How to get from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh Find Transport to Banda Aceh Search accommodation with There is 1 way to get from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh by ferry Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner. Recommended Ferry Take the ferry from Balohan Sabang to Banda Aceh Questions & Answers What is the cheapest way to get from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh? The cheapest way to get from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh is to ferry which costs 280 â‚´ - 410 â‚´ and takes 1h 15m. More details What is the fastest way to get from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh? The fastest way to get from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh is to ferry which takes 1h 15m and costs 280 â‚´ - 410 â‚´. More details How far is it from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh? The distance between Pulau Weh and Banda Aceh is 31 km. How long does it take to get from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh? It takes approximately 1h 15m to get from Pulau Weh to Banda Aceh, including transfers. More details Where can I stay near Banda Aceh? There are 50+ hotels available in Banda Aceh. Prices start at 3 750 â‚´ per night. More details What companies run services between Pulau Weh, Indonesia and Banda Aceh, Indonesia? Express Bahari operates a ferry from Balohan Sabang to Banda Aceh 3 times a day. Tickets cost 190 â‚´ - 250 â‚´ and the journey takes 45 min. Express Bahari Want to know more about travelling around the world? Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Read our range of informative guides on popular transport routes and companies - including Is ride-sharing platform BlaBlaCar right for you?, Travelling around the UAE and How to plan an amazing trip around Scandinavia - to help you get the most out of your next trip. Trips from Pulau Weh Trips to Banda Aceh Popular routes
5 DIVING AND SNORKELLING. When in Pulau Weh, you have to go diving or at least snorkelling to explore the beauty of the open sea and its many living creatures. There are over 20 dive sites, endless reef and countless sea-life around the island, you'll be occupied underwater for as long as you desire. However, I hadn't been diving for
1. Snorkel or Dive at an Underwater VolcanoSure, you can snorkel or dive in many spots around Pulau Weh, but have you REALLY lived life if you haven’t explored an active underwater volcano? We’ll let you Pria Laot can be found about halfway between Iboih and the main town of Sabang. Not heavily signposted when we visited, anyway keep your eyes peeled for small signs. You don’t need to head far offshore to find the area just follow your nose towards the sulphurous scent of rotten eggs. You’ll see bubbles rising from the cracks in the coral and experience the increasing warmth of the water coming from the depths of the coral here is in pretty good nick, with a variety of colours and plenty of marine life, although it’s not quite as abundant as you’ll find over at Rubiah was a nice spot to snorkel, with no other people there when we visited. Although I was constantly paranoid about a vent opening up and boiling me alive in the ocean – but that’s just me…At our last visit, there were no facilities here, so you’ll need to come prepared and bring your own snorkeling gear along – or join a dive tour with one of the many dive centers based in Iboih. This is one of the most unforgettable things to do in Pulau Visit the Northernmost Point of IndonesiaIf you’re staying on Pulau Weh, it’d almost be rude not to pay a pilgrimage to Kilometer Nol, the “beginning” of Indonesia. Marked with an impressive monument, you can get the obligatory selfie at the top of this island you’re staying at Iboih, it’s a pleasant journey up some picturesque coastline to get there. From other areas like Pantai Sumur Tiga, it’s a bit more of a trek, but worth it as part of a day trip exploring the this is one of the most popular thing to do in Pulau Weh, there are plenty of souvenir shops and places selling snack food, but there’s really not a heck of a lot else. If you make the journey, carry on past the monument down the hill to find a boardwalk leading through some coastal forest which takes you to some sweet coastal Walk on a Volcano – Without the Trekking!Perfect for the lazy adventurer, the Jaboi Geothermal Spot lets you walk around an active volcano – without having to hike up any mountains. There’s green and yellow boiling streams, steaming, sulphorous vents, and that delightful rotten egg aroma as arid environment dotted with dead and burned trees makes for an otherworldly landscape, and the journey there through forest is a beautiful to the southwest of the island to find this stinky Explore Rubiah IslandThis is one of the prime snorkelling and diving spots in Pulau Weh. Just a short boat trip we’re talking five minutes from Iboih brings you to this small island surrounded by coral gardens and teeming with multicoloured is one of the busiest spots in all of Pulau Weh, often packed with locals and people learning to dive. It’s hard to move around without bumping heads with another if you skip the main area where the boats drop you off and take a short walk across the centre of the island to the other side, you’ll find an almost deserted bay with equally spectacular marine life that you won’t have to share with the if you’re not into water activities, take a