Sabang: Out of harm's way

Sabang: Out of harm's way

Nani Afrida
The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh

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INTRO: A victim of circumstance, the once thriving tourist area
of Sabang was inevitably affected by the strife in the rest of
Aceh. Slowly but surely, visitors are starting to make their way
back to sample its gorgeous coastline.
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Sabang always has its special place in national geography classes
as the westernmost tip of the far-flung archipelago.

It also gained a name as a free port in the 1970s, and then as
a notorious haven for smuggling (the free port status, revoked in
1986, was restored by then president Abdurrahman Wahid in 2000).

For those in the know, however, Sabang on Weh island as well
as the other islands around it, including Rubiah, Klan, Seulako
and Rondo, offer spectacular natural beauty.

There is also "kilometer zero", land's end in Sumatra, a must-
visit just to say you have been there.

An oasis of peace amid Aceh's strife, the islands were the
chosen site for many local and domestic tourists to vacation, and
local hoteliers remember how some visitors would stay on its
idyllic beaches for months at a time.

"Usually they would only leave Sabang for a while to have
their visas renewed," said Syahrial, who runs Gapang beach
tourist resort.

The most popular of the 18 tourist sites across the island are
Rubiah marine park and the beaches at Iboih, Gapang and Kasih,
offering outstanding snorkeling and diving in pristine coral
reefs.

Apart from fishing and growing of crops such as cloves, many
locals depend on tourism for their livelihood, renting out
cottages for homestays and selling food.

Although Sabang is far removed from the areas of conflict in
Aceh, it was inevitably affected by the strife.

"As foreign tourists were not allowed to come to the islands,
many people here became poorer," said Abu, 58, told me.

Since Aceh was declared under civil emergency status last May,
foreign tourists have again been allowed to return for stays up
to 30 days.

The visitors are trickling back, but the effects of the
tourist downturn can be clearly seen.

Many cottages have fallen into disrepair due to lack of
maintenance, but at the place I stayed at on Gapang beach, the
facilities and attention to detail compare favorably with a star-
rated hotel in Jakarta.

Cheaper cottages -- known as bird's nests by locals, because
they hug the hillside -- are also available near Gapang and Iboih
beaches. Bare-basics facilities include mattresses and
electricity, with a hammock made of fishing net outside.

Local beaches remain deserted; on a recent visit, a few
foreign tourists were seen sunbathing and reading. The women wore
bikinis, as the locals do not impose the shariah restrictions on
women's dress for foreigners.

Goggles and floats are available for hire on the beaches for
Rp 10,000, as well as inner tubes, and flippers. Glass-bottomed
boats provide a tour of the coral reefs of Rubiah and Iboih (Rp
200,000). Iboih is also home to a 1,300 hectare nature reserve.

After swimming to their heart's content, visitors can set off
for kilometer zero, about 29 km from the city of Sabang. It is
marked by a monument, and a photo of you reaching land's end is
one for the family album.

As the sun sets, tinting the sky in a blaze of red, it's
enjoyable to dine on a plate of fried rice at Kasih beach, with
the lapping of waves on the beach.

Once the haunt of backpackers with a yearning to roam, Sabang
today is a place where some, unfairly, may fear to tread. But for
those with a spirit of adventure, of any age, it offers its own
special, tranquil rewards.