ANTARA in the Land of Antara

Aceh Tengah (ANTARA) — In conditions of heavy rainfall, the journey from Bireuen Regency to Central Aceh Regency normally takes approximately 2.5 hours.

However, with road sections still affected by landslides and bridge access severed, the route from Bireuen to Central Aceh must now take a lengthy detour.

The additional distance of 104 kilometres means the journey takes an extra 3.5 hours by car.

The cross-route has not returned to normal functioning, as sections of the road remain covered in mud deposits or have collapsed entirely.

The ANTARA team entered Central Aceh greeted by thick fog in the middle of the day.

The temperature on Google Weather showed 19 degrees Celsius with 95 per cent humidity — an unsurprising chill for Negeri Antara, the nickname for Central Aceh, known as the land above the clouds.

Negeri Antara is a term used by parts of the community to refer to the settlement area located in the very centre of Aceh province, encompassing Bener Meriah, Central Aceh and Gayo Lues. The territory of these three regencies forms part of the Gayo Highlands.

The majority of the population in Negeri Antara is dominated by the Gayo ethnic group, though other ethnic groups now also reside there as a result of the transmigration programme.

Central Aceh, which covers an area of 4,454.04 square kilometres, sits at an elevation of between 200 and 2,600 metres above sea level, with its geography bisected by Lut Tawar Lake.

The exotic beauty of Lut Tawar Lake immediately greeted us with its expanse of blue water, rows of green hills, and white clouds resembling clumps of cotton gathered in the sky.

An unwritten obligatory custom upon entering Takengon, the capital of Central Aceh Regency, is to savour the taste of Gayo coffee, whose flavour has been appreciated by people across the entire world.

Gayo coffee, particularly Arabica, is Negeri Antara’s flagship export product, which has reached the United States, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Denmark, as well as Central Asian and East Asian markets.