We Nearly Gave Up On Mount Ijen's Blue Flame

A 1am wake-up, torrential rain, a hike into an active volcano and a blue flame burning at 300°C. We thought this adventure was doomed before it had even begun but thankfully, we were wrong.

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Why We Wanted To Visit Mount Ijen

By the time we arrived in East Java, we had already heard about Ijen Volcano from countless locals, guides and fellow travellers.

Everyone kept telling us the same thing: “You have to see the blue flame.”

The more people recommended it, the higher it climbed on our East Java bucket list.

What makes Ijen so special is that the famous blue fire is one of the rarest natural events in the world. Combined with the huge acidic crater lake and dramatic volcanic landscape, it has become one of Indonesia’s most iconic adventures.

So when the opportunity finally came to visit, we couldn’t wait to see whether it really lived up to the hype.

Starting The Hike In Torrential Rain

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas.

Our alarm went off shortly after midnight, and we began the drive towards Ijen Volcano in complete darkness.

The higher we climbed, the worse the weather became.

Dense fog shrouded the road, and heavy rain pelted the windows. We could barely see ahead of us at times, and really, we started wondering whether Two Frequent Flyers had side quested a little too hard.

When we arrived at the trailhead around 1am, it was still raining heavily.

Thankfully, there were a few small stalls open where we grabbed our beloved Good Day Cappuccino and picked up some emergency waterproofs. If you’ve watched our videos before, you’ll know that Good Day coffee has become something of a travel essential for us in Indonesia.

Our tour included a local guide, head torches and gas masks, all of which would prove very useful later.

Armed with caffeine, waterproofs and questionable confidence, we started hiking into the darkness.

Passing Through The Clouds

The first section of the hike is a steady uphill climb through the forest.

Initially, all we could hear was rain hitting our waterproofs and the footsteps of other hikers making their way towards the crater.

But then the rain gradually became lighter.

Then lighter again.

And eventually it stopped completely.

As we continued climbing, we suddenly noticed stars appearing above us.

By the time we reached the upper sections of the volcano, we had completely broken through the cloud layer. Above us was a clear sky filled with stars and a bright moon.

After the miserable start, our spirits instantly lifted.

We spent the climb joking with our guide, practising our Indonesian and chatting with other hikers making the same journey.

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Descending Into Mount Ijen’s Crater

Reaching the top isn’t actually the end of the hike.

To see the famous blue flame, you then have to descend deep into the crater itself.

This section is much steeper than the initial climb and is completed in almost complete darkness using your head torch.

The path is rocky, uneven and requires a reasonable level of fitness. You definitely need to watch your footing.

Along the way, we passed countless sulphur miners carrying enormous baskets of sulphur up the mountain.

The amount of weight these locals carry is genuinely unbelievable.

Watching them pass through the steep volcanic terrain while carrying loads that looked heavier than us made our own hike feel very easy by comparison.

There have been past incidents of sudden water surges, which is why guides now play such an important role in keeping visitors safe.

Our guide Denny was constantly monitoring conditions and helping us navigate the route safely.

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Mount Ijen’s Blue Flame

Eventually, we reached the bottom of the crater.

And that’s when we saw the famous blue flame.

Even after seeing many photos online, nothing prepared us for how unreal it looked in real life.

We were incredibly lucky with timing because the flame was absolutely massive on the day we visited.

One thing many people don’t realise is that the size of the blue fire varies naturally. Some days it’s much smaller. On our visit, it was enormous.

What surprised us most was that the flame wasn’t only coming out of the rock face.

It was actually flowing across the ground like a glowing blue river.

The blue fire itself can reach temperatures of around 300°C, and because the area becomes extremely crowded, we saw people getting far too close while trying to take photographs.

As incredible as it is, no photo is worth losing a toe over.

So one top tip would be to take your time, be mindful of your surroundings and listen carefully to your guide.

Why The Gas Masks Matter

Another thing we cannot stress enough is to keep your gas mask on!

The blue flame is created when sulphur gases escape from the volcano and ignite when they come into contact with oxygen.

Those gases can be harmful if inhaled in high concentrations and can cause severe irritation to your eyes, nose and lungs.

The smell is also incredibly strong.

If you’ve never smelled sulphur before, imagine a very powerful egg smell.

Between the sulphur smoke, the crowds and the volcanic gases, the masks are absolutely essential.

Some visitors were removing theirs for photographs, but we would strongly recommend keeping yours on whenever your guide advises you to wear it.

Trust the people who work here every day.

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Climbing Back To The Crater Rim

After spending time admiring the blue flame, we had to make the climb back up to the crater rim.

What we hadn’t fully appreciated was just how busy Ijen Volcano becomes.

