Banda Aceh is the capital of this province, it was where the waves of the 2004 Tsunami hit fiercely and with no mercy. Over 200.000 people died and half of the city was destroyed and flooded under the sea. Most of the attractions of the city are related to their religion and the Tsunami effects.
It is not necessary to have a night at Banda Ache, as you might have already seen most of the attractions during one day. However, if you need to stay because of the timetable of the flight or the bus I recommend you Hotel Medan. Although it is quite expensive, it has an important history as it was one of the hotels that remained unbreakable after the Tsunami.
The best way to get around is to hire a local becak or tuc-tuc. We hired Heri and his friend John, who are very nice and friendly, for a half-day trip around Banda Ache.
Acehnese people have always had an important culture of drinking coffee and it has become a hereditary tradition. Actually, there are many traditional coffee shops with typical coffee mixes. The Robusta coffee, which is processed and produced in a place of traditional coffee, is the most commonly served in this area.
Unlike the usual kopi tubruk (grounds black coffee), this coffee called kupi sareng (manual filtering coffee) is brewed manually and when the coffee is served doesn't need to be deposited anymore. These days, this coffee has become a favourite attraction for tourists, both domestic and international. The one that I tried is called "King Gayo" and it is really good, I recommend it to you, Heri can take you to nice coffee shops. The Robusta coffee from Ulee Kareng can also be a typical gift from Banda Aceh.
Mesjid Raya Baiturrahman
The amazing mosque in Aceh was one of the few buildings that stayed upright after the Tsunami so it has a symbolic meaning for the locals. You will have to cover your shoulder and legs to get in and the women even their hair. There is a strict timetable for the foreigners to visit it, that's why I was not able to visit it.
Tsunami related attractions
Honouring the death of the 26th December 2004 and all the humanitarian help received after that, the Acehnese people build a Tsunami museum in 2014. Inside you will find pictures, relation of the survivors, simulations of the tsunami and their effects, explanations about how it is created and warnings about what to do if it happens again. The entrance is free so I recommend you to stop by explore it a little.
The famous boat PLTD Apung 1 is one of the other places to visit and feel the 2004 disaster. This electric generation boat was tied at the harbour the Tsunami day, the waves pushed it over land for more than 3Km destroying everything under its feet. Nowadays the boat has become a small museum and the entrance is also free.
The Kapal di Atas Rumah, the boat on the house or the Tsunami Boat is the third place you must visit. On the fateful day, this small fishing boat was drug by the waves and finally got stuck on a house roof. Thanks to this fact, the people who were there saved their lives. There are other boats that got stuck on land this day and can also be visited, but these ones are the most important in my opinion.
Shopping time
Close to Medan hotel, and many other hotels that are in the same area, we can find the market. It is very nice to have a walk around it and try some street food or juices. There are also some nice restaurants close to it.
Around this place, there are plenty of different shops. Every street has a theme. For example, the handbag street, the shoe street, the dress street, the hair salon street, the technology street.... It is quite interesting and if you want to buy something you can bargain the already cheep prices.
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