teradesa.com In addition to the beautiful crater scenery, there is also the Blue Fire phenomenon
There is always an extraordinary beauty offered by Indonesian nature, one of which is the existence of the Ijen Crater. Ijen Banyuwangi Crater Tourism is one of the most popular Banyuwangi tours among traveling lovers. Ijen Crater or Mount Ijen Banyuwangi is located on the border of Banyuwangi Regency and Bondowoso Regency, East Java, with the peak height of Mount Ijen 2,443 meters above sea level.
Ijen Banyuwangi Crater is a bluish-green acid lake with a diameter of about 700 meters, an area of 5,466 hectares, a lake depth of about 200 meters. The volume of Ijen Crater lake reaches 36 million cubic meters, with caldera walls as high as 300-500 meters, and the acidity level (pH) of lake water is close to zero, which can dissolve clothes, even skin and human body in an instant. However, take it easy. As long as you stay within a safe distance, Kawah Ijen is not dangerous.
The air temperature around this tourist spot can reach 2 degrees Celsius, so don’t forget to bring warm and thick clothes. In this volcanic area there is a sulfur mine, which indicates that this mountain is still active and active. While in the Ijen Crater area, you can see miners busy carrying piles of sulfur on their backs, walking down a steep path filled with dangerous poisonous gases. You are required to wear a mask for breathing comfort.
In the western part of the crater, there is a dam that was built during the Dutch era to prevent the crater water from overflowing. The dam is made of concrete and can be one of the alternative tourist attractions in Ijen Crater, but the road to get there is difficult to pass.
If you want to get the best view of the Ijen Crater, you should start climbing from Paltuding around 4am with an estimated arrival at the top at 6-7am. At this time, Ijen Crater is at its best and produces the most beautiful views.
Around Paltuding post there are simple lodgings managed by the local Forestry Service. By dawn, you will be woken up to prepare for the climb. If you don’t 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. Along the way up, you can enjoy the surrounding scenery that is no less beautiful.
The natural beauty of the Ijen Banyuwangi Crater is amazing. From the top of Ijen, in addition to the panoramic view of the Ijen Crater acid lake, you can also enjoy the beautiful view of the Ijen mountain complex. To the east you can see the peak of Mount Merapi, as well as the surrounding Mount Suket, Mount Rante, Mount Raung, and other magnificent landscapes.
In addition to the beautiful view of the lake crater, one thing that has been recognized worldwide is the potential of Ijen Crater blue fire. This is a natural phenomenon of blue fire that occurs due to the release of volcanic gas containing hot sulfur with a temperature of 660 degrees Celsius which burns when in contact with air. The Ijen blue fire phenomenon can only be seen at night.
Usually, tourists who intend to see the phenomenon of the blue fire of the Ijen Crater must start climbing around one or maximum two o’clock in the morning from the vehicle parking area in Paltuding, in order to arrive at the Ijen Crater before sunrise. The climb from Paltuding to the summit (crater rim) of Ijen is 3 km, taking about 1.5 hours to 2 hours. From the summit down to the crater is about 1 km, taking about half an hour.
To reach Mount Ijen can be accessed from two directions, namely, from the north and from the south. From the north, it can be traveled through Situbondo to Sempol (Bondowoso) via Wonosari and continued to Paltuding. The distance from Situbondo to Paltuding is about 93 kilometers and can be taken about 2.5 hours. From the south, it can be traveled from Banyuwangi to Licin which is 15 km away. From Licin to Paltuding is 18 km and continued using Jeep or other heavy car about 6 km before Paltuding. This is because the road is winding and uphill.
