Pulau Weh guide: Iboih, Gapang, Rubiah reefs and the boat from Banda Aceh

Iboih or Gapang: choosing your base

Almost everyone who comes to snorkel or dive stays on the north-west coast, not in Sabang town. Iboih, also called Teupin Layeu, faces Rubiah, a small island just offshore; the tourism ministry describes clear, shallow water with coral and a protected forest reserve behind the village. The beach itself is short — Wikipedia puts it at about 150 metres — and the ministry notes guesthouses and restaurants serving fresh seafood.

Gapang, about 5 kilometres from Iboih, is the diving base. The ministry says it has dive centres offering equipment, training and guides, and Wikipedia describes it as a white-sand beach with simple food stalls, lodging and several dive resorts. The road there climbs through forest where the ministry notes long-tailed macaques.

Choose Iboih if you mainly want to snorkel and take boats to Rubiah, Gapang if you want to dive every day from a dive centre's own beach. The two are close enough to visit each other by scooter.

• Iboih: snorkelling, boats to Rubiah, seafood by the landing.
• Gapang: dive centres, courses and guided dives.
• Sabang town: food, coffee and the old port, but far from the reefs.

Snorkelling and diving around Rubiah and Gapang

The reefs are the reason to come. The tourism ministry calls Weh 'the unparalleled underwater universe' among divers, names the Sea Garden at Rubiah as its best-known site and lists manta rays, whale sharks, dolphins and sea turtles among the animals divers may meet — treat the big animals as a chance, not a promise. A Conservation International survey in 1997–1999, summarised on Wikipedia, found coral diversity relatively low but a rich variety of fish.

Rubiah is a short boat ride from Iboih; the ministry mentions snorkel gear and boat hire there and a light trekking path on the island. Off Gapang, Wikipedia describes underwater fumaroles — volcanic gas vents — at a site called Hydrothermal Point. The Indonesian government declared a wildlife protection area of about 34 square kilometres of land and 26 square kilometres of sea around the island in 1982, in response to blast and cyanide fishing.

The UK government's travel advice notes that dive-school standards in Indonesia vary. Before you book, check the operator's credentials, ask whether oxygen is carried on the boat and how a diver would be evacuated to a hyperbaric chamber. Do not stand on coral or take anything from the reef.

Rubiah's hajj quarantine and Sabang's port history

Rubiah is more than a reef. Before air travel, pilgrims sailing from the archipelago to Mecca were quarantined here; the Indonesian-language Wikipedia calls it one of the two oldest hajj quarantine stations in the country, alongside Onrust near Jakarta, and says the foundations and water tanks of the station can still be seen.

Sabang town, on the north-east side of the island, grew as a deep, sheltered harbour on the shipping route through the Malacca Strait. According to Wikipedia, the Dutch opened it as a coaling station in the 1880s and a free port in 1895; Japanese forces occupied it in 1942 and left bunkers and gun emplacements, some of which survive. Sabang was declared a free trade zone in 2000. The small Museum Sabang, started in 2013 by the free-port authority, tells this story; the ministry notes that its collection has not yet been formally documented.

The Sabang Marine Festival, held every year since 2015 according to the ministry, brings yachts, boat parades and a coastal clean-up at Iboih and Gapang. The 2024 edition ran from 1 to 3 March; check the ministry's events page for the current year's dates.

A day loop: Kilometre Zero, Sabang town and Anoi Itam

Spend one day off the reef. The Kilometre Zero monument marks Indonesia's westernmost point; the ministry notes that a certificate can be bought there as proof of the visit and that souvenir stalls sell trinkets.

Continue to Sabang town for lunch and coffee, then cross to the east coast. Anoi Itam has dark sand from volcanic minerals and, the ministry says, the remains of a Japanese fort nearby. If you want a harder outing, Gua Sarang is a sea cave on a rocky coast reached by a steep trek down and back up; the ministry suggests the first viewpoint over the bay if you do not want the full climb.

Wikipedia notes that Sabang has no angkot shared taxis and minimal public transport, though Gojek ride-hailing operates. A driver for the day or a rented scooter is the practical choice.

Getting there: Banda Aceh, Ulee Lheue and Balohan

The gateway is Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport (BTJ) in Blang Bintang, outside Banda Aceh. From there, take a taxi to Ulee Lheue port on the city's west shore. The state ferry company ASDP lists Ulee Lheue–Balohan as one of its commercial routes, and boats arrive at Balohan, the island's ferry harbour on the east side.

The ministry and Wikipedia both give about 45 minutes by fast boat and about 2 hours by ferry; one ministry page says the fast boats run twice a day. When we checked on 2026-10-03, we could not reach a current timetable from ASDP or the fast-boat operators, so confirm departure times at Ulee Lheue or with your lodging and aim for a morning crossing, as the ministry suggests.

From Balohan to Iboih the ministry gives about 40 minutes on a hilly road. Most guesthouses can arrange a pick-up. The UK government advises checking life jackets on any boat and avoiding crossings after dark.

Aceh's rules on the island

Aceh enforces Sharia law, and the UK government's travel advice states that it applies to non-Muslims too: alcohol, gambling and extra-marital and same-sex sexual activity are illegal, with public caning among the punishments. Do not expect beer at the beach.

The ministry notes that modesty is appreciated in this conservative province. Cover up when you leave the beach for villages, warungs and Sabang town. On Fridays, the ministry says Gapang beach opens only at 2 pm so that Muslims can attend Friday prayers — plan a slow morning or a dive that starts later.