Pantai Sorake & Teluk Lagundri
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A fish-hook piece of land creates the perfect horseshoe bay of Teluk Lagundri and the Point surf break at Pantai Sorake, which is generally regarded as one of the best right-handers in the world. The main surfing season is June to October, with a peak in July and August when the waves can be very solid. Folks refer to this area interchangeably as Sorake or Lagundri.
The waves discovered here in 1975 by Aussie surfers Kevin Lovett and John Giesel have become shallower and more perfectly shaped and powerful following the 2004 earthquake and tsunami. With a couple of exceptions, all accommodation sits cheek by jowl along Pantai Sorake, which is considered to be more protected from possible future disasters.
2Activities
Surfing is the island’s tourism raison d’être. Sorake’s famous right consistently unrolls between June and October. Access to the wave is a quick paddle from the Keyhole, a break in the coral reef that lies between the beach and the bay.
Although swells are often much smaller between November and March and the winds less favourable, you can still get some good days with far fewer surfers. Whatever time of year, Nias is not a good place to learn how to surf – it’s just not a beginner’s wave.
Most surfers will arrive with their own gear, but if you need to, it’s possible to rent equipment from several surf camps.
WEST COAST SURFING
Given Sorake’s consistent (and sometimes overwhelming) popularity, adventurous surfers are heading to Nias’ west coast in search of empty waves and as yet undiscovered spots.
Much of the west coast is still a DIY adventure; some surfers stay in losmen (basic accommodation) around the village of Afulu and hire local boats to take them up and down the coast. Walo Beach Bungalows (%0823 0416 2558; www.northniastourism.com/where-to-stay/afulu; r 100,000Rp; a), just north of Afulu, and surrounded by a bamboo stockade, is the best of the west coast surfing lodgings. Choose between one of the three breezy bungalows with private outdoor bathroom or bunk with fellow surfers in a basic shared room. The owners cook up massive platters of fish.
Further afield are the islands of Asu and Bawa. More exposed than Nias itself, the islands see bigger and more consistent waves. With a left-hander at Asu and a strong right-hander at Bawa, good surf is almost guaranteed regardless of wind direction. The risk of malaria is high on these islands, particularly Bawa, which has a large swamp in its interior.
Bawa has several simple losmen. Asu Surf Resort (%0852 8561 0931; www.asucamp.com; Asu; per person per night A$220; aW), a luxurious surf camp, gets rave reviews from surfers for its excellent food and vibe and nearby uncrowded waves. Price includes speedboat transfers to top surfing spots.
Sirombu on Nias’ west coast is the jumping-off point for the islands. Ask around to see if any public buses will be heading there; otherwise you can charter transport for about 600,000Rp. From Sirombu there are cargo boats (100,000Rp). You can also charter boats (600,000Rp, maximum 10 people) from local fishermen at Teluk Dalam and save yourself the hassle of getting to Sirombu.
4Sleeping & Eating
The western part of the bay, known as Pantai Sorake, is the primary location for lodging, though there are also a couple of surf camps in nearby Lagundri. Many of the better places prefer you to take a multiday package, which includes airport transfers and all meals, but they’ll always rent a room by the night. Rates at these places are officially quoted in US dollars but payment is always in rupiah. Check out www.sorakebeach.com for helpful info.
Lagundri Beach HouseGUESTHOUSE$
(%0813 9656 7202; [email protected]; r 150,000-250,000Rp; aW)
One of only two lodgings on Lagundri Beach, this friendly losmen is run by the knowledgeable Impian (‘Ian’), who can show you around the traditional villages, point you to the waves, and cook up a seafood storm if you ask him in advance. Four fan-cooled rooms have breezy terraces.
Sanali LosmenGUESTHOUSE$
(%0812 6516 0312; http://sanalilosmen.jimdo.com; per person 200,000Rp)
Simple rooms and no real pressure to book a longer stay package. Like many places it can organise boat trips to surf spots further afield.
