Kawah Ijen - Rain edition 🌧️

Visiting Kawah Ijen is a truly surreal experience — even in the pouring rain. It rained almost the entire hike, turning the trail slippery and making the climb more challenging. Plus, the situation made it the perfect time to put your hiking gear to the test. We started to depart from our hotel at 12am and it took us around 2 hours ride to reach post. Typical temperature is 8–12°C but since it was raining and windy, the temperature was way lower than that. There are small warungs (stalls) at the post sell hot drinks, instant noodles, and rain ponchos for last-minute supplies. We collected our gas mask and head lights as well (included in our tour). Since it was raining heavily, the trail was packed with hikers and “Lamborghinis” — miner’s cart used to transport tourists. We took about 3 hours to reach the final checkpoint before descending to the crater lake and blue fire. Unfortunately, due to the heavy rain and trail congestion, the blue fire was no longer visible by the time we reached the final checkpoint before descending to the lake. We were also unable to proceed to the lake, as our guide advised it was too dangerous to continue under the current weather conditions. We enjoyed a good hour of clear weather before the rain started pouring again. Our descent began around 6 a.m., and we reached the starting post by 8 a.m, completely soaked. The hike is not extreme, but it is a steady 1.5–2 hour climb, if without the rain. People with knee issues or breathing problems may find it tough, especially with added weather challenges.