Weh Island is also known as Sabang Island, located at the north of of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. The said island is a popular touristy Island amongst Acehnese people. Lately, it attracts more and more domestic tourists as its breathtaking views as well its Kilometer 0 attraction. In his travel writing story, the author narrates and shares him recent visit to the island.
At the Warung Kopi Kubra , I had a breakfast with Roti Canai , consisting of 3 pieces of flat breads with dipped with chicken curry. Eating with our new friend named Irwandi, who worked with a publication company, he planned to pursue PhD in Jakarta in the related field very soon. I washed my throat with a cup of hot black coffee. I also ate half boiled eggs served in a small glass. Laying on the round white marble table were traditional Aceh kueh , more or less the same with what we got in Kelantan; the same version of Pulut Lepa , also Roti Kukus ; an oblongata shape of bun with green sweet shredded coconut with banana leaf on the bottom of it. This restaurant is popular coffee shop amongst locals where people from all walks of life love come here. A group of skull cap men, relatively old, sat of the next table, enjoying foods and drinks after performing the morning prayer. The same scenario that I observed in Kelantan.
After a hearty breakfast we took the grab to go back our hotel. About 7 am after checked out we took another grab to the Ulee Lheue Harbour Pier, the cab driver who is originally from Banda Aceh who knows the nook and cranny of the city managed to cut the journey short through small lanes. It was still an early morning, we came across with parents who rode motorcycles to send their children to schools. When we arrived by 7.30 am about half hour ride we arrived at the harbour we found many passengers queued at the ticket counters. We chose express ferry as it took about 45 minutes to from Banda Aceh to the Weh Island. Another option would be a slow ferry which usually takes 2 hours for the journey. Its relatively bigger; apart from people, it carries vehicles on the board. The fee comparatively cheaper than the express ferry. We paid 100,000 Rupiah for each ticket, our names and the seat numbers printed of the tickets.
On the board, I heard “ Nasi guris, Nasi Guris..nasi..nasi..sarapan..nasi guris” from vendors. A man was carrying sfull hands of his items including beans, he shouted “ Murtabat telur”. Meanwhile a white skull cap guy, tick eyebrows and big black eyes, wearing white t shirt was also hawking his food to customers. Unperturbed by the vendors, passengers were talking with each other, some were browsing, scrolling their hand phones while waiting the boat to leave the jetty. The blaring sound of horn, signalling the ferry was about to leave the jetty, one by one vendor leaving. On the left of my seat, a group of local tourists, quite old, talking with each other. In happy jovial moods, giggling. Sprinkling English words in their conversations with an old burly European lady, they were enjoying their leisure, tasting the sweet fruits of their hard labours before retirement.
The ferry was now leaving the pier. You could hear the high roar of the engine. I was sitting on the aisle seat, number 249. On my right was a young mother with her daughter, about 2 years old. Wearing pink shirt and blue denim skirt with parted hair in two with the pink knots. She was a very active girl; moving here and there, climbing on her mother feet and hips and then walking on the wooden floor, playing with her toy. The lower berth where we sat did not offer much view, so I moved the rear of the ferry to get fresh air, I found a few passengers were there; taking photos with various actions including leaning on the reel bar. The view was indeed breath-taking; grey rolling hills in a distance, white frosty water trailing the ferry, blue sea glittering and glimmering by the rays of the morning sun. I took selfies and when I had enough, I left to the upper deck of the rear of the ferry, but I found too many people there, quickly I left and went inside. Luckily, on the front part, on the second floor I found a vacant seat to narrate my ferry journey experience, unlike the lower berth in this section most of the seats were vacant. I chose the one by the window, looking outside of a big hilly island which visible in a distance. We were now approaching Weh island; the green and verdant tropical island with tall and slender coconut trees fringed stretch of white sandy beaches, a small village with red roof houses. Later I saw a red and white colours telecommunication tower; twice taller than coconut trees surrounding it. The ferry passed a cliff covered with vegetation at the top and avoids of trees at their steep slopes at the edge of water.
