Aceh is the north province of Sumatra island. They have a different culture and language (Acehnese). Actually, there was a separatist group called The Free Aceh Movement or in Indonesian "Gerakan Aceh Merdeka" or simply "GAM" seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra. They fought against the Indonesian government since 1976 to 2005.
Although many humanitarian tried to dialogue the peace, it was not until the devastation caused by the massive tsunami on 28th December 2004 over the northern Sumatra, that GAM declared a ceasefire to allow aid on the area. Finally, the peace agreement was officially signed on 15 August 2005 in the Finnish Government Banquet Hall in Helsinki.
Nowadays, the Aceh government have recently implemented the sharia law, unlike the rest of the island, even though most of them are also Muslims. Although all women must cover with veil, the tourists don't get affected by this, except in the religious places. Anyway, like many other places in Indonesia it's better to cover your legs and shoulders. The only thing you will get affected is that no alcohol is allowed in any bar.
Exploring Banda Aceh
There is a small airport at Banda Ache that is almost entirely for Airasia planes from Kuala Lumpur. Normally there are two planes per day.
The best way to get around is to hire a local becak or tuc-tuc. We hired Heri (his phone number is + 62 85260589852) and his friend John, who are very nice and friendly. We took a half-day trip with them, around Banda Aceh to see the most interesting things. To know more about our trip click at Exploring Banda Ache.
Heri also helped us buy the tickets to the ferry that would take us to Pulau Weh and at the back, the bus that would take us to Bukkit Lawang.
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.
Pulau Weh ferry
There are two ferries that departs from Banda Aceh every day:
The fast ferry that costs 80.000-100.000 Rp (5-7 €) and takes 45 minutes
The regular ferry that costs 25.000-50.000 Rp (2-4 €) and takes 1:30 hours
Nowadays the fast ferry departs every morning from Banda Aceh at 9:30h and afternoon at 16:30h. From Pulau Weh departs every morning at 8:00h and afternoon at 14:30h. The schedule of the regular ferry depends on the weekday.
The departure time can be changed during the day because of the weather, actually, the first time I went there, the ferry couldn't depart because there were big waves. The regular ferry has a big terrace at the top from where you can admire the sea, one day I saw dolphins from there.
To know more about our trip and all the places we discovered, click at Pulau Weh, the Paradisiac island.
Bus Banda Aceh to Bukit Lawang
The best way to go to Bukit Lawang by bus is to take a bus from Banda Ache to Medan and stop at Binjan. This is a small city where you would have to take a regular small bus to Bukit Lawang.
There are many different buses that departs from Banda Ache to Medan every day at different times. There are different bus companies and Heri helped us chose a good one that had no fleas. The price can change depends on the luxury from 140.000rp to 200.000rp.
To know more about our trip and all the places we discovered, click at Bukit Lawang, an enchantment village.
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