Weekend in Sabang

Palau Weh or Weh Island is located off of the northern tip of Sumatra. The island's got some beautiful palm fringed beaches and rugged interior. Before the tsunami, Sabang - as it's more commonly referred to - was a destination off the beaten track and attracted devoted divers and snorklers. Today, it's a easy weekend getaway for people like me.

The easiest part of the trip was the 40-minute ferry ride from the mainland to Balohan. From there, rental vans took us to Gapang, which is this little idyllic beach community about 1.5 hours away from Balohan. I was shocked at how long this trip took, since the island's not all that big. Because the interior of the island is pretty much a mountainous jungle, all the roads are built near the coastline, so getting from one end to the other end takes a long time.

We arrived in Gapang and the only cottage left over was this shabby barrack with mattresses on the cement floor. The good thing was, the cottage was $7 a night and literally on the beach!

We spent the afternoon snorkeling, napping, and playing with hermit crabs on the beach. When we needed a snack, an old lady brought over a basket full of freshly fried tempe and doughnut like pastry. Yum!

On Sunday, before heading home on the ferry, we drove to "Kilometer Zero" of Indonesia, the most western and northern point of the archipelago. Where to our west was the Indian Ocean, to our north was the Andaman Sea, and to our east was the mouth of the Malacca Straight. Pretty cool for a geography nerd like me!