Kawah Ijen
Hike into the crater in the darkness to see the magical blue flames, and watch the sun rise over the biggest acid lake in the world!
Kawah Ijen should definitely be at the top of your list of places to visit in Indonesia. This was by far the place we were most excited for! The biggest acid lake in the world, this volcano sits at the bottom of the island of Java, the island directly west of Bali. You can get a tour of Ijen from many of the tourist-y places in Bali - but if you have the time and a keen sense of adventure, we would recommend venturing here yourself.
At Kawah Ijen, you can choose an early morning hike (2 am start) into the depths of the crater to see the awe-inspiring blue flames! The blue flames are one of the most amazing natural phenomena we have ever seen. Be warned - the crater is intense. The sulphuric gases burn your eyes and throat so you need a gas mask and goggles.
After the blue flames, you can hike back up to the rim of the volcano for sunrise - and for us, this was the most magical part. Seeing the pale pink hues and the bright blue acid lake emerge from the darkness was surreal and we ended up being the last people on the crater rim because we were so mesmerised. All in all Kawah Ijen was an unforgettable experience and we highly recommend it to anyone visiting this part of the world.
To see exactly what our experience climbing Mount Ijen was like, head to our YouTube channel!