Banda Aceh

A city reborn after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, home to the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque and the Tsunami Museum, with ferries to the dive haven of Weh Island.

Banda Aceh sits at the northern tip of Sumatra. It is the capital of the Aceh Special Region, the only province in Indonesia that formally applies Islamic sharia law. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 claimed around 170,000 lives here; the city has since been completely rebuilt, and tsunami memorial sites are scattered across town and countryside, making it the best place to understand both the disaster and the recovery. At the heart of the city is the black-domed Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, within walking distance of the Aceh Tsunami Museum, the Kerkhof Dutch cemetery, Gunongan and the Aceh Museum. A little farther out are the PLTD Apung power barge carried far inland, the boat on the roof, Ulee Lheue Mosque and the Siron mass grave. Lampuuk and Lhoknga, 20 km to the southwest, are white-sand surf beaches. From Ulee Lheue port a fast boat takes about 45 minutes (the slow ferry about 2 hours) to Weh Island (Sabang); the Kilometre Zero monument, marking Indonesia's westernmost point, stands on the island's northwest corner. The healthy coral reefs around Iboih and Rubiah Island offer the best diving and snorkelling in Sumatra, while Gapang and Sumur Tiga are quieter beaches. Best season: Mar–Aug brings calmer seas, good for diving; Oct–Jan, the northwest monsoon, brings heavy rain and rough seas. Tips: dress conservatively — women should cover their hair in public, or at least wear long sleeves and long trousers, and bikinis are a no-go on the beach; during Ramadan most restaurants close during daylight hours; alcohol is essentially unavailable. Aceh coffee (Kopi Gayo) and fish curry are well worth trying. Allow 4–5 days: 1–2 in Banda Aceh and 2–3 on Weh Island.

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