The town of Sabang is located off the coast of the northernmost tip of the island of Sumatera. It is a part of the province of Aceh. The city of Sabang is located on Weh Island, of which Sabang is the main town that is located on the northern coast of the island. The name of the island and the town is often used interchangeably.
Literally speaking the town of Sabang administer several smaller islands around Weh Island, including Klah island, Rondo Island, Rubiah Island and Seulako Island. The island where the town of Sabang is located, Weh Island, is the northern most point of the Indonesian archipelago and is often referred to as kilometer 0.
In order to get to Sabang, there are several options. You can fly directly to Maimun Saleh airport of Sabang. There are 3 direct flight from Kuala Namu airport of Medan directly to this airport, which is located on the southeast of the town of Sabang.
Alternatively, you can also catch a fast ferry from Banda Aceh. The fast ferry only runs once a day. It leaves from Ulee Lheue pier of Banda Aceh at 9:30 A.M. to the Balohan pier in Weh Island. The return trip is at 4 P.M. from Balohan to Ulee Lheue.No motorcycles ad cars are allowed on board the fast ferry, but bicycles can be shipped for additional DR 50,000. Ticket to the fast ferry will cost you IDR 80,000 for the economy ticket and IDR 95,000 for the business class ticket. The trip on the fast ferry will take only 1 hour for you to reach the town of Sabang.
There is also a slow ferry that leaves Banda Aceh at 8 A.M. The trip on the slow ferry will take quite a long time, as it will take about 2.5 hours to reach Sabang from Banda Aceh. However, the plus point is this slow ferry allows motorcycles and cars to be taken onboard for a small fee. The ticket of the slow ferry is IDR 25,000 per person.
The town of Sabang itself does not have a lot of attractions for tourist. Actually, the main reason to come here is for the beaches. Therefore the main activities you should be focusing on when you are coming here is for beach and water related activities. You can choose from relaxing and lazing around on the beach, go for a swim or snorkeling and diving. Let us see what are the best tourist objects that Sabang and Weh Island has to offer:
1. Iboih Beach
Weh island is famously known for its many beautiful beaches. Iboih beach is one of the amazing beaches on Weh Island. Here you can see a beautiful beach with the beautiful blue sea water that is very clear and unpolluted.
Iboih beach is about 50 km away from the ferry port of Balohan. This is a popular beach for both locals as well as tourists who come to Sabang. In this beach, you can also rent a motor boat to go further towards the sea for fishing or snorkeling. There are also plenty of dive operators who are operating out of this beach. Hence, it will not be a problem if you want to go for a dive or rent snorkeling equipment.
Along the beach, you can also find plenty of accommodations with varying prices. The accommodations here are mostly geared for backpackers, so do not expect anything fancy, but most of them are clean and well run by the locals. One thing that you should remember is that since Sabang and the whole Weh Island is part of Aceh Special Administrative Region where sharia law is upheld, there are several rules you need to obey. Females are not allowed to wear bikini and swimsuits on the beach. Also the beach is closed for public on Thursdays and Fridays.
2. Aneuk Laot Lake
The locals often called this lake as Danau Air Tawar which literally means Freshwater Lake. In Acehnese language itself, the word aneuk laot means children of the sea.
The lake was named as such because although Weh island is surrounded by the sea but the lake always provide sufficient clean water for the locals. The lake has an astonishing panorama. Around the lake you can see many types of greenery and tall trees. The climate around the lake is cool and pleasant.
One of the thing that makes this lake quite special is because you can also see the sunset. The sea is located right next to the lake. Comes the evening time, lamps will light up from the hill that overlook the town of Sabang which can be seen clearly from the lake.
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3. Rubiah Island
This is a small island that is located nearby to Iboih beach. The island is about 26 square hectares in area and it is a paradise for snorkeling and diving. Around the island you can see there are many kind of coral reefs which are colorful and becomes a habitat for the many kind of colorful fish.
Here you can see various kind of sea creatures like gigantic clams, angel fish, parrot fish, lion fish and many more. Rubiah Island can be easily reached from the port of Sabang. The trip to Rubiah island will take around 30 minutes.