day trip to Rubiah. Not many people bother to explore the rest of this island, but it’s totally worth doing. Follow the hidden, overgrown paths that wind along the coastline and you’ll discover abandoned bunkers from the war days, gorgeous bush, and lots of places to snap photos of that unbelievably clear, turquoise Bathe Under a WaterfallSumatra has no shortage of waterfalls, and Air Terjun Pria Laot is Pulau Weh’s most inland from Pantai Pria Laot pantai means beach – where the underwater volcano is – to find it; there will be plenty of signs guiding the have to ditch your scooter to head to the waterfall on foot, but it’s an easy 20 minute stroll along the river and through some lush forested areas. You need to cross over the stream in a few spots, so if you have mobility issues, bear this in one of the more famous things to do in Pulau Weh, you may not have this spot to yourself, but it is seldom crowded. There’s a sizeable pool underneath to cool off of the coolest things we saw when heading to the waterfall was an enormous flock of flying foxes fruit bats in the trees on the way. I think we spent more time watching them than we did at the actual waterfall – but it depends on what floats your boat!6. Hit a Beach.. or Five or SixObvs, the key attraction of heading to a tropical island is the chance to sit on a beach and soak up the sun. And there are plenty of places to do just that in Pulau Beach isn’t so well set up for this, with only a tiny sandy area at the mouth of the Beach is more suitable, with a sweet little bay dotted with restaurants and Sumur Tiga lies on the other side of the island. It’s the picture-perfect stretch of white sand – the longest on Pulau Weh. There’s very little to do over this side other than stay in one of the fantastic accommodations we love Freddie’s and chill out under the palm finding hidden bays is top of your list of things to do in Pulau Weh, just hire a scooter and go! The roads are good, there’s no crazy traffic, and plenty to discover. We found a completely deserted white sand beach without a single soul not far from Iboih where my bag – with mobile phone and all – got stolen by a monkey when we weren’t looking – but that’s a story for another day.We’re not going to spill all the secrets here okay, maybe you can twist our arms if you send us an email, but seriously – just hit the road and explore. It makes the discoveries so much more to Get to Pulau WehThere is an airport on the island, with flights arriving and departing twice a week. If you can fit your schedule around the flights, this is the most straightforward and reliable way to get fly into Banda Aceh airport, which supports both domestic and international flights. From there, grab a becak motorcycle taxi to the port and jump on either the slow or fast ferry across. If you have a tight schedule, be aware that if the seas are bad, the boats won’t go and you may be trapped on the island; this has happened to me two out of the three times I’ve visited!Of course you can drive from elsewhere in Sumatra to Banda Aceh. There are overnight buses that are relatively comfortable, or hire a driver. Just remember it’s going to be a rather long journey, particularly if you are coming from You Should Know About Pulau WehPulau Weh is part of the Aceh province – a predominantly Muslim area. As such, you’ll need to dress and behave appropriately. There’s nothing to be afraid of, but as a responsible tourist, you should always respect the culture of the places you beaches on the island will not allow bikinis – the signage indicates this – and sometimes even men going topless is discouraged. Swim in shorts and a t-shirt where possible, or check with your accommodation; the beach in front of Freddie’s is one of the exceptions we know is hard to come by; there are no corner shops selling Bintangs here! Foreigners can purchase and consume wine and beer at a few places here and there, but should do so discreetly. Situatedat the convergence of the Indian and Pacific oceans, Pulau Weh is a beautiful untouched island, well known for its ecosystem, the coral reefs around Weh are home to a great diversity of fish species, like sea turtles, sharks, rays, dolphins and pelagic staff. With more than 20 diving spots, is one of the best diving site in Indonesia. Located off the coast from Banda Aceh, the northernmost tip of Sumatra lies Pulau Weh. It is sometimes referred to as Sabang, by locals, the name of the primary town and port. Pulau Weh is a large, sprawling island of volcanoes, beaches and palm trees with friendly village dogs and wild pigs running around in the undergrowth all surrounded by fantastic marine life. The main attractions here are the laid back undeveloped island life, accessible snorkelling and amazing diving. The region of Aceh only opened up to tourism in around 2005, prior to the Boxing Day Tsunami the area was unstable with political and religious problems culminating in civil war. A truce agreement has since been made and tourism in the area is still in the early stages, which, for those hunting for quiet, back to basic cheap accommodation, you’re in the right place. We heard there are plans to develop an old army base into an airport. Who knows what impact it will ultimately have. Primarily, I anticipate a bigger market opening up for diving weekenders from Malaysia and Singapore. It may well take several years for this to become a reality, if at all but it’s likely to lead to development on a