Must-see attractions in Aceh

With its brilliant-white walls, ebony-black domes and towering minaret, this 19th-century mosque is a dazzling sight. The best time to visit is during…

A visit to this beautifully designed, hard-hitting museum commences with a walk through a dark, dripping tunnel that symbolises the 2004 tsunami waves…

In the same compound as the Museum Negeri Banda Aceh, the Rumah Aceh is a fine example of traditional Acehnese architecture, built without nails and held…

This largish island with pristine beaches takes a couple of hours to walk around. It's one of the most popular places to stay with several guesthouses set…

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…

The second-largest of the Banyak Islands, Pulau Bangkaru is home to a turtle conservation project, so visits are strictly controlled and you’re only…

This state museum displays Acehnese weaponry, household furnishings, ceremonial costumes, everyday clothing, gold jewellery, calligraphy and some…

Covered in dense jungle, Pulau Tuangku is the largest of the Banyak Islands. Surfers head to Ujung Lolok, the headland at the south of the island,…

At the hilltop viewpoint reached by following the road 8km north of Iboih through the forest reserve, a gaudy 44m-high globe-shaped monument marks the…

The Kherkhof is the last resting place of more than 2000 Dutch and Indonesian soldiers who died fighting the Acehnese. The entrance is around 50m west of…

PLTD Apung I is the 2500-tonne power-generator vessel that was carried almost 5km inland by the 2004 tsunami wave. It's now preserved as a memorial about…

Rather out of the way, this medium-sized island is covered in coconut trees, and has a couple of jungle paths you can walk and a gorgeous stretch of beach…

The most famous of the 2004 tsunami sights is the fishing boat resting on the house in Lampulo village, about 2km north of Banda Aceh and 1km from where…

Worthy of a stop when touring the island are the volcanic sulphuric fumaroles that steam and bubble from the rocky landscape on the side of Gunung Merapi…

Signposted off the main road about 8km from Gapang are the Pria Lot Falls. It's a five-minute scramble over rocks to reach the beautiful waterfall, but…

The small island of Pulau Tailana is renowned for reefs that are waves of colour. The island has a popular guesthouse.

There’s good snorkelling between Pulau Laman and Pulau Laureh, with some remarkable growths of vivid blue coral.

A crescent-shaped, uninhabited island with pristine beaches on either side as well as excellent snorkelling.

One of two inhabited islands in the Banyaks, connected to the mainland by frequent public boats. It has no attractions of its own, but has a mellow…

Keuneukai has a nice beach in the south of Pulau Weh; however, given it's a conservative village, females will need to cover up if going for a swim. Give…