Also read: Beaches in Sumatra
4. Sumur Tiga Beach
This beach will present to you a long stretch of white sandthat will surely amazes you. Sumur Tiga beach has the longest coastline when compared to other beaches in Weh Island. Some surfers comes here to surf at the afternoon as the surf breaks usually present around this time.
The beach is facing towards the east. Therefore it is a perfect place to watch the sun rises from the horizon. The azure blue seaand the long stretch of white sands will surely give you an unforgettable view of sunrise. Thus, visiting this beach will be one of the best things to do in Sabang, Aceh Indonesia.
Also read: Weh Island Indonesia
5. Anoi Itam Japanese Fortress
Back in the time of World War II, the Japanese occupied this island and they built several bunkers, fortification and gun emplacements. One of the remnants is Anoi Itam. This old Japanese fortification has somewhat becomes a favorite spot for tourists who comes to Sabang.
Things to do in Sabang Aceh Indonesia? The fortress was used as an armory for Japanese army to store their weapons and ammunitions. It is located adjacent to the Anoi Itam Beach. From the fortress, you can see the beach and you can also go down the stairs to reach the beach.
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6. Pria Laot Waterfall
Aside from the beaches, Sabang also has quite an interesting waterfall. Pria Laot waterfall is somewhat hidden and is not commonly known by tourists. The waterfall is located underneath the feet of Mount Sarung Keris. Mount Sarung Keris itself is located at the southern part of Weh Island.
Around the waterfall, you can see the many types of greeneries. The weather around the waterfall is cool and very pleasant; making your trip here feels refreshing. You can also hear many sounds of birds that is chirping, making it even more relaxing and pleasant.
Although the pond that is located under the waterfall is not too big, but you can swim in it or simply take a relaxing dip. Inside the pond there are many fishes that are not too shy to approach you as you swim.
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7. Anoi Itam Beach
The name of this beach can be translated from the Acehnese language. Anoi in Acehnese means sand and Itam in Achenese means black. Can you then guess what it means? That’s right, this is a black sand beach. Unlike most of the beaches in Weh Island and around Sabang that have white sands, here you will see stretches of black sand. It probably comes from the active volcano on the island. The beach is a perfect place for a relaxing swim as well as snorkeling.
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[toggle title=”8. Keuneukai Hot Water Spring” state=”opened”]
Come and relax at this hot water spring to refresh your body and mind. Keuneukai hot water spring attracts many tourists that visit Sabang. Visitors can take a dip and relax in this hot water spring.
Keuneukai hot water spring is located at the southern part of Weh Island. It can easily be reached by public transportation from the town of Sabang.The hot water in this spring originated from the active volcano that is located nearby.
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9. Ujung Kareung Beach
This beach does not have any sandy area. As per its name, kareung in Achenese language means cliff. Hence the majority of the beach is the cliff. Underneath, if you are a snorkeling or dibing enthusiasts, you will find the beautiful coral reefs.
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[toggle title=”10. Indonesia Kilometer Zero Monument“]
This monument marks the beginning of Indonesian territory. The monument is located in Sabang tourism forest. Unlike other tourism objects, this monument is the only attraction that is worth visiting in this area. Although there is no spectacular view, but this monument is definitely worth a visit especially if this is your first time to Sabang.
If you feel that it is important for you to show your friends and relatives that you have reached the western most point of Indonesia, you can also get a certificate that is being issued by Sabang tourism authority. If you are planning to visit this spot, I highly recommend you to come and visit in the afternoon before sunset so you can also watch the sun sets to the horizon from this spot.
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[toggle title=”11. Kasih Beach“]
This beach is located quite near to the town of Sabang. The beach is covered in soft white sand. However, the beach is not too wide as most of the area on this beach is dominated by rocks and cliff. Nevertheless you can still enjoy swimming and snorkeling in this beach.
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[toggle title=”12. Tapak Gajah Beach“]
This beach is located adjacent to Kasih Beach. This is also a white sand beach and the sea water like other beaches in Sabang is very pristine and clear. The beach itself is quite wide.
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Those are places that you definitely do not want to miss when you are visiting Sabang. What do you think? These are cool places, right? So if you or your female companions are not planning to wear bikini and swimsuit or go skinny dipping, Sabang is a good place for you to go. Do not hesitate and book your next holiday to Sabang for an unforgettable experience. Yes, there are many things to do in Sabang, Indonesia.
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