Key Hole Surf CampSURF CAMP$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 7469 2530; www.niaskeyholesurfcamp.com; per person incl full board US$60; W)
Key Hole Surf Camp, right in the thick of things, has eight comfortable rooms and the restaurant serves anything from pizza to lobster. Airport pickup is included in the 10-day package and guests can borrow motorcycles for free.
Home @ NiasGUESTHOUSE$$
(%0852 7529 0363; www.niassurfaccommodation.com.au; per person incl full board US$40; aW)
Right in front of the Keyhole, an easy paddle from the Point and Indicator, this shiny new place, run by a friendly local surfer, consists of two spacious rooms and two garden bungalows with hammocks swinging on the terrace. There are boards for hire.
STORMRIDER SURF STORIES
Even if you’re not a surfer, Stormrider Surf Stories by Chris Gooodnow (2014) allows you to delve deep into the surfer subculture. You can learn about the initial discovery of Sorake’s waves, how the surfers were stalked by a shaman who practised dark magic, what it’s like to be a surfing doctor on the Mentawais and how to ride Sumatra’s strangest wave.
Traditional Villages
For hundreds of years, Nias residents built elaborate villages around cobblestone streets lined with rows of shiplike wooden houses. The traditional homes were balanced on tall wooden pylons and topped by a steep, thatched roof. Some say the boat motif was inspired by Dutch spice ships. Constructed from local teak and held together with hand-hewn wooden pegs, the houses are adorned with symbolic wooden carvings. The technology of traditional architecture proved quite absorbent and these structures fared better in the 2005 earthquake than modern concrete buildings.
Reflecting the island’s defensive strategies, villages were typically built on high ground reached by dozens of stone steps. A protective stone wall usually encircled the village. Stone was also used for carved bathing pools, staircases, benches, chairs and memorials.
The island has geographic diversity when it comes to traditional houses. In northern Nias, homes are free-standing, oblong structures on stilts, while in the south they are built shoulder to shoulder on either side of a long, paved courtyard. Emphasising the roof as the primary feature, southern Niassan houses are constructed using pylons and cross-beams slotted together without the use of bindings or nails.
Gomo & Around
The villages around Gomo, in the central highlands, contain some of the island’s best examples of stone carvings and menhirs (single standing stones), some thought to be 3000 years old. Such examples can be found in the village of Tundrumbaho, 5km from Gomo; Lahusa Idanotae, halfway between Gomo and Tundrumbaho; and at Tetegewo, 7km south of Gomo. Getting there is a bit of a challenge, since the roads are in poor condition.
Hilinawalo Mazingo
Omo HadaARCHITECTURE
(Chieftain’s House)
One of only five such surviving buildings on the island, the Omo Hada is situated in the prestigious ‘upstream’ direction of the remote Hilinawalo Mazingo village, garnering the first rays of morning light. It still serves its traditional purpose as a meeting hall for seven neighbouring villages. In order to repair damages from age and climate, villagers have been trained in traditional carpentry skills, in turn preserving crafts that were nearing extinction. You need a local guide and sturdy motorbike to negotiate the bad roads.
Bawomataluo
Perched on a hill about 400m above sea level, Bawomataluo (Sun Hill) is the most famous, and the most accessible, of the southern villages. It is also the setting for lompat batu (stone jumping). The final approach is up 88 steep stone steps flanked by stone dragons and houses are arranged along two main stone-paved avenues. Bawomataluo is well worth exploring, but be prepared for eager knick-knack sellers.
The village’s two street meet opposite the
impressive chief’s house , which is thought to be both the oldest and the largest on Nias. You can poke around its heavy wooden-beamed interior and admire the drum that signals the beginning and end of meetings, as well as the original wooden carvings and rows of pigs’ jawbones. Outside is the chief’s stone throne next to a large stone phallus and stone tables where dead bodies were once left to decay.
