Stunning Journey in The North West Most Province of The Archipelago

It has been a long time i didn�t post anything in this blog and tadaaaa!! Brand new blog!! I changed my blog address (again).  I�ve tried to not being emotionally unstable but I guess, twenty something is the time when you have to deal with your self, including ummm... deleting some catharsis posts. LOL. But traveling stabilizes me. Especially when I travel alone, I feel the experience is useful more because I reflect more.

I think I�ve been running arround of  the bushes. This is why i named this blog with �Random Story of Amateur Traveller� LOL. Well anyway, lets get straight to the journey story. First of all, i ll show you some pics of the location I visited yesterday;

Guess where? Maldives? Bora-Bora? Still have no clue? Okay, I am giving you some hints now. Take a look at these pics. Here are the pics of an location stroke by earthquake and very huge tsunami 8 years ago;

Those pics are iconic. Tsunami has changed this area. Before tsunami stroke, this province was prohibited for researchers, tourists, international NGOs and others. Military conflict with civilians striving for independence and separatism from Indonesia was closing all trials of strangers to enter.  Then tsunami hit, international aids came, development supports came, and understandings was built in the area though some civilians have been (still) perceiving imbalance of development compare to central provinces  in Java island. This area is one of the most beautiful province in Indonesia; Province of Aceh, its also known as the Porch of Mecca because it used to be a north west transit harbor to Indonesians who want to do hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. But I ll say, geographically, this area has many more beautiful places and landscapes of mountain and beaches compare to Arab.  Most of citizens of Aceh are Islam, after Helsinsky MoU was signed in 2005, sharia law was applied here. Nevertheless, I talked to local people, they are open minded. I guess, sharia law is applied for political purpose.

If you wish to do a flash travelling here, i am sharing my two days experience. First of all, for unmarried couple, some of hotels are prohibiting them to stay in same room, and you should  dress conservatively. Bikinis are prohibited in some beaches. I visited Tsunami Museum, Masjid Baiturrahman, drifted boat of PLTD Apung, drifted boat in fisherman�s house in Lampulo, and some beautiful spots of the north west most island of Indonesia, Weh Island.

There are some cheap flights available to Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Aceh. Some of them are Lion Air (from Jakarta and Medan), Sriwijaya Air (from Jakarta) Garuda Indonesia (from Jakarta and Medan), Air Asia (from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia),  and Firefly (from Penang, Malaysia). You could get that from IDR 800 K or about USD 80 for one way ticket.


When I reached Sultan Iskandar Muda international airport, that morning i took a taxi to Banda Aceh. It costs IDR 70 K. Don�t worry, taxi drivers won�t trick you because the regulation of taxi tarif is  spread out obviously in a airport banner. I asked the driver to drop me in Tsunami Museum in Banda Aceh. Tsunami Museum showed some ruins of tsunami, movie, counterpart aids, the identity of the victims, geological explanation of earthquake and tsunami and disaster education tools. I walked straigt from the museum to Masjid Baiturrahman. Its the most outstanding mosque here. Many survivors of tsunami stayed here when tsunami stroke though the buildings surrounding were damaged very bad.


I met Pak Hasballah outside the mosque. He is a Betor (becak motor) driver. Betor is motorcycle pedicap, the most popular  transportation in Aceh. I asked him to drive me to  ruins of drifted boat in PLTD Apung and Lampulo village. He was very nice. He is one of the survivors when tsunami happened. We talked for hours in the drifted boat and when we were on the way to Ule Lhuee harbor. Though I never asked him and I know its impolite to ask about past disaster experience but i didn�t know why he told me many things as I am stranger. He lost his children that day. But he needed to be strong for his wife and other family members, after that he knows that tsunami is a gift of life lesson learnt to be tougher, resolve conflict and understand others more, when �disaster is a God punishment for disbelievers� is the most fashionable thought believed by many muslims. Now he knows what to do and prepare when disaster happens. When we reached Ule Lhuee harbor, I asked him how much should i got to pay, he said �Its up to you,� and he smiled. A friend of mine, he has been living in Aceh for 3 years told me that the tarif of betor is about IDR 100 K for city sight in Banda Aceh. I gave Pak Hasballah that amount and he said that was  too much, I said thats okay.

I got in Ule Lhuee harbor in 30 minutes from the ruins of drifted boat. I wanted to go to Weh Island (Pulau Weh) and the only way to go there through Ule Lhuee harbor by speed boat or ferry. You could get the ticket from IDR 21 K (Ferry, 90 minutes journey) to 85 K (executive class of speed boat, 45 minutes journey). Its available every 08. 00 and 16. 00 everyday. The taxi tarif from Sabang Harbor to Iboih (the snorkelling and diving spot) is IDR 50 K each person. Car rental is IDR 400 K each day with driver. I spent a night in Fina Resort, its a resort in Iboih, IDR 250 K each room per night.  The resort was very clean, AC�d, plus you could get a stunning view of the beach, but you should remember that you can�t dive or snorkelling from Friday 00. 00 to 14. 00. Friday is sacred day there when muslims are doing Friday prayer.

Don�t miss the sunset in KM. 0, the northwestmost spot of Indonesia (you could get a certificate of visiting KM. 0 from the Tourism Department);  Ule Kareng coffee; beautiful underwater view of Rubiah (you could reach there by a boat in 10 minutes from Iboih); Pasir Putih Beach; Gappang Beach; Night culinary menu in Sabang; and um.. sunrise in Sumur Tiga at Freddy Resort (very good resort, owned by a French, IDR 265 K each night, if you have more time to spend here).
Well, this journey brings lot of lesson learned, new friends (i got many travellers met on the spot who are ver very nice so we could share cost of transportation and snorkelling, haha), and this is wrote a new chapter of book of world for me ?. Damn it, i am addicted to travel more.