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).

Aceh - Ie Seuum Natural Hotspring

Aceh is well known for its natural resources such as oil and gas. It is not surprising that Aceh also has several natural hotspring spots. One of the famous natural hotspring spots is called Ie Seuum. Ie Seuum is located in Ie Seuum village of Mukim Krueng Raya in the Merjid Raya district of Aceh Besar province. This place is located in the foothill of Mount Seulawah, approximately 38 km from Banda Aceh.

Water temperature in Ie Seuum is approximately 85' celcius, with rather huge water debit from four sources.

Visitors usually come from Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar province. They came because natural hotspring is known for its skin disease healing quality.

How to get there: to reach the site, you will have to use private car through Banda Aceh Krueng Raya road to Lam Teuba or through Sultan Iskandar Muda airport. The site is located 8 km from the Sultan Iskandar Mudah airport.

Aceh - Ali Hasjmy Museum

Ali Hasjmy was borne in Lampaseh, Banda Aceh in 28 March 1914 and died in Banda Aceh, 18 January 1998. Known as a muslim religious teacher, writer, humanist, and also a politician, he was once a governor of Aceh and rector of IAIN Jami'ah Ar-Raniry Darussalam, Banda Aceh. He was also a member of ICMI (Moslem Scholar Society of Indonesia - Ikatan Cendekiawan Muslim Indonesia). When he was no longer actively involved in the government, he was active in the education sector.

As a form of his appreciation for the development of science, he establish Ali Hasjmy Education Foundation (Yayasan Pendidikan Ali Hasjmy) in the beginning of 1989. In 1990, he donated tp the foundation a land of approximately 3,000 square metres, books of more than 15,000 volumes, ancient script, historically and culturally valuable photo albums, and heirloom of historical significance.

All of his possesions mentioned in the above was then made as collections of the Library and Museum of  Ali Hasjmy Education Foundation (Yayasan Pendidikan Ali Hasjmy). In 15 January 1991, the library and musem was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Emil Salim, the then State Minister of Demography and Environmental Affair.

The musem is located in Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No.20, Banda Aceh.

How to get there: because it is located near the centre of the city of Banda Aceh, the museum is easily reached by any mode of land transportation, private or public.

Aceh - Putroe Phang Park

Putroe Phang Park is located in the Sultanate of Aceh Palace complex in Banda Aceh. This park was made as a token of love of the Sultan for his consort named Putroe Phang. Putroe Phang means the Princess from Pahang as the consort was borne in Pahang, Malaysia.

A unique building named Gunongan was built right at the center of the Medan Khayali of the park. This Gunongan was made similar to the hills of Pahang to comfort the consort whenever she yearn for her homeland.

The sultan was not attracted to Putroe Phang only because she was beautiful. Putroe Phang was also famous for her intelects. She was crowned as the government advisor for her expertise to create laws on women child.

How to get there: the park is strategically located in the center of the city. It will not be difficult for you to find by private car, or alternatively, your can also use motorcycle becak (becak motor) to one of the most important historical site in Aceh.   

Aceh - Baiturrahman Mosque (Masjid Raya Baiturrahman)

Baiturrahman Mosque is a mosque located in the centre of Banda Aceh in Jl. Masjid Raya Baiturrahman, Banda Aceh. This mosque was originally built by the sultanate of Aceh. When the Dutch attacked the city of Banda Aceh in 1873, the mosque was also burnt down. In 1875, the Dutch reconstruct a new mosque to replace the original mosque.

The mosque which occupies an area of approximately 4 hectares has beatiful and unique architecture. It has seven dome, four tower, and one main tower. The inside room is covered by Italian marble of 4,760 square metre and may accomodate up to 9,000 prayers.

There is a bog pond in the court yard of the mosque with ornamental plants and coconut tree.

The mosque survived the 2-metre-Aceh-tsunami in 26 December 2004. After the tsunami, the mosque was made a place to lay down thousands of dead bodies of tsunami victims.

How to get there: because it is located in the centre of Banda Aceh, you can reach the premise by any type of vehicles such as motorcycle becak and labi-labi.