Afterwards I came across a village tucked on a hill, a green mosque is not too far from it, standing by the edge of water. As scheduled, 9 am, we arrived at the jetty and passengers were rushing to get off board. We snapped photos on the stage in the arrival hall, ‘Welcome To Sabang Island: Experience The Ocean Magic”. Our arrival was greeted by a happy smile and smart dress middle age man, Mr. Abdullah, the driver cum tourist guard for two days and one night in Weh Island. Once we got on the 7 seaters vehicle, we hit the ground running. Ascending the hill to the top to get the nicest views of the island. After upward and downward journey punctuated with a few hairpin bends, Abdullah stopped his car at the hillside coffee shop and asked us to take photos of the breath-taking views of the sea below; dotted with a few small islands. While taking photos he said “ we take photos but we drink coffee elsewhere”.
Later we stopped at the Wander Weh Cafe which perched on the hilltop. I approached a policeman who sat on a bench of a round table who had a half full cup of coffee. In his early forty, he said he knew Weh Island like the back of his hand. He also shared anecdotes about his job, family and stories about Aceh. I ordered a cup of cappuccino but after some time chatting it yet arrived, and inquired the curly hair young man behind the coffee machine; he somewhat irritated; telling us, he made coffee one by one to justify his shortcoming. The cappuccino was great and I also feted by wonderful view of turquoise colour sea partly hidden by banana leaves and other trees.
Our next destination was Ujung Karang Beach. Turquoise green water which crystal clear water is a perfect destination of this place. When we arrived a score of tourists were there. One of the groups from Malaysia, I could easily knew from its members conversation. This place landscape is unique as it is created by the death coral when the bottom of sea raised above sea level perhaps thousand years ago. How high it has been raised is unknown because overtime this landscape later is subject to erosion of waves and as well as rains. As a geographer myself, who read the said discipline and geology, the geomorphology of this place was very interesting and piqued my interests to think and ask relevant questions of this phenomenon. Generally, Indonesia geology and physical geography are very unique as they still active. Since Indonesia is situated at the top of two major tectonic plates namely; the Australian Plate and newly separated Sunda Plate, earth quake and volcano eruption that happened during Pleistocene era until now have shaped its current landscapes. Weh Island was once connected to Sumatra mainland and become separated by sea after volcano eruption. Two decades ago, the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake that struck 31 miles below the ocean floor and 150 miles near Aceh created Boxing Day Tsunami waves topped 100 feet caused more than 100,000 deaths in Banda Aceh. The effects of Tsunami on people in Aceh are well documented and the misery that results is imprinted on most of our minds by television or newspaper photography. I was in Australia when Tsunami struck Aceh, I still remember when Carol and Denis visited our house for lunch, she informed us “ big waves happened in your country”; hearing that, my quick response was in denial as Malaysia is saved from earth quake and typhoons. In the late afternoon on television, I got the news that Banda Aceh was hit by Tsunami and I was horrified by the damages and death inflicted by it.
Luckily, people in Weh Island saved as they were at the higher ground. I was told by a local person that during the Tsunami people in this island unlike usual day could not see Banda Aceh as the waves were higher. Anytime earthquake can strike in this area, reflecting on this the wise words of the e-hailing driver who took us to the pier in the morning echoed on my mind, he said he still survive after the deadliest Tsunami because his death time is yet arrived. And for Muslims we know that our live and our dead are already decided by the Mighty Allah, we are powerless, were could not run from it.
Freddies Santai Sumurtiga homestay resort which only a few minutes drive away from Ujung Karang was the next destination. This wooden structure resort with situated by the sea not only place to get sea-view for those stay there but also a nice place to see the beauty of the crystal clear sea by other visitors. Not surprisingly, when we arrived, a big group of local tourists enjoyed their times with the view. They took photos on the skywalk with the background of white sandy beach dotted with coconut trees, turquoise sea and blue sky, a perfect example of tropical island heaven.
