Ijen Crater

Ijen Crater is situated in Banyuwangi, East Java. This tour has been published and well known Until the French State through Ushuwaia Adventure Impressions showing the-explorer Nicolai Hulot. Ijen crater was easy to be visited through Banyuwangi or Bondowoso. The uniqueness of the main crater of the tour apart from the exquisite a view is to see a traditional sulfur mining transported borne by human power. Traditional mining is said to exist only on Indonesia alone (Welirang and Ijen). Expenses are transported each weighing up to 85kg per person.

This remarkable heavy burden for most people, when sulfur is transported through the steep caldera wall and 800m down the mountain as far as 3km. Income received by a bearing on average 25 thousand rupiah per day, or about 300 dollars per kilo. A bearer is usually only able to bring down one time every day, because the weight of the job. A few hundred yards there is a round building of ancient relics of the Netherlands said "Irrigation crater", which is now known as the Round Post, an outpost where miners weigh the cargo and get a piece of paper about the content and value.

Travel tour to the crater Ijen, starting from Paltuding 1.600 masl, an outpost at the foot of Mount Merapi Perhutani-Ijen. From here a dirt road climb to an altitude of 2.400 m above sea level and takes about 2 hours leisurely stroll. Along the way many sulfur bearers ran into a friendly exchange greetings.

Arrive at the lip of the crater, stunning scenery in front of the eye. A tosca green lake with a diameter of 1 km covered in mist and sulfur fumes were far below. Sulfur-miner miner looks small from the top. To go to the source of sulfur, we need to down the caldera cliff rocks along the path trodden by miners. Wet handkerchief is necessary, because sometimes the wind carried the smoke to the path of decline.

Based crater, parallel to the surface of the lake there are other place of extraction of sulfur. Thick white smoke gushed out from the iron pipe which is connected to a source of sulfur. 600oC molten red hot fumaroles melt out and frozen with cold air, forming a bright yellow solid sulfur.

Sometimes uncontrolled burning embers fumaroles, which usually immediately drenched with water to prevent a chain reaction piroporik. Sulfur rocks are cut with a crowbar and transported to the basket. Breathing in this environment needs its own struggle, the miners generally work, biting his glove or piece of cloth as a makeshift air filter cloth.

In addition to advance straight to the lake, around the caldera can be done with more or less take a full day. Climbing to the crater Ijen generally recommended starting in the morning. For security reasons, the climb to the crater of Paltuding closed after 14:00, because pekatnya smoke and the possibility of wind direction that leads into the path of ascent. To pursue the journey in the morning, visitors are advised to stay at the nearest location Bondowoso, clean mountain town, or in Situbondo a coastal town.

If you liked the atmosphere of the plantation, a memorable place to stay is the Guest House Plantation Coffee PTP Nusantara XII in Kalisat, Jampit. Guest House is situated within the complex housing estates at an altitude of about 1.200 masl. Also available Cottage Tours in Paltuding clean enough, or open the tent at the campsite Paltuding. Temparature average around Ijen crater is 13 o C at noon and 2 o C at night.

To reach the crater Ijen is not too difficult. There are two ways, first through Banyuwangi town 38 km to the west through the slippery, Guava, Paltuding (1.600 masl). The second way is through the city Bondowoso the east via Wonosari, Sempol (800 masl), Paltuding as far as 70 km. The second way is the most widely traveled people because of the smooth asphalt roads, while the first way through macadam road with a fairly steep incline. Foreign tourists after a visit in Bromo usually come through Bondowoso, back through Banyuwangi, on to Bali and Lombok.

The route of this Bondowoso through a limited area of ​​coffee plantation area, with three different gates. At each gate we were asked to sign the guest book and travel destination. The scenery is very nice route, with a green garden arabikanya regular coffee, pine forest and virgin forest Perhutani Nature Reserve Ijen-Merapi dense. A short visit one day can be done, but spent the night in the coffee plantation is the right choice. Available agro-tourism package visiting coffee plantations and coffee bean processing unit to consider.