When we first descended into the crater, there were only a handful of people around us. By the time we started climbing back up, hundreds of hikers were making their way down towards the blue flame.

The narrow rocky path had effectively turned into a two-way road.

People were constantly moving up and down, head torches lighting the darkness in every direction.

Thankfully, the local guides were brilliant. They knew exactly where to stop, where to step aside and how to keep everyone moving safely.

It was definitely the most physically demanding section of the entire experience, but it was also an example of just how popular Ijen has become.

Honestly, once you’ve seen the blue flame for yourself, it’s easy to understand why.

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The Moment We Thought We’d Miss Everything

When we finally reached the crater rim again, we expected to be rewarded with incredible views.

Instead, we couldn’t see a thing. The fog was absolutely relentless.

Not just a little bit of cloud. Complete whiteout conditions.

After all the effort of hiking through the night, surviving the rain and making it down to the blue flame, we genuinely thought we were going to miss the famous crater lake entirely.

So we waited. And waited. And waited some more.

For over an hour, we slowly walked around the crater rim, occasionally stopping to stare hopefully into the fog.

Nothing. The visibility remained terrible.

At that point, we had almost accepted defeat.

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Then Everything Changed

And then, completely out of nowhere, the clouds started to move.

At first, it was just a small gap. Then suddenly, the entire crater started to reveal itself.

We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.

One minute, there was nothing but fog.

Next, we were staring into one of the most spectacular landscapes we have ever witnessed.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

As the clouds cleared, the sunrise began shining on Mount Ijen’s crater and revealing the famous turquoise lake below.

It felt like Mother Nature had rewarded us for sticking it out.

There was even a rainbow!

Seeing The Crater Lake For The First Time

The crater lake at Ijen is one of those places that photographs simply cannot do justice.

The water is an almost unreal shade of turquoise blue.

Steam rises from the volcanic vents below. Sulphur smoke drifts across the crater.

And beyond it all, the surrounding mountains stretch into the distance.

It felt like another planet.

After spending so long staring into thick fog, the view somehow felt even more special.

The window of clear weather only lasted around 10 to 15 minutes before the clouds started rolling back in.

But those 10 minutes were enough.

Enough to remind us why people travel from all over the world to experience Mount Ijen.

The Slipperiest Walk Down Of Our Lives

With the clouds returning, it was finally time to make our way back down the mountain.

And this is where things got unexpectedly hilarious.

The heavy rain earlier, combined with thousands of hikers, had made sections of the trail into what could only be described as a giant muddy slip-and-slide.

We were slipping everywhere.

At one point, Beth started walking backwards because it genuinely felt safer than facing forward.

Most of the journey down involved holding onto each other and trying not to slide halfway back down the volcano.

The biggest lesson? Bring proper hiking shoes.

We cannot stress this enough. Our trainers lacked grip, and we paid the price.

Fortunately, it mostly resulted in laughter rather than disaster, but decent footwear would have made a huge difference.

The Taxi Lamborghinis

One of the most hilarious parts for us was the famous “Taxi Lamborghinis.”

Throughout the hike, we kept seeing brightly coloured hand carts being pushed up and down the mountain by local porters.

These allow visitors who aren’t able to complete the main climb on foot to still experience the volcano.

The strength of the people pushing them is honestly unbelievable.

The hike is challenging enough without carrying another person.

If you choose to use one, we’d strongly encourage leaving a generous tip because the amount of physical effort involved is incredible.

Just be aware that the Taxi Lamborghinis cannot take you down to the blue flame itself because of the steep, uneven terrain.

Things We Loved

The Blue Flame

One of the most unique natural phenomena we’ve ever seen anywhere in the world.

The Crater Lake

The colour of the water genuinely looked fake.

The Local Guides

The guides were fantastic throughout the entire experience and helped make a challenging hike feel enjoyable.

Practising Bahasa Indonesia

Some of our favourite travel moments happen during the walks between attractions, and this was no different.

The Sense Of Adventure

Rain, fog, darkness, volcanoes, sulphur smoke and unexpected views. This felt like a proper adventure from start to finish.

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Things To Be Aware Of

It Is Physically Demanding

In total, you’ll cover roughly:

3km up to the crater rim
1km down to the blue flame
1km back up
Up to 1km around the crater
3km back down

It’s steep, rocky and potentially slippery… A reasonable level of fitness is definitely helpful.

The weather can change quickly

The conditions changed dramatically several times during our visit.

Rain, fog and cloud are all common BUT don’t let this put you off, as it can also change for the better very quickly as well.

It Gets Very Busy

The earlier you start, the better your chances of avoiding the largest crowds. When we got to the blue flame, it wasn’t too busy at all, but by the time we left, it was very busy.