Medan, Banda Aceh and Pulau Weh - Sumatra

Medan is western Sumatra's big noisy, dirty, chaotic, sprawling city. Here are just a few photos from the downtown area near our accommodation.



The best value local transport, becak (or motorbike trishaw). They'll take you to the outskirts of the airport, though you must walk in the gates from there or pay extra for a taxi!


More tasty food on wheels. Something I love about south east Asia.





Nasi padang - Indonesia's cross regional favourite. Almost all you see on display will be pre-cooked and dished up before you with some hot rice and curry. To our experience generally tasty, satisfying and excellent value. Certain cryptic meat dishes seem best avoided and sticking generally to fish, rice, vegetables, sambahl, the fresh curry and some tempeh or tofu makes an excellent meal.


Mesjid Raya. An impressive mosque in central Medan.





Northern Aceh by bus around dusk


Generator barge swept inshore in Banda Aceh by the 2004 tsunami. This neighbourhood stall would be at least a kilometre from the sea.

Photo: Tania


Grave site, Banda Aceh


Photo: Tania
Morning harbour view in Banda Aceh, before departing for Pulau Weh not far off the coast.
The houses you see have been reconstructed or built new since the 2004 tsunami.

Photo: Tania
View from the verandah of one of the accommodation shacks at Iboih, Pulau Weh.

The Boxing day tsunami didn't cause massive damage in this part of the island. No loss of life that we heard of, unlike the impact on the coast back in Aceh. Most houses near the waterline were generally safe on their bamboo stilts and others were protected further up the hillside among the trees. Some lower dwellings closer ot the water were damaged but it was mostly coral formations that were broken off by the force of the surging water, which we clearly saw when we snorkeled. Locals say it was like 4 or 5 big tides going in and out in succession with the distinct sound of rocks and broken coral being raked across the bottom. Not the massive tidal surge that hit the mainland coast.



Through tsunami relief funds money was received on the island for reconstruction work, though we also heard stories of a few fraudulent claims - such as reconstruction money being claimed by the wrong person after work had been done or a family claiming for two damaged dwellings when only one had been effected.


Local fishing techniques, Pulau Weh