We booked the one day trip to Ijen, from Bali, with Como Bali Tour and we were lucky to meet Wayan. It was a 4 hour drive to the harbour,... read more then he crossed us to Java on the ferry. We went to a restaurant to have dinner where we ate very tasty Mie Goreng. Then he joined us with another driver to the starting point of the trekking where he stayed to rest. The trekking is hard, since you go up 3km approximately without sleeping, pitch dark and with some very steep places (actually it is worse the tired you are because you don’t sleep than the leg exercise). We had a guide that showed us the way up the volcano and then down to the crater. It was quite a rocky and slippery path but our guide helped us down. Then we went to the rim of the crater, to see the sun rise and the blue (super acid) lake. Finally we got down where Wayan was waiting, we had breakfast in a Warung and headed to the harbour. In Bali he drove us back to our hotel, dropping off first a couple that was staying at another village. The views through Bali in those 4 hours were also incredible!! So all in all Wayan was a great driver: on time, polite, ready to explain all our doubts about Bali. Oh! And BTW, it was Galungan festival in Bali,... We booked the one day trip to Ijen, from Bali, with Como Bali Tour and we were lucky to meet Wayan. It was a 4 hour drive to the harbour, then he crossed us to Java on the ferry. We went to a restaurant to have dinner where we ate very tasty Mie Goreng. Then he joined us with another driver to the starting point of the trekking where he stayed to rest. The trekking is hard, since you go up 3km approximately without sleeping, pitch dark and with some very steep places (actually it is worse the tired you are because you don’t sleep than the leg exercise). We had a guide that showed us the way up the volcano and then down to the crater. It was quite a rocky and slippery path but our guide helped us down. Then we went to the rim of the crater, to see the sun rise and the blue (super acid) lake. Finally we got down where Wayan was waiting, we had breakfast in a Warung and headed to the harbour. In Bali he drove us back to our hotel, dropping off first a couple that was staying at another village. The views through Bali in those 4 hours were also incredible!!

So all in all Wayan was a great driver: on time, polite, ready to explain all our doubts about Bali. Oh! And BTW, it was Galungan festival in Bali, which he missed and didn’t even complain. Also because of the festival, the traffic in Ubud was even crazier than normal but he didn’t make us feel uncomfortable.

Don’t do like us and remember that at the top of Ijen, it is VERY COLD. 6 degrees Celsius with wind. We were underdressed and freezing. We recommend long trousers, a sweater, jacket, gloves, scarf... when you hike up it will not seem like you need it, but at the top, especially for when you are waiting still for the sun to rise, you will appreciate it. More