Stone jumping was once a form of war training; the jumpers had to leap over a 1.8m-high stone wall, traditionally topped with pointed sticks. These days the sticks are left off – and the motivation is financial (200,000Rp per jump outside ceremonial occasions). There are also cultural displays of war dances, traditionally performed by young, single males.
From Bawomataluo, you can see the rooftops of nearby Orihili. A stone staircase and a trail lead downhill to the village.
Bawomataluo is 15km from Teluk Dalam and is accessible by public transport (7000Rp); guesthouses in Sorake can also arrange transfers.
Hilisimaetano
HilisimaetanoVILLAGE
There are more than 100 traditional houses in this large village, 16km northwest of Teluk Dalam. Stone jumping and traditional dancing are performed here during special events. Hilisimaetano can be reached by infrequent public transport from Teluk Dalam (7000Rp).
Botohili & Hilimaeta
BotohiliVILLAGE
This small village on the hillside above the peninsula of Pantai Lagundri has two rows of traditional houses, with a number of new houses breaking up the skyline. The remains of the original entrance, stone chairs and paving can still be seen.
HilimaetanihaVILLAGE
A 2km walk or ride from Lagundri along a steep, partially paved road, this traditional village is one of the quietest. Friendly locals sit by their traditional houses, some of them brightly tiled or painted, and children fly kites along the only street. The lompat batu pylon can still be seen here and there are a number of stone monuments, including a 2m-high stone penis. A long pathway of stone steps leads uphill to the village.
Aceh
Over the years, this far-flung corner of the Indonesian archipelago has grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons. Earthquakes, tsunamis, civil war and sharia law are the main associations people have with Sumatra’s northernmost state. With the reconstruction from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami long completed, post-tsunami Aceh is slowly healing the social wounds incurred by the natural disaster and the previous civil war. Still, while the guns have been laid down and a degree of autonomy has been granted to the province, there are occasional blips on the road to peace such as the April 2015 murder of two Indonesian soldiers, the government threat to send the army in once more, and the prevailing belief in the rest of Sumatra that the people of Aceh are keen to spread their conservative Islamic ways across the whole country.
Undeterred by the province’s reputation, some intrepid travellers to the region are unearthing wildlife-rich jungle, misty mountain peaks and endless swathes of empty beach, not to mention the rainbow of pristine coral beneath the sea. Tangible remains of the 2004 tsunami can still be seen.
History
In the days of sailing ships, Aceh competed with Melaka on the Malay Peninsula for control of the important spice-trade route, the influx of traders and immigrants, and the province’s strategic position contributing to Aceh’s wealth and importance. Aceh was also Islam’s entry to the archipelago, while the capital, Banda Aceh, was a centre of Islamic learning and a gateway for Mecca-bound pilgrims.
Though Aceh’s power began to decline towards the end of the 17th century, the province remained independent of the Dutch until war was declared in 1871. It was 35 years before the fighting stopped and the last of the sultans, Tuanku Muhamat Dawot, surrendered.
In 1951 the Indonesian government incorporated Aceh’s territory into the province of North Sumatra. The prominent Islamic Party was angered at being lumped together with the Christian Bataks, and proclaimed Aceh an independent Islamic Republic in September 1953. Prolonged conflict ensued, and in 1959 the government was forced to give Aceh ‘special district’ status, granting a high degree of autonomy in religious, cultural and educational matters.
The formation of Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM; Free Aceh Movement) in December 1976 and subsequent struggle with the Indonesian military led to nearly 30 years of deaths, torture, and disappearances occurring on an almost daily basis, perpetuated by both sides against the civilian population, with thousands displaced.
At the turn of the millennium, there was a brief ceasefire and Aceh was granted the right to implement sharia law, followed by an escalation of conflict, the imposition of martial law and a full-scale military assault on the separatists, which was brought to an abrupt end by the 2004 tsunami. The province remains largely peaceful, in spite of occasional bouts of unrest, courtesy of a GAM rebel splinter group that remains disaffected with former colleagues who now run the province.
