Travel Guide Plateau D’ijen

Stretching northeast from Baluran, the Ijen Plateau Reserve covers an area of 135 km². The plateau is a large crater(kawah) dominated by the volcanoes Ijen (2,400 m), Merapi (2,800 m) and Raung (3,322 m). Much of the western part of the plateau is covered by coffee plantations where a variety of acacia-parasol trees grow. Most visitors decide to visit the sulfurous, turquoise-tinged lake nestled in a crater, Kawah Ijen. In March 2016, this site was even added to UNESCO's list of World Biosphere Reserves for its exceptional beauty. We descend from the crater to the yellow sulfur deposits. Working on this open-air deposit, some three hundred men extract and haul blocks of sulfur over a distance of more than twenty kilometers. Each man places his load (from 40 to 70 kg) in a basket suspended from a flail. Although the sulphurous fumes are dangerous and the conditions under which the sulphur is extracted and hauled are appalling, the fear of unemployment brings many young men here, who are considered heroes in their villages. The sulfur from Kawah Ijen is said to be the best in Indonesia. Early in the morning, before the sun rises, you may witness an amazing natural phenomenon where blue flames appear around the crater. This color is due to the combustion of sulfur in the gas. Often referred to as "Blue Fire", this spectacle usually occurs around 4 a.m.