50,000 Student Homecomers Begin Departing Banda Aceh City for Eidulfitri Holiday
Longing for one’s hometown where one was born is an unforgettable call of the soul. Although life away from home is filled with material splendour and grand mansions, it often becomes monotonous and tiresome.
The beauty of vast rice fields stretching endlessly, the free songs of birds in mountain valleys, and the trickle of water in small streams are memories from hometowns far away. These places are not merely birthplaces but the family environment where people are raised.
Adding to this is hearing the call of mother preparing meals in the kitchen and imagining when father returns from the agricultural fields—these are the most compelling magnets and temptations that draw people to return home for Eidulfitri.
Driven by this longing, approximately 50,000 students have begun leaving Banda Aceh City, the capital of Aceh Province, to return home for the Eidulfitri 1447 H/2026 M holiday. According to Media Indonesia’s reporting on Saturday 14 March, around 35,000 students from Syiah Kuala University (USK) are returning for this Eidulfitri period, with at least 15,000 students from UIN Ar-Raniry Islamic State University and 5,000 others from various other campuses.
Prof Mustanir, Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Entrepreneurship at USK, told Media Indonesia that final lectures at the largest state campus in the Serambi Mekkah region were held on Saturday 14 March 2026. From Sunday 15 March, there are no further face-to-face lectures or offline activities. Students began their journey home starting Saturday morning or Sunday 15 March, with face-to-face lectures and practical sessions resuming on 30 March.
“Lectures and practical sessions will resume offline on 30 March 2026. This announcement is made with thanks for your attention,” said Prof Mustanir.
According to Mustanir, this year’s Eidulfitri homecoming exodus is extremely congested. This is particularly true on the Banda Aceh-Medan National Route and the Banda Aceh-West-South National Route, as well as on sea crossing routes including the Aceh mainland to Simeulue Island, Singkil to Banyak Island, and Banda Aceh to Sabang crossings. The homecoming rush is also overwhelming through air routes via Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport in Aceh Besar.
The university appeals to students, particularly women, to be careful—especially when using public buses, aeroplanes, ferries, private minibuses, and motorcycles. “If you witness or experience violence or feel uncomfortable, do not hesitate to report to the hotline task force on 0823 2000 293,” Mustanir cautioned.
Mustanir urged students to ensure they are in good health before departure and during travel. They should save emergency numbers and share their location with friends or family, particularly female students. Travellers should be vigilant about their belongings, especially at terminals, ports, or airports. They should avoid stopping at accident-prone locations or areas vulnerable to natural disasters such as landslides or flooding.
Students should increase vigilance when it rains and at night, and should avoid departing during evening hours. Female students should ideally travel with friends or family members. Those using motorcycles are expected to carry proper travel documents and obey traffic signs, and should rest immediately if tired or drowsy. They should not force travel if conditions are unfavourable.
“Most importantly, do not speed or ride recklessly to avoid traffic accidents. Remember your parents or family are waiting at home. Your future is the hope of your family,” Mustanir appealed.
Ghina Zuhaira, a student at USK’s Faculty of Medicine, noted that the Eidulfitri homecoming is typically busier than the Aidil Adha holiday. To avoid traffic congestion and intense heat, she departs early in the morning after dawn prayers. She travels by motorcycle via the Banda Aceh-Sigli National Route, which passes through Pocut Meurah Intan Great Forest Park on the slopes of Seulawah Inong mountain—a route known for heavy traffic, steep climbs, and sharp curves.
Ghina, who is also a junior doctor currently doing clinical rotations at Zainoel Abidin General Hospital in Banda Aceh, expressed deep longing to be with her family at home, especially as her schedule this year is extremely demanding. She hopes to break her fast and perform tarawih prayers with her parents and siblings, if only once.
“I want to go home to be with my family. But what can we do—we and our batch mates only get a break on 18 March,” lamented the alumna of Sukma Bangsa High School in Pidie, along with her younger sister Farida Hanum, a fourth-semester student at USK’s Faculty of Teacher Training and Education.
According to Media Indonesia’s observations, since Sunday 23 March, motorcycle riders have been increasingly busy on the Seulawah mountain pass and in Sigli City, Pidie Regency. From this point on, with seven existing ferry terminals, the government has been asked to add at least three new terminals in the near future.
Traffic flow on the North Coast Route (Pantura) in Cirebon City, West Java, began increasing seven days before Eidulfitri on 14 March 2026. Repair work on a landslide section of the Tarutung-Sibolga national road in North Sumatra has been accelerated to ensure safe and smooth access for the public ahead of the 2026 Eidulfitri homecoming rush.
Homecomers are transported using buses, whilst their motorcycles are carried on trucks. Fuel supplies in the area are sourced from Maos Fuel Terminal in Cilacap Regency. During the Rafi Task Force period, Pertamina increases fuel stock by approximately 4 to 5 per cent.