What To See Around Kawah Ijen

Most of tourists focus only to see the phenomenon blue fire and summit for the sunrise, missing the around attractions that also interesting to be visited while you are in Kawah Ijen. Here are the list for the places we recommend to be visited.

1. Sulfur Processing Unit

This place is hidden, located nearby Kalibendo Plantation, right in the middle of coffee plantation. This place used for purifying the sulfur stones from Kawah Ijen. Sulfur which mined in Kawah Ijen was a raw material contained of sulfur and dirt, it needs to be melted and purified to get pure sulfur that were ready for sell for industries. Pure sulfur can be used for bleaching sugar and cosmetic in fact it is good for your skin but really bad for your lung.

This processing unit used to be located close to Sulfur Weighing Post in Kawah Ijen, due to a environmental reason it was moved in the middle of coffee plantation. Sulfur purifying was done by burning out the sulfur rocks which cause plant and trees around were die due to toxic sulfur gas.

How To Get There

It is a private area, you can not just come and visit. You need to make an arrangement to the local company who run the place. Feel free to contact us to book a tour for visiting Kawah Ijen and added visit to sulfur processing unit.

2. Sulfur Weighing Post

This place where sulfur carrier weigh their basket on the scale and get paid by the officer. There are also some barrack with a simple bed* used for them to take some rest after very tiring job. This place also a place for talking and discussing many things about everything.

*A simple bed was made of a sack of dried grasses to be used for a bed

How To Get There

It is located right at the Paltuding Post, 10 minutes walk from parking area. It is easy to find, simply asked the officer at the ticket counter or follow the  sulfur carrier when you see them walking straight at the parking area.

It is free to visit and they are really nice to talk with, curious about culture changing. You can have personal emotion while talking to them. Buy a pack of cigarettes to share with them, i know it is bad but this is Indonesian way how to start making friend and respectful to someone else.

Sulfur Weighing Post, Paltuding, Banyuwangi, East Java

3. Blawan Acid Hot spring 

It has two pools with different temperature warm and hot, water contain of sulfur which directly come from Kawah Ijen. Sulfur contain water is really good for your skin health, in fact sulfur used in a cosmetic and good for your skin. As it is a public pool, you have to share space with other visitors. Most crowded of local tourists on public holiday and school reses. 5 minutes walk from the pool, there is a stunning acid waterfall.

Author Advise :

Buy arabica coffee from the local canteen in the hot spring, it taste really good and perfect combination while you are in the pool.

How To Get There
Blawan area located 30 minutes drive from Kawah Ijen area, in Bondowoso region. The only way to get there is by hiring a driver as there is no public transportation available. To save time and money, it will  be better to go to Blawan after Kawah Ijen Hike. Simply book our combine tour package Kawah Ijen Blawan Hotspring, hassle free, guided directly by local and directly support local economic.

Blawan Hotspring & Acid Waterfall, Bondowoso, East Java

4. Kalibendo Plantation

As highlight you can visit Kalibendo Plantation to kill your curiosity about how rubber latex produces naturally and collected traditionally. Walk further inside the plantation you can find some of local trees like cloves tree (mostly used to mix with tobacco on the cigarette kretek) make a warm sensation on the lungs. While you are exploring the plantation area, you might meet men carrying rubber latex in a big basket. They were collecting latex from the trees then carried them to the factory. 

How To Get There

If you are coming down from Kawah Ijen, tell your driver to stop over at Kalibendo Plantation as it was located on route to get back to Banyuwangi from Kawah Ijen. Entry fees will be applied to visit the area, but it won't much.

Author Advise :

Try to taste robusta coffee on the factory, if you want to explore the area before hiking to Kawah Ijen the best way is hire a driver, or simply rent a motorbike. Of course you motorbike is highly recommended if you are a good rider and well experienced riding motorbike in Indonesia.

 

Kalibendo Plantation, Banyuwangi, East Java

5. Jagir Waterfall

10 minutes drive from Kalibendo Plantation, you can stopover at Jagir Waterfall. It is stunning waterfall worth to be visited while you drive back from Kawah Ijen. There are two waterfalls at the same place, if you want to do more adventure you have to go to the upper waterfall. It is only about 10 minutes walk from lower waterfall.

Jagir Waterfall (Lower), Banyuwangi, East Java

Author Advise :
Lower waterfall is fine for swimming, do not swim on upper waterfall as it is high water debit. Local entrance fee and parking fee may applied for visiting the waterfall.

Those are our recommendation about Things To See Around Kawah Ijen, for more question you could comment or simply send us a message via email or whatsapp.