One of travel bucket list I am exploring Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke.
I have explored almost all provinces, including where Merauke is located, Papua. However, there is still one place I haven’t explored yet: Indonesia’s zero kilometer point in Sabang!
I have always wanted to go to this province. Several times there are opportunities, there are always other things that get in the way. Not a mate this time, huh? *eh
But mate is not going anywhere (again mate), right before the moment of Indonesian independence, I have “surprise” and the chance to visit this province dubbed the Veranda of Mecca!
Airfare to Aceh is quite expensive. To work around this, there are several ways. The first is to buy a plane ticket to Medan, then continue the journey by land by bus to Aceh.
The second way is a little less nationalistic. You can get a ticket to Kuala Lumpur, then continue the flight to Aceh. It can be cheaper, especially if it’s on a promo. Even so, the transit time is sometimes too long.
Okay, I use the easiest way. That is buying a ticket full-service airlines who have direct flights from Jakarta to Banda Aceh. Yes, if you have the money, why bother yourself?
I’ll tell you later, my story is diligent about “saving” and I managed to buy a ticket to Aceh!
Be patient, don’t immediatelyscroll down…
I want to tell you about this short visit to Aceh!
Banda Aceh is a city that continues to improve, especially after the 2004 Tsunami which left the city almost without a trace.
Now, Aceh already has an integrated bus like TransJakarta, called Trans Koetaradja. Even from the airport to the city center, this bus is available. Unfortunately, we have to leave the airport and walk a few hundred meters to get to the bus stop. I guess, so as not to shift the market for taxis and car rental too much.
Luckily, the fare is still free! Not bad I can save the airport taxi fare for 100 thousand rupiah to get in the middle of the city. Because it’s still a trial and promo period, residents can feel the comfort of Trans Koetaradja firsthand.
My first stop was Baiturrahman Mosque. Coincidentally, the Trans Koetaradja stop is right in front of the gate of this magnificent mosque.
Aceh is a city where the majority of its citizens are Muslims. Islamic law is also firmly enforced in this region.
Several times, there are “reckless” tourists who still wear clothes that are not in accordance with the etiquette in places of worship. However, they will definitely be reprimanded by the Acehnese who are praying there. Supposedly, we as tourists should be able to appreciate the local culture, right?
I was amazed by the beauty of Baiturrahman’s architecture, which was built in the 16th century. This mosque is a witness to the history of the Acehnese people’s struggle against the invaders. Several times, this mosque was tried to be demolished and rebuilt. But today, it still stands tall as one of the proud mosques of Indonesia.
This mosque was being renovated when I visited there. I see, the shape is beautified to look like the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. However, I kind of regretted the marble construction on the floor of the mosque’s courtyard. It is visually very impressive, but very dangerous for the safety of the visitors. I almost slipped on this floor because of the puddle. Be careful if you are walking there.
Not far from Baiturrahman Mosque, I went to the Tsunami Museum. Not so far, only about 10 minutes walk. The museum architecture designed by Ridwan Kamil, the current Mayor of Bandung (2017) indeed invites admiration.
When I entered the museum, I got goosebumps! I passed through a dark, narrow passageway between high walls of water. A little splash of water wet my face. The echoing voice that appeared faintly gradually became the chant of the sentence of monotheism. The design of this space is indeed designed to remind the atmosphere of the last Tsunami.
And. I have to tell you one important thing! Every corner in this museum is very Instagram-able!
Before crossing to Sabang on Pulau Weh, I took the time to stop by a coffee shop. Besides Belitung, Aceh is also known as the “city of a thousand and one coffee shops”. Along the way, I found many coffee shops, ranging from traditional ones to those that are open 24 hours plus Wi-Fi.
My choice fell to Warung Kopi Kubra. Kubra stands for Kupi Beurawe. Kupi is coffee in Acehnese language, while Beurawe is the name of the area where this coffee shop is located. Kubra is a legendary coffee shop in Banda Aceh. Uniquely, this coffee shop has been open since dawn, you know!
Most of the customers are gentlemen who finished the morning prayer at the mosque. They sip coffee for a while while they wait to get ready to go home and go to work. This coffee shop is closed in the afternoon before Maghrib prayer time
The coffee served is Robusta Coffee, my favorite type of coffee that doesn’t taste too sour. This coffee is suitable to be enjoyed in the morning. Besides coffee, there are also snacks that can be breakfast to start the day.
