Ijen Crater, Crater Exotic turquoise Watery

Ijen Crater Tourism Region is located in the middle of nature reserve area Ijen crater which is in the Bondowoso District, District Klobang and Banyuwangi, Sub Smooth. This crater lake of green tosca arriving at an altitude of 2368 meters above sea level. Caldera crater walls as high as 300-500m. Lake Ijen has zero degrees of acidity, has a depth of 200 meters. Acid strong enough to dissolve the clothing and the human finger.

This crater has an area of about 5466 hectares. Water crater was quite quiet and dark bluish green. The scene there looks so amazing in the morning. Water crater volume of about 200 million cubic meters of heat reaching 200 degrees Celsius, it emits a golden glow green when the sunlight hits the back of Mount Merapi, Mount Ijen twins.

Mount Ijen crater became one tourist destination in East Java, which is always crowded visited by tourists and foreign tourists. At the peak of Mount Ijen crater lake is the caldera with water or a turquoise color and had a very acidic pH. To the southeast of the lake there is a field solfatara the lake wall. In the west of the crater there is a dam upstream from Banyupait time. Field solfatara always release of volcanic gases with a high sulfur concentration and the stinging smell of gas, even irritate the respiratory tract.

While the impact crater Ijen including the interesting part but not always crowded due to be visited include a difficult achievement. Ijen Crater Dam is a concrete building constructed since the Dutch colonial era to regulate the lake water elevation in order not to cause flooding of acid. Say, the dam is now no longer functioning because the lake water seeping under the dam, so that no water had reached the door. Seepage that occurs constantly resulted in the formation of gypsum from sulfuric reaction products contained in the lake water with calcium compounds. Gypsum formation was faster by a process of evaporation.

A French explorer, Nicolai Hulot, had gasped at the beauty of Ijen crater. Perpetuate the insanity plea and told the French public through a television show called Adventure Ushuwaia Nicolai showing the-explorer Hulot, sitting on the raft and told about the origin of lake acidity Ijen with zero, has a depth of 200 meters. In the footage, he was incessantly praised the beauty of Ijen crater lake like a garden paradise in the country of Indonesia.

How to Reach The Ijen Crater

To reach Ijen crater, there are two routes that can be taken, namely through the city Bondowoso (210 km from Surabaya) or through the town of Banyuwangi (about 290 km from Surabaya). Both lines offer a panorama of nature's beautiful mountains, cool and beautiful. Along the smooth paved roads, the spread of coffee plantations, grassland and forest broad brush always greet visitors passing through.

From the Bondowoso, distance to go as far as 72 km. Public transportation will be available to take visitors to the Village Sempol (57 km from Bondowoso). From here, the journey continues to Post Paltuding 15 km. Sompol-Paltuding routes are tracks that can be taken up with a special rental car because there is no public transportation.

The second option, Ijen be taken from the east (Banyuwangi). This route is preferred foreign tourists who took time to come from Bali. In addition to a closer distance (30 km), in the way many other tourist alternatives that can be visited, such as agro Kaliklatak coffee plantations and cultural tourism Osing Kemiren village, district Glagah. Through this line of tourists only takes about an hour. To reach the Ijen from Banyuwangi, can ride angkot-Banyuwangi route Smooth-Jambu. From Jambu continued to travel with Paltuding ride motorcycles or vegetable carrier.

From Paltuding, visitors still have to walk through pine forests and shrubs as far as 3 km to the top of Ijen crater. Initial trajectory as far as 1.5 km quite heavy because the road is uphill. Most of the lines with the slope of 25-35 degrees. In addition to climbing, is also a sandy soil structure that added heavy footsteps. After a short rest in the post, the post that looks unique because it has a circular shape, other than that the next line is relatively little flat. On the sidelines of pine and fir forests along the road from the Post PHPA Paltuding to Pondok Seng, visitors can enjoy unlimited edelweiss flower scent. To come down to the crater have to cross the rocky terrain as far as 250 m with a steep road conditions. With a million charm it has, not surprisingly, Ijen crater became the second major tourist destination in East Java after Mount Bromo.

The Traditional Sulfur Miners

Early morning before dawn, some men get ready to Ijen crater, they carry the equipment of the two sides of the basket, wipes the sweat towel, sneakers worn, water and rice packets for lunch on the go. With their foot firmly into the crater Ijen. In this crater hundreds of workers to take sulfur for resale. Mining is managed by PT. Temple sulfatara eruption Ngrimbi use the caldera erupted from the five big holes in the southeast side of the crater. With a fairly simple technology, the gas pipe sulfatara disublimasi use. They put the pipes in the hole and sulfatara gas flow downward. Pressure temperature will melt the Pawon sulfatara flowing gas from the top of the slope.

It's not an easy job. Way to go very long, it took about three hours on foot to get to where it was sulfur. Not to mention the road winding, with the slope reaches 45 degrees. Crater sulfatara sulfur is in the 200 meters in achieving and contains 36 million cubic meters of acidic water steaming.

Any average person can carry 75-90 kilograms, a kilogram sold at a price of about Rp. 600, -. It's price is not comparable to the hard struggle through the mountain slopes and the very dangerous risks such as falls or other diseases due to inhaling the thick smell often sulfur. More than 200 residents of villages on the slopes of Mount Ijen choose a sulfur porters. With all modesty, the miners who have worked more than 20 years, ready to fight the wind and the cold summit of Mount Ijen. They are usually adult men who are brave and strong, within a month they worked for 17 days, the workers do not work every day because they also must consider the condition of his body.

For down-climbed into the crater and there is only a path that is steep between steep cliffs and rocks are not stable. Sulfur miners did not dare to take risks in the rain. Still attached in their memory bad events in the collapse of the crater wall as the rain that killed several people in the 70s.

