Behind the beautiful panorama of Mount Ijen, with one of the world's largest craters, in Bondowoso, East Java, lies a health hazard to the surrounding community.
The crater lake of Kawah Ijen is seen through the caldera's rising sulfur fumes. At least 50,000 people live in an area threatened by acidic water from the crater lake permeating through their wells.
For both local and foreign tourists, Kawah Ijen is a unique attraction.
It is one of the few volcanoes in the country that has a crater lake. Of the country's more than 700 mountains, only a small percentage have such lakes, including Mount Rinjani (3,726 meters above sea level) in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and the Kelimutu range in Flores.
Visitors are prohibited from approaching the crater, where a lava dome has emerged as a "mini Kelud", measuring 700 square meters, with a 130-meter diameter.
According to vulcanologists, the Kelud dome is a unique phenomenon in Indonesia's volcanic history and still has the potential for a devastating eruption.
Kawah Ijen is easily accessible by motor vehicle -- the best route is via Bondowoso and eastward through Wonosari to Sempol village and finally via Paltuding village.
This route covers 70 kilometers of smooth asphalt roads. It can also be reached through the town of Banyuwangi -- only 38 kilometers to the west of the villages of Licin, Jambu and Paltuding -- but the roads are quite steep.
For a morning climb, tourists can spend the night at the coffee estate guest house of PTP Nusantara XII state company in Kalisat, Jampit, at an altitude of 1,200 meters. A tourist inn, Pondok Wisata, also offers accommodation in Paltuding, besides a camping ground.
Masks, glasses and wet handkerchiefs are needed for protection against toxic fumes from the crater. By following the path worn down by sulfur miners, climbers will not get lost.
At the peak, a green crater can be observed at a height of 2,368 meters above sea level, with a total area of 5.5 hectares and caldera walls 300 to 500 meters high. The lake's water, totaling 200 million cubic meters in volume, can reach 200 degrees centigrade. With a depth of 200 meters, the lake is so acidic that it can dissolve clothes and human fingers.
The crater lake of Kawah Ijen is seen through the caldera's rising sulfur fumes. At least 50,000 people live in an area threatened by acidic water from the crater lake permeating through their wells.
For both local and foreign tourists, Kawah Ijen is a unique attraction.
It is one of the few volcanoes in the country that has a crater lake. Of the country's more than 700 mountains, only a small percentage have such lakes, including Mount Rinjani (3,726 meters above sea level) in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and the Kelimutu range in Flores.Visitors are prohibited from approaching the crater, where a lava dome has emerged as a "mini Kelud", measuring 700 square meters, with a 130-meter diameter.
According to vulcanologists, the Kelud dome is a unique phenomenon in Indonesia's volcanic history and still has the potential for a devastating eruption.
Kawah Ijen is easily accessible by motor vehicle -- the best route is via Bondowoso and eastward through Wonosari to Sempol village and finally via Paltuding village.
This route covers 70 kilometers of smooth asphalt roads. It can also be reached through the town of Banyuwangi -- only 38 kilometers to the west of the villages of Licin, Jambu and Paltuding -- but the roads are quite steep.
For a morning climb, tourists can spend the night at the coffee estate guest house of PTP Nusantara XII state company in Kalisat, Jampit, at an altitude of 1,200 meters. A tourist inn, Pondok Wisata, also offers accommodation in Paltuding, besides a camping ground.
Masks, glasses and wet handkerchiefs are needed for protection against toxic fumes from the crater. By following the path worn down by sulfur miners, climbers will not get lost.At the peak, a green crater can be observed at a height of 2,368 meters above sea level, with a total area of 5.5 hectares and caldera walls 300 to 500 meters high. The lake's water, totaling 200 million cubic meters in volume, can reach 200 degrees centigrade. With a depth of 200 meters, the lake is so acidic that it can dissolve clothes and human fingers.
