"Aceh - A BIG town with a Laidback Culture" Aceh Special Region by juliewong

A trip to Banda Aceh visiting Tsunami affected areas and to Pulau Weh (an island off Aceh) for its underwater treasures known for big seafans and unique reef formations was nothing like I had imagined.

Banda Aceh's location: Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Religion: Majority are Muslims.
Staple food: Acehnese Coffee, local deserts, fried noodles, rice.

Things to take note: Generally, the surroundings in Pulau Weh is peaceful and the locals are friendly with very simple mindsets unlike the stories I read about the East-Timor wars and unrests that took place before the Tsunami events.

All it takes to go to Pulau Weh is a one-hour ferry ride.

Chinese food at Dynasty Restaurant in Sabang Town, Acheh.

I experienced bouts of vomiting and diarrhea after the trip. Maybe this was due to the food we had at some stalls by the street. Nevertheless, we had plenty of story-sharing moments, fun pokings and laughter over the many dinner meals in Sabang.

• Pros:A time-less place
• Cons:Hygiene challenged