Banda Aceh
%0651 / Pop 223,000
Indonesian cities are rarely coupled with pleasant descriptions, but Banda Aceh breaks the mould. The laid-back provincial capital is a pleasant enough spot to spend a couple of days and pedestrians will notice with delight that the city has actual pavements.
Given that Banda Aceh bore the brunt of the 2004 tsunami, with 61,000 killed here, and that much of the city had to be rebuilt, it’s little wonder that it looks well maintained and affluent. The aid workers have long gone, and it remains to be seen how much of an impact direct flights between Medan and Pulau Weh will have on tourism, now that visitors no longer have to pass through the city to reach the island.
Banda Aceh is a fiercely religious city and the ornate mosques are at the centre of daily life. Respectfully dressed visitors shouldn’t face any hassles and most travellers find the Acehnese to be friendly and extremely hospitable.
Banda Aceh
1Top Sights
1Tsunami MuseumA4
1Sights
2GunonganA4
3KherkhofA4
4Mesjid Raya BaiturrahmanA3
5Museum Negeri Banda AcehB4
Rumah AcehB4
4Sleeping
6Hotel MedanB1
5Eating
7Country SteakhouseB2
8Pasar Malam RekB1
9Restoran BundaC2
1Sights & Activities
Mesjid Raya BaiturrahmanMOSQUE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; admission by donation; h7-11am & 1.30-4pm)
With its brilliant-white walls, ebony-black domes and towering minaret, the 19th-century Mesjid Raya Baiturrahman is a dazzling sight. The best time to visit the mosque is during Friday afternoon prayers, when the entire building and yard are filled with people. A headscarf is required for women.
The first section of the mosque was built by the Dutch in 1879 as a conciliatory gesture towards the Acehnese after the original one burnt down. Two more domes – one on either side of the first – were added by the Dutch in 1936 and another two by the Indonesian government in 1957. The mosque survived intact after the 2004 earthquake and tsunami, a sign interpreted by many residents as direct intervention by the Divine. During this time the mosque served as an unofficial crisis centre for survivors, and bodies awaiting identification were laid on the public square in front of the mosque.
Museum Negeri Banda AcehMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0651-23144; Jl Alauddin Mahmudsyah 12; admission 10,000Rp; h8am-noon & 2-5pm Tue-Sun)
The Museum Negeri Banda Aceh has displays of Acehnese weaponry, household furnishings, ceremonial costumes, everyday clothing, gold jewellery, calligraphy and some magnificently carved recong (Acehnese daggers) and swords. It also has a display of a baby two-headed buffalo. At research time, the museum was closed for renovation.
Rumah AcehMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Alauddin Mahmudsyah 12; admission 5000Rp; h8am-noon & 2-5pm Tue-Sun)
In the same compound as the Museum Negeri Banda Aceh is the Rumah Aceh, a fine example of traditional Acehnese architecture, buil
t without nails and held together with cord and pegs. Inside is a typical traditional kitchen and living area with hanging crib. Other displays include wedding paraphernalia and a small weaponry collection. Out front is a huge cast-iron bell, the Cakra Donya, said to have been a gift from a Chinese emperor in the 15th century.
GunonganHISTORIC BUILDING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Teuku Umar; h8am-6pm)
All that remains of Aceh’s powerful sultanates today is on view at Gunongan. Built by Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607–36) as a gift for his Malay princess wife, it was intended as a private playground and bathing place. The building consists of a series of frosty peaks with narrow stairways and a walkway leading to ridges, which represent the hills of the princess’ native land. Ask around for someone to unlock the gate for you.
Directly across from the Gunongan is a low vaulted gate, in the traditional Pintu Aceh style, which provided access to the sultan’s palace – supposedly for the use of royalty only.
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