10 Things to Enjoy While Exploring Simeulue, Aceh

With such beautiful nature scenery, the island is the hidden gem in the western part of Indonesia. You just need to fly to Kualanamu International Airport in the capital of North Sumatera, before taking another 60 minutes flight to Lasikin Airport in Sinabang, Simeulue.

But, don’t let the journey keep you away from having a fun adventure in this stunning destination. Here are some of the things that you could do when exploring the island:

1 | Try the Local Dish

Desert lovers, you cannot miss the chance to devour the island’s local dish made from roasted gluttonous rice flour which is mixed with banana and coconut milk. It smells and tastes uniquely good as locals used the banana tree trunk to pound the banana and rice flour.

This traditional dish is usually served in a small bowl by the locals. Enjoying it for breakfast will give you the energy to start your adventure on the beautiful island of Simeulue.

2 | Stay in Beach Resorts

Nothing makes you feel more relaxed than staying at the local resorts to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery, white sandy beach while also inhaling serenity of the Indian Ocean.
Several resorts can easily be found around the island. Some of them specialized in providing extra services such as surfing and snorkeling tours. Enjoy waking up to the fantastic sunrise and falling asleep with the sea breeze tucking you to bed.

Simeulue have plenty of beaches and resorts are available from a basic beach hut to the luxurious leisure spaces. Famous beaches will be the Matanurung beach, with few available accommodations such as Salt Surf Resort, Simeulue Surf Lodge and Ranu Surf Camp.

Or you can also head to another unique beach called Batu Rundung and Nancala, then choose to stay at Batu Rundung Surf Resort or Mahi-Mahi Surf Resort.

3 | Go Surfing

Although not as popular as Mentawai islands for surfers, Simeulue Island is your answer if you are looking for a quiet surf place and great waves. Several great remote surfing spots can be found across the island, including The Peak, Dylan’s right, Tea Bags, One Thongs, Monkey Trees & Thailands that offers you perfect wave to ride, long fun walls and even some tube sections.

A little tip for you, especially for the female surfers, Simeulue Island, which is a part of Aceh province, is a very conservative Muslim area. So, you might want to consider dressing moderately, outside your resorts, including wearing swimwear other than bikinis.

4 | Drink Coffee with the Locals

Aceh province, including Simeulue, is famous for its local Arabica and Robusta coffee. Its unique process of grinding produced a strong coffee with clean taste finish. Like many Indonesians, local people in Simeulue Island drink coffee not only as a hobby, or the need to boost their energy with caffeine but also as a way to start a conversation. Coffee and the conversations have been an essential part of their lives.

Most of the locals, who works as fishermen, will go to a coffee stall, locally known as Warkop (Warung Kopi), to enjoy a cup of coffee while chatting with their friends until midnight after finishing their work. If you want to enjoy the local’s warmth and good coffee, don’t forget to visit the Warkops and maybe you can also see their skillful coffee making technique!

5 | Voyage to Other Islands

The beautiful Simeulue is also blessed with several islands around the main island. You could rent a boat and visit these islands. The most popular island that you might want to see is the Siumat Island. It takes around 1.5 hours from the main island with a boat to reach Siumat. The island has clear water and amazing underwater scenery. It is a perfect place to go snorkeling and/or diving to see the beautiful fishes and coral reef. Another island that you can also voyage to is called Mincau. The island is blessed with white sand and superb blue hues of the ocean.

6 | Splurge on Lobster

Simeulue is the heaven for any sea food lover as the island is rich with fresh fish ready to be cooked by local chefs. But, the most popular one from the island is its high-quality lobsters. Simeulue has not only sent their lobsters to Medan and Jakarta but also exported them to Singapore and Malaysia. You can even find a lobster monument overlooking the waterfront here! While visiting the island, trying its local cuisine called “Mie Lobster” or Lobster with noodle is a must for you. The noodle is cooked with local spices and recipes, giving you the rich aromatic smell and taste, while a whole delicious spicy lobster will be on top of the noodle for you to devour. It will be a fun finger licking experience for you. The fresh lobster and spicy noodle menu can easily be found in any restaurant on the island.

7 | Tasty Culinary

Most of the local people in Simeulue work as fishermen, so everyday fresh sea food is always available, brought directly from the Indian Ocean for you. Besides the famous lobster, the island is also rich with many kinds of fish, like tuna, You can also find an octopus in a certain restaurant, cooked with green chilies.

Fresh coconuts are also a favorite beverage you can easily found throughout the island. Beyond the fresh seafood, there is also rendang made from Buffalo’s beef, that is just perfect with a plate of warm rice!

8 | Pack Some Iconic Souvenirs

If you are looking for something special from the island for your loved ones in hometown, there are some iconic souvenirs especially made by the locals’. Handcrafted items with signature shapes and colors are stitch together for a variety of home accessories, such as coasters, glass lids, and tissue box covers.

You can find these beautiful pieces in Linggi Village in East Simeulue. If you fancy for a snack, you can also try some sea cucumber crackers! Sea cucumber oil is also produced to give some beneficial remedies. Besides being available in its home factory, these products are available in local supermarkets and at Lasikin Airport in Sinabang, Simeulue.

9 | Enjoy Some Traditional Performances

Simeulue have an interesting dance art, with colorful costumes and dynamic movements. Some dances are performed using a live percussion to hold the rhythm. When in Simeulue, you can also see some debus, a dance performance involving the power of being weapon proof.

Sharp objects like rencong -the traditional blade of Aceh- are used in these debus to showcased the artisan’s heart thumping skills.

10 | Endless Beaches with Unique View

When talking about Simeulue, mentioning its gorgeous beaches is unavoidable. All of them are sandy white beaches with blue-crystal clear water. As not many people have visited them, most of the beaches are still pristine. You could go to Pasir Tinggi beach for the perfect calming scenery, Alus-alus beach if you want to go for surfing, or just simply go relaxing at any beach you found along the island.
So pack your bags and come discover many more fascinating corners in this beautiful island soon!