Turning a durian orchard into a seasonal agritourism magnet
Banda Aceh (ANTARA) - A durian farmer in Aceh Besar Regency has turned his orchard in the Lamteh highlands, Lamseunia Village, Leupung District, into a durian agritourism site.
The agritourism venture owned by Suhaimi, 42, is located about six kilometres from the national west-south coastal road of Aceh, or roughly 30 kilometres from the centre of Banda Aceh. The journey to the agritourism location takes about an hour by motorcycle or a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a double axle. Access to the Leupung durian tourism site is only possible by motorcycle, double-axle cars, or similar vehicles, as it requires traversing steep and rocky roads.
Suhaimi’s seasonal durian agritourism business has been open for the past four years. He promotes it through social media platforms Instagram and TikTok. “We have been opening it for four years now every durian season, and Alhamdulillah, it is quite popular with the public,” Suhaimi said.
To visit, tourists simply pay Rp100,000 to enjoy unlimited durian. However, if visitors also want lunch and coffee, the price is Rp120,000 per person. The durian cannot be taken home; visitors simply eat on site until they are satisfied. Besides durian, visitors can also enjoy other orchard produce for free, such as mangosteen and langsat, if other fruits are harvested at the same time.
The agritourism site has 110 durian trees on seven hectares of land. All the durian there are still local kampung varieties inherited from his parents. Suhaimi has not yet planted other varieties. However, this season the fruit yield in the orchard is not very abundant, so the owner limits visitors to around 15 people per day, even though registrations can reach up to 50 people daily.
“We are limiting numbers because the durian this year is not plentiful. We cannot accept everyone in a single day, because our concept is all-you-can-eat durian. If it is too crowded, we worry some people will not be satisfied with the durian,” he said.
Suhaimi explained that the agritourism concept stemmed from a shortage of people to work in the orchard and the inability to guard it 24 hours a day during the durian season. During harvest, a durian orchard cannot be left unguarded. If the orchard is left alone during harvest, the fruit can be stolen or eaten by wild animals. Monkeys are very fond of durian. If that happens, the effort of looking after the orchard is wasted. The durian that should be sold to support the family economy simply vanishes.
Because of this situation, Suhaimi eventually took the initiative to offer agritourism, inviting the public to enjoy durian directly in his orchard. By opening agritourism, Suhaimi gains more economic value from the durian harvest. Besides profiting from agritourism, he also sells durian by setting up a stall along the national road. Many agents come to the orchard to buy durian directly each day, so his income can increase.
This step was also taken because many people from Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar do not own orchards and want to experience the sensation of eating durian straight from the tree. By opening agritourism, Suhaimi not only helps his family’s economy, but also provides income for others who help manage and guard the orchard during the harvest season.
A tourist from South Aceh, Khairina, said she was very happy to enjoy durian directly at the agritourism site. She could enjoy her favourite fruit without restrictions and eat durian until she was full. “Alhamdulillah, this is our first time here. Here we are free and unrestricted, we can eat as much as we want. And we can pick durians that have fallen naturally. I am happy, basically,” Khairani said. Although the road to the location was a bit challenging, she felt satisfied after arriving at the plantation. “We found out about this place from TikTok, so we came here. And I am satisfied because I could taste various flavours of durian. The taste of durian eaten directly at the orchard is completely different from that bought at the market,” Khairina said.
A similar sentiment was expressed by Dedi Saputra. The tourist from North Aceh said he had visited the Leupung, Aceh Besar durian agritourism site twice, but with different groups. He first visited the agritourism site during the 2024 durian season and returned because he missed the atmosphere there. Moreover, the taste of durian at the orchard is different from that bought at the market. “The last time I was here was during the 2024 durian season. When I found out the agritourism site was open again, and a friend invited me, I immediately joined. Because eating at the orchard is delicious, the durian is still fresh,” Dedi said. Dedi also said he already knew the terrain he had to pass, so he had prepared his vehicle before leaving, including supplies like rice and other items.
He also expressed hope that the government in Aceh, especially the Aceh Besar Regency administration, could help develop this seasonal durian agritourism. Besides helping the farmers’ economy, it could also introduce Aceh Besar durian to a wider market. “This needs government support, especially road access to all durian agritourism sites in Aceh Besar. So that with more tourists coming here, Aceh Besar durian can be better known in the market and provide economic benefits for farmers,” Dedi Saputra said.
According to data from the Aceh Agriculture Office, this regency is the third-largest durian-producing area in the province. Muhni, a Food Security Analyst at the Aceh Besar Agriculture Office, said durian plantations there are not evenly spread across all areas. Of the 23 districts, the largest durian producers in Aceh Besar are in Lhoong and Leupung Districts. Nevertheless, other districts also have durian orchards, such as Lembah Seulawah, Jantho, Seulimum, Kuta Cot Glie, Suka Makmur, Darul Kamal, and Lhoknga. Of the several districts with durian orchards, only three areas have taken the initiative to invite durian lovers to visit.