05:00 After an early wake-up call and breakfast, a four-wheel drive vehicle carries you through the rural villages, coffee and clove plantations and then into one of Java’s last rainforest's. Humidity, wildlife, giant ferns and big trees cover the slope of the mountain, to arrive at the Park Ranger’s post to begin the 90 minutes hike to the rim of Ijen Crater, along a shady track with spectacular views. The stunning view is unveiled at 2883 meters altitude. The lake eerie color and smoke wafting from bright yellow sulfur deposits create the landscape desolate, barren and vibrantly alive. Watching miners descending into the crater and finding them re-emerge carrying up to 80 kilos of ore on bamboo baskets along the treacherous path is a breathtaking reality. Afterward walk down the mountain and return to the hotel