Indonesia’s Directorate General for the Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems in East Java has confirmed that Mount Ijen will reopen to the public on Friday, 6th April.
The Ijen crater and surrounding national park had been closed to tourists and locals following emissions of toxic gas from the volcano towards the end of March. The mountain was subsequently closed to visitors from 23rd March onwards, whilst tests were conducted to determine the degree of danger posed by the emissions. The latest statement from the Director General, released on Thursday, 5th April, brings an end to this period of closure.
From 12 am on the morning of Friday, 6th April 2018, travel restrictions on the mountain will be lifted, but with certain caveats still in place. According to the details of the report, Ijen will be open to the public from 4 am until 12 pm daily, although a strict cordon will remain in place outside these visiting times. In addition, visitors are not permitted to travel within a 1km radius of the Ijen crater until further notice.
Mount Ijen’s threat level remains classified as “Normalâ€, or “Level 1â€, suggesting that no eruptions or a significant increase in seismic activity are expected. This status also bodes well for hopes that fully unrestricted access will return to the mountain in due course. Official evaluations of Ijen’s activity are ongoing. We will continue to update our agents and clients with new information as soon as it becomes available.
Mount Ijen is a 2,368m active volcano located near Banyuwangi in East Java. The Ijen crater itself is a popular attraction for tourists, who trek into its depths to see the famous blue fire produced by the volcano’s active vents. It is the recently heightened activity of these vents which has made the crater – and until recently the entire park – unsafe to visit. Although certain safety precautions remain in place, the reopening of Kawah Ijen National Park is good news for visitors who wish to experience the natural beauty and unique geology of East Java.
