The Ijen Plateau, or more commonly known as 'Kawah Ijen' (Ijen Crater), is highly recommended for visits, especially for mountain enthusiasts and hikers. This plateau is a large active crater, covering an area of 134 square kilometers. Ijen is a quiet yet active volcano, with its landscape dominated by the Ijen volcano summit (2,368 meters above sea level), Merapi (2,800 meters above sea level) to the northeast of the plateau, and Raung (3,332 meters above sea level) in the southwest corner. The volcanic vent is a source of sulfur, which is collected by workers who create paths leading to the crater and descend to the lake every day.
Exploring Ijen
You can walk for 1 to 1.5 hours to reach the edge of the crater.
Access to Ijen
Kawah Ijen can be reached via Bondowoso, either from the northern or southern coastal routes. The crater is closer to Banyuwangi. However, the road leading there is very steep and severely damaged. If you plan to visit Ijen Crater, it is recommended to use a 4WD vehicle, although it can be quite expensive. Most visitors walk the last 8 km (out of a total of 64 km) along the road to Pos Paltuding (Pos PHPA), the starting point or the initial trailhead for the hike to Ijen Crater from Bondowoso.
