The Blue Flames of Kawah Ijen

Kawah Ijen is a large, volcanic crater located in East Java, Indonesia. I was fascinated to witness the natural phenomenon of blue flames coming out of the crater at night, caused by the combustion of sulfuric gases. During the day, the views of the turquoise lake and the surrounding mountains are breathtaking. Fascinatingly, local miners manually extract sulfur from the crater to sell it in the market. It was interesting to observe their hard work and the adverse conditions they work under. Compared to my previous visits, Kawah Ijen is unique due to the combination of the blue flames and the sulfur mining activity.