Do you want to visit, hike and climb Indonesia’s volcanoes? Active volcanoes? When we see the map below, we understand quickly that Indonesia is the largest volcanic country in the world! This country has more active and erupting volcanoes than any other country in the world.
But, do you waste a lot of time and effort organizing your adventure? Are you stressed before and during your trip?
Or, if you live and organize your adventure day by day, without any prior planning; Do you lose several days in a place far from everything, trying to organize a climb or a hike? to create for yourself an opportunity? Or worse, do you give up your project because a lack of transportation, equipment, guide or other?
Do you always pay the right price? Or are you victim of inflated prices? or worse scams?
First of all, if you waste a lot of time and effort organizing your trip, that’s normal!
And besides, you will often find yourself paying exorbitant prices for poor quality of service. This is still normal, because the more often you will go through the intermediary! Or worse, you will go through the mafias of tourism! (see on this subject the mafia of Probolinggo and Bromo).
You know why?
This is because you do not have the latest information up to date! And sometimes, you just do not have the info! Or they are scattered all over the web and paper guides …
The purpose of this site and Go Volcano, is to give you the latest updated information and to be the ultimate guide of Indonesia’s volcanoes.
In this article, we will start by listing Indonesia’s volcanoes and provide you with the links. Then for the curious, we’ll talk about Indonesia and “Why are there so many volcanoes ?!”
Contents
Hiking, Trekking and Climbing East Java Volcanoes
East Java contains some of the largest and most impressive volcanic massifs in Indonesia. There are relatively few hikes that can be completed in one day.
The provincial capital is the city of Surabaya, which has an international airport, and the region is served by reasonably good rail services, connecting Banyuwangi, Malang and Surabaya with other provinces of Java, including the city of Yogyakarta.
Semeru, the highest peak in Java, Arjuno Welirang, Argopuro, Lawu and Raung are all world class mountain hikes.
Butak and Ijen offer splendid views.
Bromo (Pananjakan) is perhaps the most famous point of view in Indonesia, and that’s understandable.
Penanggungan is a sacred and fascinating volcano, easy to climb on a day trip from Surabaya.
Ngliman is the highest peak of an isolated volcanic massif, still little known to hikers.
Baluran is the most easterly volcano in Java, but it is rarely climbed.
Lamongan (Tarub) is a stunning double-peak with a spectacular deep crater.
Kelud is one of the most volatile volcanoes in Indonesia and its cliffs at the top are reserved for serious climbers.
Hiking and Climbing Semeru From 125 €, duration 2 or 3 days, Difficulty: 4/5
Mont Semeru culminates at 3676 meters, it is near the city of Malang and has the particularity to explode every 30 minutes since 1968. This rather unique phenomenon allow us to witness eruptions in relative safety .
Hiking and Climbing Bromo From 40 €, duration 1 day, Difficulty: 1/5
The Bromo rises to 2329 meters, It is near the city of Malang and Probolinggo. Very easy to access, you can observe its roaring and boiling crater and hike through the magnificent caldera of Tengger.
Hiking and Climbing Arjuno and Welirang From € 130, duration 2 or 3 days, Difficulty: 3 or 4/5
Arjuno and Welirang exceed the altitude of 3000m and are completely off the beaten track. The Welirang, like the Kawah Ijen, produces enormous quantities of sulfur and, like the Ijen, there are sulfur porters.
Hiking and Climbing Kawah Ijen From 35 €, duration 1 day, Difficulty: 1/5
Kawah Ijen, the blues flames volcano or the sulfur volcano, rises to 2386m above sea level. It is famous for its large emerald green acid lake (the largest natural acid lake in the world). –
Hiking and Climbing Raung From 166 €, duration 2 or 3 days, Difficulty: 4 or 5/5
Raung, 3344m above sea level. It is one of the most active volcanoes in Java. Located in the far East of Java. It is part of the same volcanic complex and the same caldera as the Kawah Ijen. It is one of the least climbed volcanoes in Indonesia and climbing its true south-facing summit is one of the most technical hikes in Indonesia.
Hiking, Trekking and Climbing Central Java Volcanoes
Central Java is the cultural heart of the island of Java, home to traditional arts and crafts such as batik, gamelan and wayang.
The area is well served by rail, with many trains to Semarang, Solo (Surakarta) and Yogyakarta. Each of these cities also has an airport with daily flights.
The province contains a multitude of sacred volcanoes with some of the best views in Indonesia. The hike is relatively popular here.
Merbabu, Merapi, Sumbing, Sindoro and Slamet are some of the most beautiful hikes in Indonesia.
The volcanic plateau of Dieng and its highest point Prau offers a nice hike with great views of the nearby high volcanoes.
Muria is not well known outside the local area, but it’s a lovely place to watch the sunrise.
Ungaran and Telomoyo are distant and moderately interesting peaks.
Hiking, Trekking and Climbing West Java Volcanoes
On Go Volcano, when we speak of West Java, we include the provinces of West Java (Jawa Barat) and Banten.
West Java contains some of Indonesia’s most popular volcanoes. The two provinces being adjacent to the sprawling metropolis of Jakarta and containing the cities of Bandung, Bogor and Serang. Getting to West Java is easy. there are good roads and trains. In addition there is a toll motorway that goes from Jakarta to Merak port (for access to Sumatra island).
The Pangrango and Ciremai volcanoes are frequently climbed and are among the best hikes in West Java.
The large number of peaks surrounding Bandung ranges from fascinating volcanoes (Papandayan, Guntur (Masigit), Tangkuban Parahu) to fairly ordinary forest treks (Cikuray, Bukittunggul, Tampomas, Malabar).
Halimun is one of the wildest forest peaks in Java.
The twin peaks of Karang and Pulosari are popular hiking destinations for local students from the nearby town.
Mount Raksa on the remote island of Panaitan is home to one of the oldest Hindu statues in Indonesia.
Why are there so many volcanoes in Indonesia?
Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has no less than 400 volcanic cones including at least 128 active volcanoes!
This concentration of volcanoes in Indonesia is explained by the subduction of oceanic plates under less dense plates, which is also the cause of frequent earthquakes and tsunamis.
It is in Indonesia that has occurred:
The most colossal eruption of all time (about 75,000 years ago) that later formed the huge caldera now home to Lake Toba in Sumatra. The 2 most powerful eruptions of the last millennium, the eruption of the Tambora volcano and the eruption of Samalas (ancestor of the Rinjani volcano and its caldera). One of the most famous, the eruption of the volcano Krakatau in 1883.
But Indonesia is also one of the most fascinating archipelagos in the world! a veritable cultural and linguistic melting pot of peoples of different religions and beliefs and with an estimated population of 250 million people. With an area of 1,919,440 km2, the archipelago has 54,716 km of coastline! Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, the country extends over 5 120 km at the equator (it is equivalent to the distance that separates Paris from Montreal to Canada, or Paris from Almaty to Kazakhstan !). The archipelago has 3 time zones. Made up of about 17,500 islands of which only 922 are inhabited, Indonesia has large wild areas which gives the country a great biodiversity and offers a kaleidoscope of landscapes that will be immortalized in Photo. Each of its islands is a journey in itself, an unprecedented experience.
To learn more about volcanism:
Why are there volcanoes? What are the origins of volcanism? What are the types of volcanism? What is magma and lava? How does a volcanic eruption work? what are the types of volcano and eruption? What is subduction and subduction volcanism (typical of Indonesia)? what eruptive phenomena are there in Indonesia (with photos and videos)?
To know: The actualy occuring volcanic eruptions in Indonesia!