Sep 2026 - Andhika - Inbound & Product Manager Indonesia

There are some journeys where reaching the destination is only part of the experience, and our trip to Mount Ijen in East Java was certainly one of them. We started from Ketapang Harbour in Banyuwangi and headed towards Paltuding in the middle of the night, arriving just before 2:00 AM. At that hour, the mountain was completely dark and quiet, and it was hard to imagine what the landscape would look like a few hours later. With only our headlamps lighting the way, we started the hike and slowly made our way uphill.

The hike is around 6 kilometres round trip, with about 1.5 to 2 hours needed to reach the crater. The trail is considered moderate, although starting at 2 AM made the climb feel a little more demanding. We kept a steady pace, taking short breaks along the way and enjoying the cool night air. With almost nothing visible around us, the anticipation of reaching the top became part of the experience.

One of the things we were most curious to see was Ijen’s famous blue fire, created when sulfurous gases released from the mountain ignite upon contact with the air. When conditions and access allow, the blue flames can be seen before sunrise, glowing in the darkness and creating an unusual sight that feels almost unreal. As the area contains active volcanic gases, access is subject to local safety conditions and instructions from local authorities and guides.

As we continued towards the crater viewpoints, the sky slowly began to brighten, and we finally got our first proper look at the turquoise crater lake. After walking through the darkness for more than an hour, seeing the vivid colour appear below us was particularly rewarding. The lake stood out against the rugged grey crater walls, while the soft morning light gradually brought the surrounding landscape into view. We stayed at the crater to watch the sunrise, and this turned out to be one of the nicest moments of the whole experience. The darkness slowly disappeared, the surrounding peaks emerged and distant mountains began to appear on the horizon. By the time we started making our way back down, the landscape that had been hidden during the climb was fully visible. Looking back, it was not just the blue fire or the turquoise lake that made Mount Ijen memorable, but the whole experience of starting in the middle of the night and watching the mountain gradually reveal itself with the arrival of a new day.