Efficient Way To Reach "Kawah Ijen" By Cable Car

JAKARTA, June 23 (Antara) - The tourism sector of Banyuwangi District in the easternmost tip of Java Island is flourishing, and ecotourism is progressively growing. And tour itineraries are increasingly focusing on mountainous and forest regions, especially those in the crater of Ijen mountain range, locally known as "Kawah Ijen". Kawah Ijen natural tourism park is well known for a lake in the crater of Mount Ijen, which is the largest and most acidic crater lake in the world. However, trekking up to the crater has so far been time consuming, and that can take for more than one hour so Banyuwangi District Head Abdullah Azwar Anas has now had an idea to construct a sky-way cable car, considered an efficient way to reach the Kawah Ijen. The Banyuwangi district head explained to Tourism Minister Afrief Yahya, who was on a visit to Banyuwangi District this week, that a number of steps to develop tourism is underway, including the proposal to build a sky-way cable car in the area of Ijen Crater which is still in the process of licensing from the central government. Compared with road vehicles, cable cars are environmentally friendly, convenient, and economical. Introducing cable cars in the area of Kawah Ijen can provide a new perspective for viewing scenery and enjoying recreational activities, enabling tourists to appreciate unique natural views and scenery from the air. Hence, cable car construction plan has been proposed by Azwar Anas to concurrently develop the tourism market and address environmental protection concerns. This proposed Kawah Ijen sky-way cable car is a great way to get to the crater of Mount Ijen, and if materialized, the cable car ride will offer breathtaking views. When completed, that sky-way cable car will take the tourists through the overarching mountains to the crater of Ijen at the 2,443 meters above the sea level. Kawah Ijen is a tourist attraction in Banyuwangi, which is already widely known by local and foreign tourists because of its stunning natural beauty. Every day Ijen Crater area is never empty of visitors. On a typical day the number of visitors can be hundreds of people, and on weekends and holidays it can reach thousands of people. Along with the increasing popularity of Ijen Crater, the number of visitors, both local and foreign tourists, continues to increase every year. With the establishment of the Ijen Crater region as a biosphere reserve by Unesco in march 2016, and with incessant government promoting as a mainstay tourist destination, the charm of Kawah Ijen will be more famous and continue to attract local and foreign tourists. Situated between Banyuangi and Bondowoso districts in East Java, the Ijen mountain range has much to offer because it is one of the most famous of Indonesia's volcanoes and is a must-visit for tourists. Trekking up along a winding trail through the forest to the top of the mountain to view the sky-blue lake in the heart of Ijen crater, the visitors can see various plants that exist only in the highlands, such as flowers, pines and ferns. Each unfurling bud, the lovely birds making the air vibrate with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers perfuming the air in their perfection, and the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green are all there in Ijen resort for them and other visitors to enjoy. At the top of the mountain, they can see the magnificent turquoise sulfur lake that exudes flames: blue fire at night and smoky white in the day. "With an open heart, we are impressed with the magnificent beauty of this mountain range, revealed through the handiwork of our heavenly Father," says one of the visitors, Setiawati Kusumajaya, from Surabaya. The turquoise sulfur lake, the meadows, the lofty trees, the buds and flowers and the bubbling brook at Ijen mountain invite visitors to become acquainted with Him who makes them all. "Ijen mountain range has many things to say about Nature, but it is those with spiritual sensitivity who can enjoy its beauty with the highest appreciation because they recognize the handiwork of the Almighty and perceive His love in the flowers and shrubs and the trees," Setiawati says. "No one can fully appreciate the significance of the hill, the valley, the lake, the river and the brook, who does not look upon these as an expression of God's love for man," she went on. Seeing the birds in the air as they warble their carols of praise, hearing the brook and feeling the gentle breeze while trekking up through the forest, Setiawati said she recalled the strong, worshipful song "How Great Thou Art" by Steward K Hine. "Trekking up to the Ijen Crater is extremely hard, but we are very excited, pleased and relieved that we have made it all the way to the peak and have got back safe and sound. We have learned from this trip that nothing is impossible if we set our minds to it," sehe remarked. Many domestic and foreign tourists have started to travel to Ijen to admire the beauty of the surrounding fertile hills and, most importantly, to witness first-hand the life of the Ijen sulfur miners. Local miners make two trips up and down the mountain each day to harvest the bright yellow residue by using only the most modest and basic of tools. Miners can only load up to 50 kilograms of sulfur each into their baskets, which they carry back down the mountain on their shoulders to a weighing station where they are paid by the kilogram. Their work seems very dangerous because the highly acidic fumes from the lake and sulfuric clouds are hazardous to their respiratory systems, but they have nothing other than a dampened cloth tied over their mouth and nose to protect them from the poisonous smoke.