TIMES HONGKONG, BANYUWANGI – Who doesn't know Ijen Crater? This is one of the active volcanoes in Indonesia. Ijen Crater is located on the border between Banyuwangi and Bondowoso regencies, East Java. This mountain is a very popular natural tourist destination in all circles. Because this mountain can be a place for climbing and photography because of its stunning scenery. 

There is the most interesting and famous phenomenon in the Ijen crater, the "Blue Fire" phenomenon.  This is the process of sulfur evaporation that looks bright blue at night, occurring due to the reaction between sulfur gas emitted from the volcano and the surrounding air. This phenomenon only occurs in two places in the world, namely the Ijen Crater and Mount Dallol in Ethiopia.

To see the Blue Fire clearly, visitors must climb at 2am, and the hike there takes 2 hours. "The hike was challenging, but the view of Blue fire was surreal. It took my breath away," one visitor to Ijen Crater, Citra Firlia says. 

In addition to Blue Fire, Ijen Crater also offers a beautiful sunrise view from its peak. The sunrise view at the top of Mount Merapi makes visitors feel like they are on top of the watch. This is also an interesting spot that is hunted by visitors.

Visitors can also see first-hand the sulfur mining process carried out by the local community. This sulfur mining is done in a very heavy way, because the miners have to carry heavy loads from the bottom of the crater to the top of the mountain with extra rocky roads.

To visit Ijen Crater, visitors must prepare themselves well. Firstly, visitors must wear a jacket or warm clothes, because the air temperature around the crater can be very cold, so visitors must bring a jacket or warm clothes. After that, visitors must wear a special mask to protect their breathing from pungent gases. 

Finally, visitors must prepare themselves physically for the challenging climb. Because the road to the crater is a little steep.

"It's important to be phsycally prepared for the hike to the Ijen Crater. But if you are not strong, many local residents provide cart services to take visitors from top to bottom or from bottom to top with prices that vary depending on the distance to the destination point," added Citra.