"Tomorrow will be Better for ACEH" Top 5 Page for this destination Aceh Special Region by meiyergani

The picture above is an afternoon fast ferry from Weh island to Ulee Lheue, in a bright sunny day of JUNE, at the back ground was a mountain range of Weh island, if we take a speedy boat/fast ferry it will take 45 minutes, by a ferry will take 2 hours........
This is my long trip to almost Northern parts of SUMATRA island, depart from Bogor ride an abundant population of deer called "KIJANG" to CENGKARENG Sukarno Hatta Air Port, then ride a nearly extinction LION leap to MEDAN and then ride the same LION to BANDA ACEH, the Capital City of NANGGROE ACEH DARUSSALAM Province, from which I start to begin my enthusiastic journey exploring the NORTHERN parts land of SUMATRA: some parts of ACEH Special Region, Medan and some parts of North Sumatra Province, Bukit Tinggi and Padang which belong to West Sumatra Province.
Starting from ACEH Special Region which has long been a CLOSED zone to Outsider, wether for domestic and especially for Foreigner which concern to internal conflicts since 1970's, Now encourage the outsider by became a FREE ZONE by a "MAGIC" of Natural Disaster which touch this region in Late of December 2004, next day after christmast, in a bright sunday morning, a big EARTH QUAKE continuing with TSUNAMI hit the region and shock not only a nation wide but also nations worldwide.

Since 1998, whenThe New Government in the Reformation Order start a new Administration, The special Region of Aceh (Daerah Istimewa Aceh) change the name into Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) in order to satisfy the peoples aspiration,

A Natural disaster which happened in Bright morning of December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 UTC (7:58:53 am local time), a magnitude of 9.0 in richter scale earthquake occurred off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The epi-centre was located under sea water at 3.32 N 95.85 E. the fourth largest earthquake in the world since 1900. The earthquake generated tsunamis 30 minutes later which swept across the Indian Ocean within hours , a big wave of -TSUNAMI- come from Indian Ocean with the speed of 800 km per hour hit the western part and the northern part of Aceh Region and destroyed everything, the ruins of the tragedy still can bee seen right now
The disaster that rocked Aceh had a devastating impact on both the people and the infrastructure. The latest figures show that at least 250 thousand people were killed and 400 thousand became homeless. Two third of Aceh’s capital, Banda Aceh is destroyed. Much of the infrastructure has collapsed, thence after Aceh is being visited and helped by all kind of groups from every corner of the world, our neighbour Singapore, Malysia, Japan, Korea, Arab countries, USA, Australia, including government and non governments groups from member countries of the European Union, thanks to the world for their generous and compassionate response.

A hard Rain down pour and Mesjid Raya Banda Aceh

The internal conflicts since 1970's was of a great difficulties for Acehness, Indonesians and especially for foreigner to attend and visit Aceh, but the Tsunami is something of a big Lesson for Indonesia, since then it was an encouragement for peoples who wish to visit Aceh, the domestic and even we can meet so many foreigner come and visit Aceh as tourist or as a representative of their countries in relieving Aceh Aftermath. Even former US President BILL CLINTON and JIMMY Carter had a chance visited Banda Aceh. A popular MU football player CRISTIANO RONALDO also had a chance visiting the region in respect to MARTUNUS a teen agers of Acehness who survive in the sea, break the TV News, floating with a log as a safe buoy as long as 7 days and surprisingly Martunus put on PORTUGAL football team T SHIRT while he was floating on the sea and later on rescued by a SAR team Ferry

Calang Aceh Jaya

Calang after TsunamiPhoto from AcehMedia Center, by Farid Gaban, Tsunami which happened in December 26, 2004 change everythings, Before tsunami, It was of great difficulties for Tourist from abroad travelling this region, because the internal conflict, but after Tsunami, there are many foreigner attend to this region as a volunteer in helping the peoples relieving their misery into the normal physic, psyhology and social life(up date in March 13, 2005, for visited in 1997).

• Pros:Beautiful nature
• Cons:Very bad infrastructure in some parts because of tsunami
• In a nutshell:The Revival of The City After hit By Tsunami