The Blue Fire Rings of Ijen

Introduction:

Blue Fire of Ijen

From the Paltuding post of Banyuwangi, starts the journey to chase the mysterious blue fire ring of Ijen. Speaking of mysterious, what could be more so, than trekking 3 Kms uphill with nothing but dark hill scapes all around you, in the wee hours of the night, with temperature going down from 10 degrees (at the base) to 5 degrees (at the top). The smell of sulphur gets stronger with each step towards the top of the mountain. Once finally there, as you struggle to catch a breath, you are greeted by a surreal play of electric blue flames. Now, the hypnotic blue fire draws you towards itself and you go further downhill towards the source and stand in awe as it dazzles your eyes.

The blue flame is ignited sulphuric gas, which arises from cracks at temperatures up to 600 degrees. The flames can be up to 5 metres high. It is the largest blue flame area in the world and local people refer to it as 'Blue Fire'. To go near the bank of the crater, you need to wear the mask due to the sulphur smokes.

The Lake:

Now, if you thought the blue fire is the only attraction of this area, you couldn't be more wrong. As the rising sun breaks the mysteries of the night and the blue flame vanishes with the advent of the light, the dawn unveils the lovely turquoise Crater Lake. This acidic lake is 1 km wide, the largest highly acidic lake in the world. An active vent at the edge of the lake is a source of elemental sulphur. The green of the lake, the yellow deposits contrasted against the grey surface of the bank, the blue of the sky and the smoke continue to paint the mysterious scenery of the caldera.

Ijen crater lake in daylight

Sulphur Mining:

Miners carry an approximate load of 50 kgs of sulphur in baskets per trip all the way up to the rim of the crater and then downhill to Paltuding, where a nearby sugar refinery pay them by the weight of sulphur transported. The workers also sell sulphur handicrafts for a humble price (can be bargained); though the tourists must take a note here that airport security will NOT allow any form of sulphur in the luggage or handbag.

Getting there:

The 3 kms trek to the Ijen volcano starts at Paltuding post, which can be reached from Banyuwangi or Bondowoso, depending on which route you are taking, the latter involving less transport changes.

If you are coming from Bali, you can take the ferry from Gilimanuk to Ketapang. From Ketapang, you can opt for a Bemo to Banyuwangi. From there, Paltuding post is about 1.5 to 2 hours' drive.

If you are coming from Surabaya or Mount Bromo, Bondowoso is more convenient. Buses run from Probolinggo to Bondowoso. From Bondowoso, you can take the morning bus for Sempol, from where you can hire an ojek to drop you off at Paltuding post.

The hike from Paltuding post is quite straight forward and can be done without a guide as well.

Getting around:

For visiting Ijen crater, you need to trek about 3 kms uphill to reach the rim and 1.5 kms downhill further to reach the bank of the crater. This entire trek takes around 1.5 – 2.5 hours depending on your fitness level. Alternately, you may opt to take the helpers to carry you to the top for 1.500.000 IDR. There is no other alternative available for this route

Weather in Paltuding / Ijen:

The temperature at the base of the Ijen trek during the night could be as low as 10 degrees and at the rim of the crater could be even colder upto 5 degrees.

Good to know:

• You must carry woollen gloves, socks and ear / head covers as it is quite cold
• You must carry masks to the Ijen crater due to the sulphur smokes
• You must prepare the cash to pay the entry fees to Ijen crater on the spot
• The Ijen blue flames are visible only until sunrise and the entire trek takes around 1.5 – 2.5 hours depending on your fitness level. Hence, you must plan the starting time accordingly.

Ideal Time Commitment: A weekend

Recommended Detour: Take a bus from Bondowoso to Probolinggo and another from there to Cemoro Lawang, the base for hiking Mount Bromo.


Suggested Itinerary: Bromo - Ijen combined itinerary 4D / 3N

Mount Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia

Characteristics:

The Blue and green lakes

The black lake

Kelimutu means "the boiling lake". There are three lakes on the mountain sharing the same name, each having its own color and local name. Sometimes, the colors are blue, black and green, while some other time, they turn white, red and blue. The exact color that they will exhibit at a certain time is hard to predict in advance. All the lakes are believed to be resting place of departed souls.

