Aceh - Lhok Nga Beach

Indonesia is the second country in the world with the longest coastal line, after Canada. The coastal line of Indonesia is recorded to be 81,000 km. Lhok Nga is a beach which compose the coastal line. Lhok Nga is located at 17 km of south west of Banda Aceh

At approximately 1 metre, the wave at the shore is not too high. If you go further, sea waves can be up to 2-3 metres. This beach has white sand and is a very nice place to swim and to surf. Those who swim in this beach must bear in mind however that they can not wear their ordinary swim suit.

after tsunami

Before the tsunami hit Aceh in 2004, this beach is very beautiful. Now, it is partly eroded by the sea abrasion.

Aceh - Iboih Beach

Iboih is a beach tourism area which is located  23 km from the city of Sabang. With Gapang, Iboih is a favorite recreation and relaxation. The sea surrounding sabang is a high sea surrounded by Malacca Strait and Indian Ocean.

Iboih has supporting infrastructure as there has been resorts and restaurants for visitors to stay and spend the night away.

Visitors will not be bored in Iboih as the area is famous for its underwater sport activities, such as swimming, diving, snorkelling with beautiful marine diversity, such as coral reef, angel fish, surgeon fish, parrot fish, and napoleon fish.

This area is also supported by beautiful tourism forest with rich animal and plantation diversity.

How to get there: visitor can take rental car or public transportation.

Aceh - Indrapatra Fortress

Indrapatra Fortress is located near Ujong Batee beach. This fortress was built in the pre-islamic era in Aceh which is the Lamuri kingdom era (approximately the 7th century). Building structure appears to be special and sophisticated with Hindunese influence. Appropriate to its construction period, the structure was made from lime concrete and to enter into the inside of the fortress one will have to climb into the fortress.

The fortress was made to protect Lamuri kingdom from the Portuguese. The fortress is also a witness of existence of culture other than islamic culture in Aceh.

Originally, there were 3 big premises within the fortress with the biggest one has a size of 70 x 70 square metres and 3 metres height. Unfortunately, due to the lapse of time, the number of premises is only two now. The other part of the fortress is the defense area which strategically face the Malacca Strait. On the other side, there is a very solid room of 35 x 35 square metres and 4 metres height.

The Aceh regional office of the Department of Education is now renovating the fortress because it was damaged by the tsunami.

How to get there: there is no special public transportation to goes directly to the location of the fortress. Visitors must use private cars. Distance from Banda Aceh is approximately 19 km. Travel time 35 minutes. Visitors which uses public transportation can use labi-labi with Banda Aceh-Krueng Raya route which can be reached within 40 minutes with cost of Rp.4,000.  

Aceh - Kerkhoff / Dutch Cemetery (Perkuburan Belanda)

Kerkhoff is an area where the body of the soldiers who died during the war against the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam were buried. There were 2,200 soldiers of them, including General Kohler, which was shot dead by the bullet of Aceh mujahidin right in front of Baiturrahman Mosque. Their names were marked on the gate of Kerkhoff.

This cemetary compound is located in Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda in Banda Aceh. It is now an interesting tourism spot, especially for tourist from the Netherland. Kerkhoff cemetary is the widest military cemetary compound outside the Netherland.

It is said that in the history of the Netherland, Aceh war was the most bitter war even compared to the Napoleon war.

Kerkhoff is also called Peutjoet or Pocut (the beloved son) of Sultan Iskandar Muda which was sentenced by his own father because he has made a fatal error.  

How to get there: Kerkhoff is located accross Blang Padang square, approximately 1 km from Baiturrahman Mosque. Visitors can easily get there by any mode of land transportation.

Aceh - Aneuk Laot Lake (Danau Aneuk Laot)

Aneuk Laot in Aceh language means the children of the sea. The Aneuk Laot Lake is located right in the center of Sabang city, with beautiful view, cool weather, and stunning sunset. When night came, the radiance of lights from the top of the hill of Sabang showers it.

This lake is a spring of water for all the people of Weh island. Aneuk Lot lake is different from Lut Tawar lake. This lake is located right in the center of Sabang.

Within the last two year, Aneuk Laot lake has lossed water drastically (489.2 m3/hour) due to the earthquake in Aceh in 26 December 2004. Most possibly, the loss is caused due to the widening of earth crack because of the quake.

How to get there: the Aneuk Laot lake can be accessed by private car or public transportation from Sabang. Travel time is 30 minutes.

Aceh - Laut Tawar Lake

Laut Tawar lake is located in Gayo plateu, Central Aceh regency, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. The gayo tribe call it Lut Tawar lake. Laut Tawar lake which literally means sea freshwater lake has its name because it is as wide as the ocean but the water is not salty. Laut Tawar lake spread accross 5,472 ha with length 17 km and width 3,219. Water volume is approximately 2,537,483,884 metre qubic (2.5 billion litre).

Water from the lake is used not only by people surrounding Central Aceh regency, but also from people from other regencies. People use the water for agriculture, and fish on the lake.

Superior commodities produced in Gayo plateu are arabica coffee (which is very famous in Japan), potatoes, passion fruit, tomatoes, chilis, corn, and vegetables. Other famous plantation commodities are tangerine and avocado.

The freshwater of Laut Tawar lake also preserve various living organism, one of which is depik fish. Depik fish can only be found in Laut Tawar lake.

How to get there: access to Laut Tawar lake (Takengon) is easier through Bireun city. There is a small terminal of elfs (Isuzu's 12-16 seater travel car) which specifically goes Takengon. Visitor can take this car for Rp.25,000 to Takengon. Travel time is 5 hours. Other than Bireun, visitor can alternatively go to Takengon through Blang Kejeren and Kutacane.
  

Aceh - Leuser Mountain National Park

entrance to Leuser Mountain National Park

Leuser Mountain National Park is a sanctuary with national park status which is situated in the border of Naggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatera. This national park overlaps the regencies of South East Aceh, Aceh Singkil, South Aceh, Gayo Lues, and Langkat. The first four regencies are within the administration of Naggroe Aceh Darussalam, and Langkat is within the administration of North Sumatera.

The national park is named after Leuser Mountain, a mountain soaring the height of 3404 metres above sea level. This national park has very diverse ecosystem from beach to high mountain range covered by dense forest typical of tropical rainforest.

The national park was first declared as a national sanctuary based on 1980 Decree of the Minister of Forestry. It was also declared biosfir and world "lung" by UNESCO in 2004.

Famous tourism objects in this park are Bukit Lawang orangutan reservation area, in Langkat regency. Visitors can feed the orangutan in the reservation.

This national park also raised international attention due to the proliferation of illegal lodging.   

How to get there: to reach the park, visitors may come through Medan, North Sumatera route to Kutacane, South East Aceh (of 240 km distance) with travel time of approximately 8 hours. Travel from Kutacane to Gurah or Ketambe tourism spots will take approximately 30 minutes by car (distance 35 km). If visitors want to go to the park area in Tapaktuan, they can go from Medan by car to Tapaktuan tourism spot for 10 hours (distance 260 km).