Pulau Simeulue Travel Guide
Pulau Simeulue (Simeulue Island) is a long, remote equatorial island off the southwest coast of Aceh Province. It is largely missed by tourists and is most popular with surfers in search of remote swells.
- What is It?
- The northernmost surfing island in Indonesia.
- When to Go
- May through to October is the best time for surfing off Pulau Simeulue.
- Nearest Town
- Sinabang in the southeast, 150kms from Tapaktuan on the mainland.
- Don't Miss
- Baneng Beach swimming and surfing.
- Trivia
- Pulau Simeulue was on of the first places hit by the 2004 tsunami, when a two-meter high wave flattened Kariya Vhapi fishing village.
The main town on Pulau Simeulue is Sinabang, a little town in the southeast of the island. A road runs from here to Sebigo in the north, making negotiating the dense jungle on the island easier. Hiring a moped and getting into the interior is a popular pastime for the adventurous. The highest point is an impressive 560-plus meters.
The main attraction on Pulau Simeulue, however, is Baneng Beach. It is a stunning palm-lined, white sandy beach with clear water and lies on the opposite side of the island to Sinabang. There's all sorts of activities available at the beach, with nearby reefs for snorkeling and boat rides out to the best surf. The popular Baneng Beach Surf Retreat resides here.
There are also plenty of deserted islets in the region where island-hopping by charter is popular. Pulau Simeulue is also a popular place for handicrafts, with the natives being particularly adept artisans, especially in wood carving, metalwork, and weaving.
Travel to Pulau Simeulue - Getting There
Pulau Simeulue has a small airport that receives flights from Medan, the Sumatran capital in North Sumatra, 300kms to the east. Flight time from Polonia Airport in Medan is 1 hour, from where flights from all over Indonesia, including Jakarta, land. Charters also leave Singkil and take about 8 hours to reach Pulau Simeulue.
