Mount Ijen Blue Fire from Ubud: Overnight Drive, Ferry and the Acid Lake

Pick-up is at 19:00, and the mountain is on another island. Around four hours of driving gets you to the port, a ferry crosses to Java, and from Ketapang it is another hour and a half by road. The climb takes about an hour and three quarters with a local guide. The path is maintained and in good condition, and there are other volcanoes and thick vegetation in view on the way up. From the crater rim the route goes down to the edge of the lake, where the blue fire burns. The numbers are why a gas mask is part of the kit: the water sits around 40 °C, the pH is 0.5, and the lake is roughly 200 m deep at its deepest. It drains into the Banyupahit, which carries that acidity and the dissolved metals downstream, with heavy consequences for the river ecosystem below. Pick-ups run from Canggu, Ubud, Kuta and Seminyak. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.