Kawah Ijen

Kawah Ijen is located northwest of Mount Merapi, between Banyuwangi and Bondowoso regencies, East Java, and has long been a magnet for local and foreign tourists. By September 2011, over 10,000 tourists of a variety of nationalities had explored the crater, including French, Dutch, Belgian, German, British and Asian visitors.

The Ijen crater boasts a magnificent crater lake, which is over 182 meters deep and has 32 million cubic meters of beautiful turquoise green water. The high acidity of the water gives it a unique, bitter flavor. The crater rim encircles the lake, measuring 960 by 600 meters at its lower portion and 1,600 by 1,160 meters and its top.

The crater area is also the habitat of Javan hawk-eagles, with a wingspan of 150 centimeters ( cm ). These hawk-eagles have a body length of 70 cm, and feature two crests and mostly dark brown feathers. This rare species was named the national bird in 1993 for having inspired the creation of the national coat of arms called the Garuda Pancasila.




Kawah Ijen routes and fares

Taxi from Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, to Bungurasih bus terminal: Rp 50,000
Jember-bound bus from Bungurasih: Rp 46,000
Public transportation from Jember to Bondowoso: Rp 5,000
Public transportation from Bondowoso to Kawah Ijen: Rp 20,000

Or:
Package Tour from Banyuwangi, Rp 1.6 million per person ( including one night’s accommodation and guides ).