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Lhok Nga & Lampu’ukThese coastal weekend spots, only 17km from Banda Aceh, were levelled by the tsunami. In Lampu’uk the wave travelled some 7km inland, killing four out of every five people. One elementary school in the area went from a student population of 300 children to 35; nearly a generation wiped out. Many of the villagers are still living in temporary shelters.
Somewhat cruelly, the beach and ocean are just as beautiful as ever, perhaps more so. None of the beachside development, except for the now repaired cement company, has been rebuilt.
Joel’s Beach BBQ organizes group fish fries on the beach of Lampu’uk near where his beach bungalows used to be located. There are plans in the future for accommodation.
Take labi labi 04 from the opelet terminal in Banda Aceh for both Lhok Nga and Lampu’uk.
Calang & Meulaboh
Everything in the town of Calang was destroyed by the tsunami; the population was cut in half and infrastructure is gone.
Further south, Meulaboh, 240km from Banda Aceh, was the closest town to the earthquake’s epicentre and is often referred to in the press as ‘ground zero’. The town was completely destroyed and close to a third of the 120,000 population were killed.
The town has since been moved to a largely unaffected, northern suburb. Meuligo Hotel (Jl Iskandar Muda) survived the tsunami and is open for business.
Full recovery for these communities is many years away. Many survivors still remain in temporary camps and the only visitors going in and out are aid workers engaged in humanitarian relief.
Even accessing these towns to provide relief has been difficult. The west-coast road from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh was destroyed by the tsunami. USAID has contracted with Halliburton to rebuild parts of the road by 2008, but this target date had been previously moved forward due to logistical problems and may very well slide again.
There are currently no bus services to Calang or Meulaboh, but there are helicopter food missions arranged for aid workers. The airport is operational and SMAC runs twice-weekly flights between Meulaboh and Banda Aceh.
There is currently a public ferry that goes from Uleh-leh to Calang (6 hours) four times a week.
Do also note that malaria can be a problem, so take precautions. Before going for a swim, be aware that some of the west-coast beaches have very strong currents.
The isolated island of Simeulue, about 150km west of Tapaktuan, is a rocky volcanic outcrop blanketed in rainforest and fringed with clove and coconut plantations. Few visitors make it this far - though the surfing is said to be excellent along the west coast.
Simeulue suffered relatively minor damage from the 2004 tsunami. Many residents heeded ancestral knowledge and ran into the hills when the ocean started to recede. This resulted in a death toll of only nine people. The north coast was hit the worst, leaving villagers without homes, livestock or crops. The March 2006 earthquake also shook Simeulue, causing structural damage to concrete buildings, and three reported deaths.
The port of Sinabang and the airport are still operational. Along the main road in Sinabang is Losmen Simeuleu and Losmen Lovya.
On the west coast is the surf camp Baneng Beach Retreat, also called ‘Willy’s Place’. Reef uplift from the earthquake has flattened out some of the famous surf breaks, but new spots are being discovered.
SMAC flies to Simeulue from Medan and Banda Aceh; inquire with the Medan office or a local travel agent for ticketing and schedules.
Ferries run from the mainland ports of Singkil and Meulaboh to Pulau Simeuleu’s port town of Sinabang. Until Aceh’s west-coast road is restored, land connections are best made via North Sumatra (Medan or Parapat) instead of Banda Aceh.
Tapaktuan
The sleepy seaside town of Tapaktuan, 200km south of Meulaboh, the main town in South Aceh. It’s very laid-back by Sumatran standards and, although it has few specific sights, it can be a pleasant place to hang out for a couple of days. Although its location would suggest otherwise, Tapaktuan was not noticeably affected by the tsunami. Many displaced people from other parts of Aceh have sought refuge here with relatives or friends.
Most places of importance are on the main street, Jl Merdeka, which runs along the coast. The town can be used as a base to explore the lowland Kluet region of Gunung Leuser National Park, about 45km south.
Kluet’s unspoilt swamp forests support the densest population of primates in Southeast Asia and are also good sites for bird-watching. It may be possible to hire guides through the national park office in Kandang, 38km south of Tapaktuan.
Pantai Tu’i Lhok and Pantai Air Dingin, about 18km north of Tapaktuan, are the best of several good beaches in the area. Opposite both beaches are waterfalls with natural plunge pools where you can cool off.
Gua Kelam ( Dark Cave), 3km north of Tapaktuan, is a spectacular series of caves and tunnels that can be explored, but you’d be wise to take a guide. Don’t worry about finding a guide - they’ll find you.
Most of the places to stay are along Jl Merdeka. Losmen Bukit Barisan, in an old Dutch house, is a friendly place with basic rooms and a certain shabby charm; and Hotel Panorama is a large, modern hotel with a range of reasonable rooms.
Jl Merdeka is also a good place to find a bite to eat. Seafood is a speciality and there are several restaurants selling delicious grilled fish. After dark, the night market by the main pier, opposite
Hotel Panorama, kicks into action and is a lively place for a quick meal.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Until the west-coast road is repaired, Tapaktuan is better reached from Medan (10 hours) via Berastagi and Sidikalang. From Sidikalang it’s possible to get a direct bus to Pangururan (2 hours) on the west coast of Danau Toba.
Singkil
Singkil is a remote port at the mouth of Sungai Alas. It merits a mention only as the departure point for boats to the Simeulue and Banyak islands.
Catching a boat will mean spending a night at one of Singkil’s very basic losmen.
There are daily minibuses from Medan to Singkil (10 hours). If you’re travelling from Berastagi, Danau Toba or Tapaktuan, you will need to change buses at Sidikalang and Subulus Salem.
Boats leave for Pulau Balai at 1pm on Wednesday.
BANYAK ISLANDS
The Banyak (Many) Islands are a cluster of 99, mostly uninhabited, islands, about 30km west of Singkil. The islands are very remote and see few casual visitors. The 2004 Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami, followed by the 2005 Nias quake, destroyed many coastal dwellings and contaminated fresh-water wells. The main island of Pulau Balai was permanently see-sawed by the quake, causing the west coast to rise by about 70cm and the east coast to drop below sea level.
The main town of Balai now experiences flooding at high tide.
Malaria has been reported on the islands, so take suitable precautions.
Inquire at the pier about accommodation on Pulau Balai. Lodging may also be available on Pulau Palambak Kecil, Pulau Rangit Besar, Pulau Panjang and Pulau Ujung Batu with local families; ask about meals when arranging a room.
There is one boat a week (Wednesdays at 1pm) between Balai and the mainland port of Singkil (one way, four hours).
