Weh Island Island

Address: Pulau Weh (Weh Island), Aceh, Indonesia

Weh Island (Pulau Weh) is a small volcanic island off the northern tip of Sumatra in Indonesia’s Aceh province, known for clear waters and scuba diving. The island contains the port town of Sabang, which is the main access point for visitors.

The island’s shoreline includes beaches and coral-fringed sites used for snorkelling, diving and small-boat excursions, with several villages and guesthouses catering to tourism. Marine sites around the island are noted locally for visibility and coral diversity.

Pulau Weh has been used as a local trading and fishing base and today functions largely as a tourism and transport hub for the extreme northwest of Sumatra. Sabang hosts services, accommodation and the island’s main ferry connections.

Geographically the island lies off the northwestern coast of Sumatra, separated from Banda Aceh by a short ferry route; Sabang serves as the usual entry point by sea from mainland Aceh.

• Kilometer Zero: Home to the Kilometer Zero monument (Tugu Kilometer Nol Indonesia) located near Sabang, which marks the starting point of Indonesia’s national road system.
• Access and transport: Pulau Weh is a volcanic island with a compact road network; most visitors travel to dive sites by local boats and use Sabang as the logistical base.

What to See#

• Sabang / Kilometer Zero: Sabang is the main town and ferry terminal on the island and contains the Kilometer Zero monument marking Indonesia’s westernmost point of the national road network.
• Coastal villages and dive sites: Iboih and Gapang are coastal villages popular for snorkelling and diving, with boat access to nearby coral reefs and dive sites.

Pulau Weh (Weh Island/Sabang) is reached from Banda Aceh. From Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport drive or take a taxi to the Ulee Lheue ferry terminal in Banda Aceh, then board a public ferry or speedboat to Balohan (Sabang) on Weh Island. There are short local transfers from Balohan Pier into Sabang town and dive/resort areas by foot or a few minutes by taxi/motorbike.

• Take the early passenger ferry from Banda Aceh (Balohan port is the Weh/ Sabang terminal) to minimize weather-related cancellations and to arrive with calm seas for snorkeling or diving.
• Head straight to Pulau Rubiah's house reef from Iboih before mid-morning-it's the most accessible protected snorkeling spot and gets crowded as dive boats arrive later in the day.
• Use local motorbike taxis (ojek) or arrange transfers with your guesthouse to reach west-coast viewpoints and quieter beaches such as Gapang and Sumur Tiga, which many day-trippers miss.