How to go to Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi?
Mount Ijen, or Kawah Ijen as it is locally called, is located in the Banyuwangi Regency, the east most part of Java Island and neighbouring the island of Bali across the Bali Straits.
Below are some of the best ways to get to Mount Ijen in Indonesia, and please take note that there is much travelling to do to get here.
The obvious way would be to fly into Banyuwangi and then travel overland from there. It also depends on which travel and tour company you choose.
There are a few ways to go to Banyuwangi, and the fastest and easiest way is to fly into the Banyuwangi Airport (BWW) using the local Indonesian airlines.
Most travellers wanting to hike up Mount Ijen would do this to save time. However, if you are a backpacker or budget traveller, you may travel overland from Surabaya, which will take you a cool 10 to 12 hours via bus.
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| Banyuwangi Airport |
If you are taking an international airline, you can land at Surabaya Airport and connect to Banyuwangi using Lion Air, Wings Air or Garuda Indonesia.
From Jakarta, you need to transit to Surabaya before connecting to Banyuwangi. Note the flight timings are not as regular as other popular cities.
From Denpasar or Kuta, you need to travel to Gilimanuk Ferry Terminal on the west coast of Bali Island, take the ferry service across to the Ketapang Ferry Terminal, and you are in Banyuwangi.
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| Gilimanuk-Banyuwangi Ferry Service. (Photo credit www.visitijen.com) |
Then you need to trek up about two to three hours or so to catch the elusive blue flame just before sunrise. Most visitors who want to see this blue flame would start as early as 11.00 pm.
The 4×4 vehicles and guide will pick you from the hotel, and you will travel overland for about one hour to the foot of Mount Ijen before your briefing and trek up.
In total, you will spend about six hours and will be back by breakfast, and it depends on how capable you are.
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| The scene at Mount Ijen taken at 5.00am |
The trick for trekking up Mount Ijen is to sleep early the night before as you need your rest for the trek up.
This means forgoing your dinner and hitting the sack by about 4.00pm and waking up at 11.00pm. Also, it is best to book a tour from a local tour company as it will be hassle-free.
It is also highly recommended that you shop around for the best tour prices in Banyuwangi, and make sure you ask what is included in the price package.
For additional information, you can also visit the Indonesia Tourism website as they have quite a complete guide to the area.
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