Cost summary:		Review (out of 5)
Bali – Maumere (per head one way via Garuda)	8.61.000 IDR	5
Maumere airport – bus stand for Moni	30.000 – 50.000 IDR	3
Bus to Moni (per head one way)	30.000 – 50.000 IDR	3.5
Hotel in Moni	1.50.000 IDR approx.	3.5
Ojek ride from Moni to Kelimutu (one way)	50.000 – 75.000 IDR	4
Food in Moni / Maumere / Ende	$	3.5
Kelimutu entry fees for foreigners (public holidays and Sundays / Monday - Saturday)	2.25.000 / 1.50.000 IDR	-

Good to know:

You must carry warm clothing as it is quite cold before sunrise

Entry fees to Kelimutu National Park varies based on the weekdays / Sunday / public holidays. Please lookup the list of holidays in Indonesia before visiting to avoid surprise situations

Try to leave Moni by 4:00 – 4:30 am to catch the sunrise without hurrying your way up

Try to take the flight from Bali to Maumere as it is very scenic

Local foods to try: Bakso, Soto Ayam (chicken), traditional Moni dinner

Local drinks to try (alcoholic): Arak, Moke

Shopping ideas: Try looking for the local Ikat sarongs and scarfs

Getting Here:

The base for visiting Mount Kelimutu is at the small village of Moni. When I say small, I mean literally walkable from one end to the other. Moni is accessible from both Ende and Maumere (nearest airports) via public buses, shared cars and privately rented cars. You can reach here from Bajawa and Riung (break at Ende) as well, but the journey time is much longer and more expensive.

Tips: Public buses, though a bit hectic, is the cheapest option.

Ende and Maumere are, in turn, connected to Bali and Jakarta via domestic flights operated by multiple airlines.

Tips: When opting for domestic flights, the cheapest option is Bali. Also, I would recommend to take the flight to Maumere as the route is very scenic with the low flying small airplanes giving you the glimpse of literally all the islands and mountains on the way. The small airport at Maumere is also very scenic and cute.

Scenic little airport of Maumere

Aerial view of Mount Rinjani from the flight

Getting around:

You can walk around to see the village of Moni. For visiting Lake Kelimutu, you can rent an ojek or a car to take you up to the starting point for the trek to Kelimutu lake.

Tips: You can opt for the vehicle on your way up and trek on your way down, enjoying the sceneries.

Weather in Moni / Kelimutu:

The weather is quite pleasant in Moni. It gets cooler by the night. For the sunrise trek, you must carry warm clothing.

Accommodation in Moni:

There are quite a few accommodation options available in Moni. You can stroll around, compare the rooms and the rates (mostly negotiable) and choose where you wish to stay. Most of the accommodations come with complimentary breakfast option.

Note: Don’t expect very strong wifi signals here. Consider this as more of a nature retreat away from digital signals.

Food in Moni:

There are quite a few restaurants in Moni having local as well as western food options. These are mostly the accommodation restaurants but they welcome walk in customers as well. There are also few warungs (small local café, restaurant or casual shop) in the area offering cheap and tasty foods. Try the local bakso or soto ayam, or look out for traditional Moni dinner.

Ideal time commitment:

2-3 days including journey time.

Rough itinerary:

Day 1: Fly from Bali to Maumere. Take a taxi from Maumere airport to the bus stand (negotiate on the price). Check the bus timing and accordingly have your lunch nearby. The bus journey should take around 3-4 hours. Once you reach Moni, look for accommodation. Keep the day free and easy, stroll around, try some local foods and drinks like Arak or Moke.

Day 2: Start your day early to catch the spectacular sunrise over Mount Kelimutu. Hire an ojek on your way up and trek thereafter. Have some hot noodles and coffee or tea from the local vendors up there as you enjoy your view.

Mystic sunrise over Mount Kelimutu

Trekking to the top

Spend as much of time there as you like because the views keep changing as the sunlight gets stronger. Then, trek down to Moni. Visit the hot springs, the neighbouring village and waterfalls on the way. Then, you can opt to stay overnight or proceed to your onwards journey to Maumere or Ende.

Recommended detour:

From Ende, continue to the west. By road, make a stop at Ruteng. From Ruteng, you can have a no. of places to visit which includes the spider web rice fields at Cancar, the Liang Bua cave, where archaeologists discovered skeletons of world’s singular hobbits, and Wae Rebo village, where you can get a glimpse of the megalithic culture. Then, you can continue further west to Labuan Bajo to visit the famous Komodo dragons. Continuous road trip from Ende to Labuan Bajo could be too much exhausting and totally not recommended. However, if you break into visiting different places like mentioned, it is worth it (although time consuming).

Alternately, you can directly fly to Labuan Bajo from Ende and keep the rest of the places for the next time.