I went to Ulee Lheue Harbor to cross to Sabang. There are accommodation options in the form of fast boats and slow boats. For fast boats, it only takes 45 minutes and costs 100 thousand rupiah (VIP class), while for slow boats or ferries, it usually costs around 25 thousand rupiah per passenger.
I chose to go by speed boat because of time constraints. Besides, I didn’t bring a vehicle that required me to take the ferry. That day the wind was very strong, I was told by a friend that the boat often didn’t leave because of bad weather. Aceh is indeed located in an area that is exposed to both the west and east winds, so it is natural to often experience “hurricanes”.
Tips: If you don’t want to take the risk, you can also take a plane from Medan to land directly in Sabang, right?
Oh yes, talking about plane tickets to Aceh which were relatively expensive before, I got this free ticket by exchanging points in the Loyalty Points program on the Traveloka App. How come?
Yes, can. However, the points that I exchanged for expensive airline tickets did not suddenly appear! So, every time I buy a plane ticket or book a hotel on the Traveloka App, I get something like rewards in the form of points. I deliberately collected these points to later exchange them for plane tickets to my dream destination: Aceh!
“Little by little, over time it becomes a hill”. That’s a proverb that describes my efforts to get free tickets by only relying on points (Alhamdulillah!)
Another thing that makes me keep going to collect this Loyalty Points because of the way redeem tickets or hotel reservations are very easy. Try it yourself with the steps below:
- Use the Traveloka application and order flight tickets, hotels, or flight + hotel packages as usual
- Make sure you are registered as member Yes, on the Traveloka App, because you won’t get points and you don’t have an account yet
- Arriving at the payment section, select a payment method (I chose CIMB Clicks at that time), then just activate the option to pay with points
- If your points are less for redeemyou can pay the shortfall with another payment method of your choice
- For complete information about using Loyalty Points, you can see here.
Easy, right? In my opinion, this program is really profitable. Often traveling by buying tickets and hotels in this application, it doesn’t make me lose at all. On the other hand, I can #TravelTerus and realize one of my dreams to Sabang.
Eh, I forgot to talk about Sabang yet. OK, go on!
Arriving at Pulau Weh, you can rent a lot of motorbikes. The rate is around 100,000 for use for 24 hours. In my opinion, this is the most effective way to explore the island. From Balohan Harbor to my accommodation on Iboih Beach it is about 27 km or about 40 minutes driving. Meanwhile, from Iboih, it’s only about eight kilometers from my main destination this time: Indonesia’s zero kilometer point.
On Pulau Weh, the atmosphere is very relaxed. Not only that, the air is fresh (still pollution-free), the beaches are good, and the road access is also smooth. Anyway, really suitable for a place to unwind. There’s really not much I can do here other than sit back and relax in my inn overlooking the sea.
However, I must complete my mission: Celebrating Indonesia’s Independence Day at the zero kilometer point! The road that divides the protected forest of Pulau Weh is winding, I pass by motorbike. I did not cross paths with other riders. Quiet, even though it’s a holiday.
Less than ten minutes of driving from Iboih Beach, I was already at the zero kilometer point in Indonesia.
Zero kilometer monument is under construction. So, “he” can not be invited to take pictures. There are only big red letters that say “KILOMETER 0 INDONESIA” which signifies this place.
The place is on top of a cliff. Its contour is similar to the cliffs of Uluwatu in Bali. The wind was so strong that I had to put my feet firmer so I wouldn’t be pushed by the wind.
Seventeen August two thousand and seventeen, at eight that morning I finally reached the kilometer point of Indonesia. There weren’t many people there, maybe less than ten people including myself, vicious monkeys (be careful, they can chase us if we feel disturbed) and fried food vendors in small tent stalls.
The sky is getting dark, I’ve decided to go home to catch up boat back to Banda Aceh. Suddenly, about a dozen people from the motorcycle community came and started the flag ceremony. I joined the ranks and saluted the red and white flag while singing the Indonesian anthem. My heart trembled at that moment.
It started to rain, but the red and white continued to flutter. While contemplating a little about the things that I haven’t been able to do for this country, my eyes get a little watery (not a crybaby!). Hopefully this zero kilometer point will be my starting point to start other journeys in the future.
Thank you and happy Independence Day! Come on, compete to contribute to our beloved country from small things. Have you done it?
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