larger scale. Where to Stay on Pulau WehThings to do in Pulau WehWhat to Eat & DrinkGetting thereWhere to go next? Where to Stay on Pulau Weh The main backpacker area is located in the village of Iboih pronounced, ee-bow, around a forty minute drive from the port in Sabang. It’s pretty well represented with plenty of accommodation options with ATM’s and slow WIFI. The choice is only likely to be severely limited on Fridays and Saturdays when families and groups from Medan and northern Sumatra arrive for weekends. Iboih is a string of bungalows perched over the ocean and in the rocks above it, all linked by a small, rocky path with occasional steps – it’s not suitable for wheelie suitcases. Make sure you bring a torch to get around after dark! Treetop Guesthouse and Bungalows and Pele’s Place are good options perhaps more-so Treetop. Another option is Gapang, where diving holidays are catered for with accommodation linked to the dive shops as well as some independent choices. For more Pulau Weh accommodation, click here! Things to do in Pulau Weh Diving The main draw for most is the diving. The tsunami damaged the shallower reefs but deeper the conditions are very good, with huge fan corals, good tropical fish stocks, a lot of moray eels and the potential to see some of the ocean’s biggest and best – Whale sharks, mola-molas sunfish and manta rays. You’ll have to be incredibly lucky to see any, but they are around. There are dive shops in Iboih and a couple more in the neighbouring village, Gapang. Some are local and some are foreign-owned. We always prefer to support local businesses but it ultimately depends on comfort, equipment and ease of communication. There can easily be communication issues with the Indonesian divemasters and health and safety may not seem to be their priority –you should be very aware of your own capabilities and comfort level in these environments as Pulau Weh is home to some incredibly strong currents. Diving is very good value, from €17-25 per tank. Courses can be taken here too, but there are far better places in South East Asia for conditions and ease of communication to complete them. A tiny island called Pulau Biawak just off the coast of Pulau Weh Snorkelling You can snorkel pretty much anywhere in front of the village, with lots of fish to see. You can either swim, kayak or get a boat across the channel to the Sea Garden, which is a popular snorkelling spot. Be respectful towards the locals and don’t wear swimwear in the village and near the mosque. Be respectful in snorkelling near this area too. Biking the island Motorbike hire is easily arranged with almost every accommodation offering to rent for around 100’000 Rupiah per day. You can head out to the volcano, beaches and generally glide around palm tree-lined roads which are new and recently laid by NGO’s in the aftermath of the tsunami avoiding the monkeys lying in the road. What to Eat & Drink Eating in Weh is generally a little more than the mainland due to island costs and the majority of customers being foreigners. There’s plenty of choice in Iboih, several restaurants appeal to western tourists offering introductory Indonesian flavours, a few specialities and ubiquitous Indonesian nasi or mie goreng. Dee-Dees make their own bread and have good salads as well as Indonesian dishes like mie aceh and ikan semur. There’s also a great communal homestyle restaurant scene with sociable meals of curries and vegetables. Stop in at Oongs or Mamas in the afternoon to check out what’s on the family menu that night – 25-30’000 per person, including rice for a buffet-style feast. Ask around some of the long-term residents and dive shops about the doughnut lady, who sells near the mosque. At 2’000 rupiah a sugar-coated pop it’s a very tasty and economical breakfast – pre-order the night before if you want a lot. Nightlife is non-existent, it’s a staunch Muslim area and alcohol is theoretically illegal although some of the guesthouses have a few expensive beers in the fridge for tourists. Ask around – Oohlala is a good place to start, Oongs often have beers available, although it’s more expensive than the dinner. Getting there The ferry runs from Uleh-Leh port and fast and slow options are available. Boats are supposed to leave around 8 am, 11 am 2 pm and 4 pm depending on the day of the week and whether it’s a fast or slow boat but often run late and occasionally, early! Prices vary from 25,000-75,000. Both boats are comfortable and take around forty-five minutes or two hours. A forty minute shared taxi will drop you in Gapang or Iboih from Sabang for around 40’000 but you may need to taxi from the airport to Uleh- Leh should take around thirty minutes and cost around 100’000 for the whole vehicle. There is apparently a bus service that runs from the airport to the town, thought to be timed around the inbound flights, although in my experience it did not arrive. If the bus does turn up, it will be on the right-hand side, as you exit the terminal. Taxi drivers will obviously tell you it’s already left, which may be the case but if you have time, it might be worth waiting and a lot cheaper as a solo traveller. Where to go next? Once you leave the island you’re in Banda Aceh, the state capital. From here you can head south to Medan which connects with all the well-visited Sumatran highlights, Lake Toba, Berastagi, Bukittingi and Bukit Lawang. Read more about Sumatra here. 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