Ijen Traveller & Homestay

Hotel

Agus is the nicest person and most efficient tour organiser if you wanna go see the blue fire of Ijen. Karangasem is the perfect place to start your tour as it is closer to the starting point (Licin) than Banyuwangi. If you arrive by train a bit before midnight like we did, Agus will welcome you with a nice cup of coffee and you can rest a bit before heading to Ijen. Tasty breakfast next door to recharge your batteries after the tour and if you have time go wander around in the beautiful scenic neighbouring villages. What's more, price-wise hard to beat, best value around!

The food at the local Warung is okay. The room had a bed and a bathroom. The room was filthy, blood on the wall. Bathroom was dirty and toilet was drop toilet. The bathroom door had mushrooms growing on it. The bed was uncomfortable as well. The room had power, a fan and came with free breakfast. It was also very cheap, if it hadn't been so cheap and I to tired to keep looking we would not have stayed here.

Homestay just 50 m from train station karangasem. "Mbah" the owner is really warm and helpfull.

The host is charming and accommodating. The breakfast is surprisingly tasty and filling. The rooms and courtyard are simple, tidy, and cheap, and they appear to be gearing up for a renovation. Towels and toilet paper are available, though you may have to ask for them (but at this price, who cares? ). The only real issue I had was the toilet, which was neither Western nor squat, but an uncomfortable in-between. The host will rent you affordable motorbikes, helmets, and face masks (for the sulfur plumes) and give you directions to the Ijen crater, which is a fun trip and a beautiful drive, although the traffic can be a precarious. Finally, the location right across from the train station makes the place easy to find and easy to move on from.

First, most importantly, the friendly owner is excellent in organising trips to ijen volcano. Over tea he explains the schedule and sets a very good price, which includes transportation to and from the volcano, and water and a gas mask. The rooms are also cheap. He is equally helpful in sorting out leaving to Bali. Gives helpful warnings regarding prices and scams. He organised transport to the ferry station. There is a small store and restaurant. Cheap, and perfect for getting food and stocks for the volcano trek. The rooms aren't luxury, but for the purpose of the ijen trek — an early morning departure — they are more than sufficient. Finally, a very good location. Just opposite the train station.

Great place for rest before tracking to ijen mountain.