These miners condition seemed not bothered by such a heavy field. They do not seem to know the pain and fatigue. In addition to such steep terrain, the sulfur carrier also must conquer the volcano blowing smoke containing sulfur. The smoke made my eyes hurt. Not only that, smoke a yellowish sulfur is very oppressive.

The smoke was so thick and hot as a compulsory menu for sulfur miners in Ijen crater. For those who are not accustomed to, inhaling sulfuric fumes that this can sometimes make a faint. While for these workers, they seemed in good health, even without special masks, except for a piece of cloth soaked in water. Ijen area as nature has been conquered by them. And, their efforts soon erased by the wages received. Start the sulfur carrier, when we get down, they brought sulfur immediately weighed, and they will receive some money.

Ijen crater, at least have made the population living nearby who worked as a miner, became more serene. Like their expectations while maintaining and protecting the natural harmony tentramnya along the slopes of Mount Ijen. By Ters constantly taking piles of sulfur in the dome sulfatara, they actually reduce the possibility of an eruption that could become a more explosive dangerous mountain entire settlement below.

The Place to Stay


Two hours of exhausting journey along the mountain slopes Ijen, paid once stepped foot on the end of Jampit Plantation, District Sempol, Bondowoso. You will be greeted by an old two-storey house berasitektur named Dutch Jampit Guest House. High roof complete with a chimney for the fireplace. The walls were made of wood painted brown. Large windows and white curtained.

You will be treated to scenery typical flowers are blooming European, multicolored. Neatly arranged in an area of two acres that surround Guest House. Hidrangea flowers and blue Petonia. Purple carnations. Anemone red and yellow. Lely White. And flowers aqapanthus and antirrhinum. The more perfect with pine trees lining the edge of the park, towering as high as 30 meters.

Various plants grow well in Plantation Jampit, because it has a height above sea level 1100-1600. Plantation is surrounded Mount Ijen, Mt roar, Mountain and Mount Upgrading Kempit. When the daytime temperature around 18 degrees Celsius, and then would slide back to 10 degrees Celsius at night. Simply enjoy the delicious taste of natural pemadangan with the cool air that, while drinking coffee is served in Arabica coffee table.

This place can be gone through Bondowoso, Situbondo, and Banyuwangi route leading to the crater Ijen. From City Bondowoso, located about 58 KM. While from a distance Banyuwangi about 52 KM. Arabica coffee plants are welcomed throughout our journey to Jampit. Of the total area of 3104.41 ha of plantation, Arabica coffee commodity area 1252.27 ha with total production of about 889.196 tons per year.

Arabica is the main commodity under Jampit Plantation PT Perkebunan Nusantara XII of this. PTPN XII but only managing all potential agrowisatanya seriously in 2001. In that year began Jampit rented as lodgings. "Previously, Guest House only functioned for PTPN service activities," said Sulistyani, Managing Agro PTPN XII, Sunday (8 / 8). In the Guest House there are five rooms and rooms equipped with television lobby. This place is rented out a package worth Rp 2 million per night.

In the backyard of Guest House, there Jampit Virtual Library which is also rented to visitors. Dutch heritage building, which until now still maintained. Here is 25 beds plus six rooms. Visitors dominated from France, the Netherlands, Belgium, America, and Korea. Ordinary tourists staying at Jampit before starting the trip up the crater Ijen. As for local tourists, Jampit is very popular as a place to hold outbound.

During the wait for a trip to the crater, visitors can enjoy a tour package to see the harvest strawberries and Arabica coffee processing. Two packages of this last tour was in Plantation Kalisat or commonly called Jampit Two, 14 KM from Jampit One. From the height of Arabica Homestay in Jampit two, we can enjoy the wide expanse of garden strawberry one hectare, surrounded by coffee plantations. Strawberries garden harvest twice a week, the average yield of two hundred pounds of red strawberries and fresh. In addition to his own consumption, strawberries sold to Surabaya and Bali.

Other options than staying Jampit Plantation, located in Plantation Blawan, about eight miles from Jampit two. Plantation area of 5521.45 ha Blawan also provide lodging house named former Dutch Catimor Homestay Blawan. Catimor which has 30 rooms, built in 1894 by Sinder Degener. Most of the buildings is retained, such as a wall of bamboo. Unless the floor is completely revamped from the wood becomes brown tiles.

However, the view of the park  in Catimor is not as beautiful  as in Jampit. Catimor more selling the quite house condition without the hustle and bustle of the television. Modern facility was installed hot water in the bathroom, as a cold repellent. Around Catimor, visitors can enjoy the strawberries, vegetables garden, and Arabica coffee processing factory. Each comes, guests are welcomed to enjoy a cup of Arabica coffee that can be contrived himself in front of the reception.
Most guests are tourists, mostly brought by travel-travel agent from serving Probolinggo climbing tour package in the crater of Mount Bromo and Ijen. They usually stay for a day. According to one guide from Horizon Travel Probolinggo, who took 13 tourists from Australia, they arrived at Blawan on Saturday morning (7 / 8). Full day's rest, gathering strength before starting the climb. Catimor they began to leave the next day at four in the morning to the crater Ijen. After the climb, direct tourists to Bali in contrast with the past Banyuwangi route.

June to August is the peak of tourist visit to the crater Ijen. Of more than a hundred people every day. Therefore, three lodging occupancy rate in Jampit and Blawan always filled. Unfortunately, this potential has not been matched adequate road access. Greatest challenge to both the plantation was the conquest of the road. Both taken from Banyuwangi and Bondowoso, the quality of the course are equally damaged. When you're carrying a motor vehicle less than prime, I'm not sure you'll be able to conquer the entire road smoothly.

Source :
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