Ijen Crater, Amazing Charm of Blue Fire

Amazing Charm of Blue Fire di Ijen Crater

There is always the extraordinary beauty offered by Indonesian nature, one of which is the existence of the Ijen Crater. Ijen Crater is a natural tourist spot on the island of Java which is visited by many.

This tourist spot is part of the Ijen Tourism Nature Reserve. Administratively, Ijen Crater is located in two regencies, namely Banyuwangi and Bondowoso. Ijen Crater is above an altitude of 2,368 meters above sea level and is part of Mount Ijen, one of the active volcanoes on the island of Java.

The crater with an area of 20 km square is surrounded by caldera walls as high as 300-500 meters. In addition, the acid content in the crater is close to zero with temperatures reaching 200 degrees Celsius which means that the crater water is sufficient to melt clothes and even the human body in a short time.

However, take it easy. As long as you are still within a safe distance, Ijen Crater is not dangerous. However, because the sulfur content is very high, you are required to wear a mask for comfort when breathing. The temperature around this tourist spot can reach 2 degrees Celsius, so don't forget to bring warm and thick clothes.

In the west of the crater there is a dam or dam made in the Dutch era to avoid the overflow of the crater water. Dam that is not functioning is made of concrete and can be an alternative tourist destination in Ijen Crater, but the road to get there is difficult to pass.

To be able to enjoy the beauty of Ijen Crater, you can depart from Banyuwangi and Bondowoso to go to Paltuding, the final post at this tourist spot. From Paltuding, you have to hike for about 2 hours to get to the top of the caldera which is the closest location to watch the Ijen Crater. From here, you can see the sea of turquoise-colored craters with billowing smoke. What an amazing view.

If you want to get the best view of the Ijen Crater, you should start the hike from Paltuding around 4 in the morning with an estimated up above at 6-7 am. At this hour, Ijen Crater is in its best condition and produces the most beautiful views

How can you go on a hike that early? Relax, around the Paltuding post there is a modest inn managed by the local Forest Service. By dawn, you will be awakened in preparation for climbing. If you do not want to spend the night at the inn, you can set up a tent to camp with friends at this post. Don't forget to take care of the camping permit, yes. Along the way up, you can enjoy the scenery around that is no less beautiful.

The best time to visit tourist attractions in East Java is during the dry season, which is between July - September. During these months, there tends to be no rain so the terrain or hiking trail is relatively safe and you can enjoy the Ijen Crater without being washed away by rain or covered in thick fog.

Another Interesting Thing From Ijen Crater

Blue Fire

If you want to witness more extraordinary beauty, try climbing in the early hours of the morning. Ijen Crater holds another miracle, at the bottom of the crater there is a blue fire or blue fire which is another uniqueness of this tourist spot. This blue flame comes from sulfuric liquid which will dry up and become a local people's mining material. Blue flames can only be seen when the atmosphere is still dark.

One of the two traditional sulfur mining sites in Indonesia

In Indonesia, there are only two traditional sulfur mining sites namely in Welirang and in Ijen Crater. The mining process here is still very simple and does not use sophisticated tools. Miners will go down to the crater to take sulfur bars that have dried with simple tools and without adequate safety equipment

Chunks of frozen sulfur are cut using a crowbar to be transported using a basket carried on the shoulder. The burdens of burdens of miners can reach 80-100 kg and they must carry them to walk 3 km to the sulfur collection point. For safety reasons, each miner is only allowed to transport a maximum of twice a day.

Sulfur will be collected in an old Dutch heritage building called the Round Post. Each basket of each miner will be weighed and exchanged for money according to sulfur weight.

You will find many of these miners when you are around tourist attractions. Don't hesitate to greet them or just ask about the sulfur mining process. Even though they look tired and busy with their activities, the miners usually welcome greetings and questions from tourists.

Special Souvenir Ijen Crater

Visiting a tourist spot, it's incomplete if you don't buy the signature souvenir. What can be obtained from Ijen Crater? Ijen Crater is not only known as a tourist spot, this crater is also popular as the location of its sulfur mines.

In Ijen Crater, precisely at the Paltuding post, there are a number of simple stalls selling food to miners, but not infrequently many tourists stop by and enjoy drinks and hot food here.

One of the owners of this stall is Mr. Im, who also works as a tour guide in Ijen Crater. Interestingly, Pak Im's shop also sells souvenirs typical of Ijen Crater. This souvenir is made of bamboo and is shaped like a small basket like a miniature basket of sulfur miners. This small basket is then filled with small yellow sulfur flakes. Aside from Pak Im's shop, you can also find these souvenirs at the Round Post.

Coffee Agro Tourism

If departing from Bondowoso, you will pass through the Arabica coffee plantation area. Nothing wrong with stopping by and trying to experience agro-tourism here. You can walk around the plantation and see the process of picking up to processing it to produce the best flavored coffee.