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Divers describe great walls of languid sea fans, deep canyons and rock pinnacles, plus a lot of big fish.
Pulau Weh is shaped roughly like a horseshoe. On the northeastern leg is the port town of Sabang, where most of Weh’s population lives. The primary tourist beaches are Gapang and Iboih, which are about 20km away heading towards the northwestern leg.
It’s always a little rainy on Weh, with two monsoon seasons. November to January are the wettest, coolest months but are also the best times to see whale sharks. Malaria has been reported on the island, so take the proper precautions.
The tsunami did give Weh a minor licking, but the island fared better than the mainland. Many of the coastal businesses that were bashed up have since rebuilt and the villagers banded together to repair roads, replant trees and fill in washed-out pockets of the beach.
Sabang
The island’s main township is an interesting mix of traditional fishing village and old colonial villas. During Dutch rule, Sabang was a major coal and water depot for steamships, but with the arrival of diesel power after WWII it went into decline.
During the 1970s it was a duty-free port, but this status was eliminated in 1986 and Sabang once again became a sleepy fishing town. Today the only industry - other than fishing - is rattan furniture.
Most people pass through Sabang fairly quickly en route to the tourist beaches, but return to town for provisions.
The post office (Jl Perdagangan 66) is next door to the telephone office (h24hr), which has a Home Country Direct phone.
BRI bank (Bank Rakyat Indonesia; Jl Perdagangan) changes travellers cheques and US dollars at terrible rates. It also has an ATM that only accepts MasterCard.
Alternatively, try your negotiating skills with the Chinese moneychangers scattered about town.
Sabang is surrounded by beautiful beaches. Just 10 minutes’ walk away is Pantai Paradiso, a white-sand beach shaded by coconut palms. A little further on is Pantai Kasih (Lover’s Beach), and about 30 minutes from town is Pantai Sumur Tiga, a popular picnic spot.
Other attractions around Sabang include Danau Anak Laut, a serene freshwater lake that supplies the island’s water, and Gunung Merapi, a semi-active volcano, which holds boiling water in its caldera and occasionally puffs smoke.
SLEEPING & EATING
Few people choose to stay in town unless they get stuck.
Losmen Irma (Jl Teuku Umar 3) A local boarding house.
Losmen Pulau Jaya (Jl Teuku Umar 17) Another cheap spot across the road.
Hotel Holiday (Jl Perdagangan 1) A marked step up, Hotel Holiday is a Chinese-run hotel with solid, if not fashion-plate, rooms.
Samudera Hotel (Jl Diponegoro) This old Dutch villa in a peaceful area up the hill is full of worn charm. Cheaper rooms are fairly simple but the more expensive options are bright and spacious.
There are plenty of restaurants along the main street, Jl Perdagangan, serving cheap Padang food. There’s also a fruit market near the BRI bank.
Gapang
Occupying a sandy cove, Gapang is more social than Iboih, with little beachside cafés and front-door swimming. Some may try to argue that one beach is better than the other, but both have their charms.
SLEEPING & EATING
Gapang has the greatest variety of accommodation on the island, from pseudo resorts to cheapie huts. On the weekends, rates often increase by double or more because of short-term business from the NGOs based in Aceh. If you’re staying longer than two days or arrive mid-week, you should be able to get the rates quoted here or cheaper. The hotels are listed here in geographical order from west to east.
Leguna Resort. A garden of generous-sized chalets, a handful of which have sea views. There is a small enclosed beach but the resort is a little weatherworn.
Flamboyan. A large resort-type outfit with pleasant traditional-style rooms and a restaurant built on top of the rocky point.
Following the small road around the headland will lead you to Gapang’s main hang-out.
Ohana. Three basic wooden bungalows with mandis (common Indonesian bath, consisting of a large water tank from which water is ladled over the body) are planted on the hillside.
Ramadilla. Past everything else, Ramadilla’s cabins climb up the hill with a longhouse or two that commands a chieftain’s view of the sea.
Beachside cafés, serving Western food, absorb the evening breezes and post-dive appetites. For lunch, head out to the main road, where a small warung does delicious nasi bungus (rice and curry served for take-away in a banana leaf ).
Iboih
More rustic than Gapang, I boih follows a rocky headland with a string of simple bungalows along a woodsy footpath. The almost castaway feel is a foolproof back-packer magnet.
A small path leads through a stone gateway past the village well and up and over a small hill to the bungalow strip. Opposite Iboih, 100m offshore, is Pulau Rubiah, a densely forested island surrounded by spectacular coral reefs known as the Sea Garden. It is a favourite snorkelling and diving spot. The coral has been destroyed in places but there is still plenty to see including turtles, manta ray, lion fish, tigerfish and occasional sharks.
If you are a strong swimmer it is possible to make your own way there. Beware of strong currents, especially at the southern tip of the island.
Adjacent to the Sea Garden is the Iboih Forest nature reserve. It has some good walks and coastal caves that can be explored by boat.
SLEEPING & EATING
Simple palm-thatch bungalows, many built on stilts and overhanging crystal-clear water, make up the majority of the accommodation here.
Most places are very similar, but do a wander before declaring a winner. If you arrive mid-week and stay for several days, you can negotiate about 30,000Rp a night. If you’re near the weekend when the NGOs arrive expect to pay about 50,000Rp or more depending on how long you stay. Most places have shared bathroom facilities.
The following losmen are listed in geographic order as you’ll approach them: Arina, Fatimah, Oong’s and Yulia’s.
Just off the main road are a few shops selling sundries, Indonesian lunches and coffee in front of a small beach. If you speak Bahasa Indonesia, this is where you can scoop up the village gossip.
Next door to Rubiah Tirta Divers is Chill Out Café, serving all three meals and a view of a small beach. Norma’s, the restaurant portion of Oong’s Guesthouse, does a nightly seafood dinner around a communal table and serves beer. Further down, Yulia’s has shakes and light fare.
Long Angen
This secluded beach on the western side of the island is ideally located for spectacular sunsets. The beach itself only exists for six months of the year - the sand is swept away by the sea from November to May.
DIVING & SNORKELLING
People don’t come to Weh for the nightlife or the bikinis. They come for the diving, which is considered some of the best the Indian Ocean has to offer. On an average day, you’re likely to spot morays, manta rays, lionfish, and stingrays. During plankton blooms, whale sharks come to graze. Unlike other dive sites, the coral fields take a back seat to the sea life and landscapes. There are close to 20 dive sites around the island, most in and around Iboih and Gapang.
There are two dive operators on the island. At Iboih, Rubiah Tirta Divers is the oldest dive operation on the island. At Gapang, Lumba Lumba Diving Centre is the center of activity with the comings and goings of wet-suit creatures. Ton and Marjan Egbers maintain a helpful website with detailed descriptions of dives and other need-to-know information. Padi diving courses are also available. The center shop has internet access.
Snorkeling gear can be hired almost anywhere.
Getting There & Away
Sabang is the port town on Pulau Weh. Fast ferries to Sabang leave the mainland from Uleh-leh, 15km northwest of Banda Aceh, at 9.30am and 4pm (two hours). Slow ferries leave at 2pm (3 hours). In the opposite direction, the slow ferry leaves at 8am and the fast ferry at 8.30am and 4pm.
You should get to the port at least an hour before departure to get a ticket.
Getting Around
From the port, there are regular bemo to Sabang (15 minutes), and Gapang and Iboih (45 minutes). Labi labi run from Jl Perdagangan in Sabang to Gapang and Iboih. The road from Sabang to the beaches is rough in patches, like all roads in Sumatra.
