My Experience Hiking Mount Ijen in Java, Indonesia

I visited Mount Ijen as part of a day trip from the island of Bali. My commute included a pick-up in Bali to the Gilimanuk port followed by a ferry crossing to Java that took approximately one hour. I stayed in a village near the volcano at Good Karma Ijen guesthouse.

One of my favorite experiences and largely in part with the company I booked. They were beyond professional and responsive.

Departure starts early! If you want to see the beautiful blue flames, then I recommend starting your hike as soon as the park opens at 2:00 am at base camp. It will take anywhere between 1.5 to 2 hours. The trail is steep, and you are basically going on an incline for 90% of your hike. There are stalls set up along the trail offering food and beverages for purchase.

I would highly recommend bringing a headlamp and not a flashlight. The terrain is not even and there is loose rocks everywhere.

It also gets very cold in and around the crater make sure to bring a coat, hat and gloves.

Afterwards, you will descend into the crater. Go slowly. This pathway is narrow. Honestly how long it takes to descend is completely dependent on the amount of people there. You will be in a “traffic jam” as you hike down. Make sure to bring gloves to help your skin from getting irritated. You will touch powdered sulfur as you boulder down in certain sections, and it can cause skin irritation.

If you have flexibility in your schedule I would avoid booking on the weekend as the locals and tourists alike are all here.

The miners who work on Ijen will be using the same trail as the tourists. People will shout out, “miner!” Make sure to make way for the miners to pass by with the sulfur deposits.

At this point you should be wearing your gas mask. Be warned your eyes will get irritated as the sulfur clouds sway in your direction. The best thing to do is to close your eyes and do not move. If you move when you can’t see it could be very dangerous. You will notice very quickly that the weather will impact your experience. Sometimes the clouds hover over the blue flames making them completely not visible. You will need to pay attention to the wind conditions too. The wind will be pushing the fumes around and it doesn’t matter where you are in the crater.

It is easier to take a video of the blue flames then it is to take a photo. I brought my camera, but I didn’t pull it out inside the crater. I didn’t want the sulfur fumes damaging my equipment.. All my photos were taken on a phone.

Right next to the blue flames is the world’s largest highly acidic crater lake with a magical turquoise color.

DO NOT TOUCH THE WATER! Omg I didn’t think that I would have to state this. I saw so many hikers touch the water of this lake. Its pH is 0.5-1, making it as acidic as battery acid.

You will take the same route back so first you will boulder up the narrow trail before you get to the forested portion. The scenery on the way out of the crater and back to base camp is absolutely gorgeous! Don’t forget to slow down and look around.

I was surprised that there was no signage by the crater. There is general signage at the start of the hike by the entrance, but it just highlights the route. During the Ijen hike, it is essential to know the crater, the environment, and potential hazards inside and out.

DO NOT wear any gold or silver jewelry as the sulfur gas may tarnish or permanently damage them. I saw sooo many people who were not aware of this until they looked down at their rings, earrings, etc.

If using a camera, do not change lenses or open the camera inside the crater. Sulfur fumes can enter and damage it.