the hiking trail and the view of the sulfur smoke billowing up into the sky. Lots of tourists who come to Ijen Crater always take pictures with the background of Ijen Crater and its sulfur fumes. So, don’t miss trying this one thing when you go to Ijen Crater.
Location and Access to Ijen Crater
The Ijen Crater area is on the border of Banyuwangi Regency and Bondowoso Regency, East Java Province. To the north, the Ijen Crater Nature Reserve is bordered by the Remuk Protection Forest. In the south it is bounded by the Banyulinu River and in the east it is bounded by the slopes of Mount Merapi. While in the west it is limited by the Banyuwangi-Bondowoso Cross Road. Access to Ijen Crater is also not difficult. First we have to reach the city of Banyuwangi. For visitors who come from cities that are quite far from Banyuwangi, airplanes can be an option. We can use airplane transportation with the Belimbing Sari Airport route. Apart from planes, there are many transportation options that can be used such as buses or trains to get to Banyuwangi.
Discussing hiking trails, there are 2 trekking routes that tourists can go through, namely the Bondowoso route and the Banyuwangi route. If you use the Banyuwangi line, approximately 30 km of distance that must be taken. Meanwhile, if you take the Bondowoso route, it will take approximately 76 km of travel. But even so, both using the Banyuwangi and Bondowoso routes, both of them started trekking trips from the First Post in Paltuding.
The distance from the Paltuding Post to the top of the Ijen Crater is approximately 3 km. Later there will be a final stop post which is located in the middle between Paltuding and the top of the Ijen Crater, which is called the Weighing or Weighing Post.
This is where we can see the number of sulfur miners weighing the results of the work they are doing. From here we can also start to smell sulfur which is quite thick. To arrive at Ijen Crater does require quite a long time. Given the location of the Ijen Crater which is located at the top of Mount Ijen. But all the fatigue we feel during the trip will pay off once we reach the top and witness the beautiful and stunning views.
Guide to Go to Ijen Crater
Before going to Ijen Crater, there are a number of things we need to know first. This is important so that it can help launch the holiday agenda that we will do.
Weather
Because it is above an altitude of 2,443 meters above sea level, of course the weather in Ijen Crater is very cold. So we need to make preparations and supplies to fight the cold while at the top of Mount Ijen.
Please note that the temperature in Ijen Crater reaches 2o to 12o Celsius. Especially if the wind blowing around the crater is very strong, the cold can get to the bone. Even though the temperature in the crater itself reaches 600o C
Best Time To Visit
It is important for us to know this so that we can do trekking to the top of Ijen with friendly weather conditions. The best time to visit the Ijen Crater area is in May-October
Preparation Before Going to Ijen Crater
Here are the things we need to prepare before visiting Ijen Crater, including:
1. Maintain Physical Condition
Because the trekking paths and terrain that must be traversed are quite heavy, of course, the physical condition must be well prepared. Don’t let our body condition drop when in this Ijen tourist area. Especially for those who rarely exercise or have never climbed a mountain, then prepare to be physically fit. Do regular exercise such as jogging to be strong to climb to the top of Ijen.
2. Prepare thick clothes
Because the air temperature around Ijen Crater is cold enough to reach 2oC, it is very important to prepare and use layered clothing and thick jackets. So that later we don’t get cold that makes the body’s condition drop.
3. Wear Trekking Shoes
Use footwear in the form of shoes with jagged bottoms, or you can use special trekking shoes. When going to Ijen Crater, we have to go through a gravel road, so if you don’t choose the right shoes, it’s not impossible to slip easily.
Coupled with the uphill road conditions, wearing comfortable shoes will support our bodies better. Also, don’t forget to prepare thick socks.
4. Scarf and Hat
If you really can’t stand cold temperatures, you can bring scarves and hats to protect your body from the cold. Scarf can also be used to protect the nose from the poison gas of Ijen Crater.
5. Equipment As Necessary
Just bring what you need and what you need. Don’t carry a lot of luggage that will actually become a burden while trekking. Smartphones, cameras and drinking water alone are enough to accompany us to the top of Ijen Crater.
However, if you are afraid of hunger while trekking, you can bring food that isn’t heavy, such as chocolate, instant noodles, or anything else that can be a source of energy but doesn’t bother you during trekking.
6. Flashlight
Don’t forget to bring a flashlight, because the trip is done when the surrounding conditions are still pitch black. A small flashlight can help illuminate the path to Ijen Crater
7. Bring Mask and UV Glasses
For safety equipment, don’t forget the mask. Do not use a regular mask because this still has the potential to cause interference with lung health. The smell of sulfur in this area is very sharp. If we don’t bring a mask from home, there will be a post that rents out special masks at a rate of IDR 25,000.
Apart from that, bringing UV glasses is very important especially if we want to get closer to the Blue Fire spot and capture the moment. These UV glasses will also protect the eyes from gas craters carried by the wind.
Attractions Near Ijen Crater
After enjoying the Ijen Crater tour, we can also try visiting other tours that are not so far from Ijen Crater. Here are some lists of the closest attractions to Ijen Crater that can be visited.
1. Baluran National Park
Baluran National Park is 78.4 km from Ijen Crater Nature Park. This National Park covers 25,000 hectares and contains a variety of unique and rare protected animals, such as Buffaloes, Bulls, Deer, and many others.
In fact, not infrequently we can see these animals roaming the grasslands, thus making Baluran Park nicknamed “Africa van Java”. This is because the Baluran grasslands (savanna) are similar to those on the African continent.
What’s interesting is that the expanse of meadows in this park reaches 1/3 of the total area of Baluran park. So that it becomes the widest savanna on the island of Java.
Coupled with the backdrop of Mount Baluran, the scenery in Baluran National Park is so exotic and charming. No wonder so many tourists come to this place to take pictures.
2. Meru Betiri National Park
Located 65.2 km from Ijen Crater, this National Park has an area of 580 km2. This location is a habitat for a variety of flora and fauna which is quite amazing which occupies the Meru Betiri National Park. Tourists can see a variety of rare plants such as Balanphora Fungosa, Raflesia Zollingeriona Flowers, Nyamplung, Rengas, Api-api, mangroves and several other medicinal plants.
Not only that, there are also many exotic wild animals, ranging from long-tailed monkeys, black beetles, bison, deer, lekang, peacocks, hornbills, several types of eagles. Not to forget the main goal when visiting Sukamade Beach is to see the turtle conservation process. There are several types of turtles that we can see on this beach, such as leatherback turtles, leatherback turtles, green turtles, and hawksbill turtles which are included in the category of endangered turtles.