The Gift Hut
The Gift Hut - Banda Aceh is the capital of the Indonesian province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra. It was also the capital of the Sultanate of Aceh after its establishment in the late 15th century. Banda Aceh, at the tip of Sumatra, has long been a strategic, shipping and trading center in the eastern Indian Ocean and an important port in trade between the region, India and Arabia.
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The Gift Hut
About 150,000 people died in Banda Aceh in the December 26, 2004 tsunami. Some parts of the city were permanently submerged. Since then, many humanitarian agencies have stepped in to help rebuild. The long-running conflict between the Acehnese Independence Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian Army (TNI) had now been resolved with the August 15, 2005 peace agreement.
The peace process has been relatively smooth since then. In 2006, the province held its first direct and democratic local elections. In 2007, Irwandi Yusuf, the first democratically elected governor, was inaugurated. Banda Aceh has a tropical forest climate with an almost constant average temperature.
The average annual temperature of this city is 27 degrees Celsius. However, the city experiences both wet and dry seasons, with June to August being the driest months of the year. Banda Aceh does not have a real dry season and the average rainfall is less than 60 mm.
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The average annual rainfall in this city is slightly less than 2000 mm. Foreigners no longer need a travel permit (Surat Jalan) to enter Aceh, but they do need an Indonesian visa. It is possible to get a 30-day visa upon arrival at Banda Aceh airport.
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The embassy in Kuala Lumpur can sometimes process the visa on the same day if you complete all the paperwork before noon, although this only applies to Malaysian residents. There are non-stop night buses, with travel times from 9am to 1pm - from Medan to Banda Aceh.
Major bus companies such as PMTOH, Pelangi, Kurnia and Pusaka have their offices on Jl. Gaja Mada, Madan. Prices range from INR 110,000 in a standard size bus to INR 200,000 in a wide seater. Minibuses can also take you from the Medan area to Banda Aceh, but the journeys are usually longer.
The prices are a little lower than the bus. It is also possible to travel from Medan to Banda Aceh via Kutacane and Takengon. which will be 20 hours in total. Airlines fly daily between Banda Aceh and Medan, an hour's journey, Jakarta, a journey of 2 hours 40 minutes, or Singapore, approximately 4 hours.
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There is no bus to the airport anymore. The only way to get to the city area is by taxi to the airport, which costs a flat rate of INR 100,000 (2019). After exiting the entrance gate, the taxi counter is on the left. Visa formalities at this airport are similar to other Indonesian immigration gates.
The nearest major ferry terminal (international) is Balavan Port near Medan. Receives ships originating from Batam, Indonesia (common route when arriving from Singapore). The ferry from Penang no longer operates. From Ulhee-lhee, the port of Banda Aceh, you can go to Pulau Weh and Pulau Aceh.
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The main means of transportation are bikk (motorcycle taxi) and lobby lobby (public minibus). Due to the sudden influx of money after the tsunami, locals got used to exorbitant prices, but now stability has returned. Examples of becak prices are: Airport - Grand Mosque: 40,000 rupiah;
Bus station - Masjid Jame: 8000 rupees; Grand Mosque - Penayong: 5000 Rp. Within the city, generally Rs.10,000 should be spent. You can go on a 'tsunami tour' as there are still many ships and memorials inland dedicated to the devastating day of 2004. Approximately 65 NGOs operate in Banda Aceh.
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However, they usually do not hire non-Indonesians locally. These non-governmental organizations include various agencies of the United Nations and the European Union, USNS, Care, Americare, Islamic Relief, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, Australian Red Cross, Turkish Red Crescent, Kuwait Red Crescent, French Red Cross, IMC
IOM, WHO, Japan. International Cooperation System, Habitat, Doctors Without Borders, Japan Platform, USAID. At the height of the post-tsunami relief effort, there were 850 NGOs, but many were non-Muslim religious organizations and their licenses were not renewed by the Indonesian government. There are interesting fish, meat and vegetable markets in the city center.
There are also small souvenir shops selling various local items. Hermes Palace shopping center is located in the center of Banda Aceh. This mall has more than 100 grocery stores, a supermarket and clothing stores. The staple breakfast dish in Aceh is nasi gori, rice cooked in coconut milk, which is sold in cafes everywhere.
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Food stalls and padang restaurants are open all over the pristine part of town, and fruit carts are everywhere. There are some nice cafes with soothing rice paddy views around Ulee Karenga, along Jl Tengku Iskander on the western outskirts of the city. There are three fast food chain restaurants in the center, A&W, KFC and Pizza Hut.
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As with all travel, common sense and a good attitude are all you need to navigate this small town. However, some points should be kept in mind. Although Banda Aceh is safer than many European cities nowadays, it is better not to go out alone after 10 pm.
As Sharia is enforced, drinking alcohol is not permitted, although it is still possible. Violation of local interpretations of Sharia law can result in arrest by Sharia police along with corporal punishment and public ridicule of the offending Muslim. Muslim women are usually required to wear headscarves in public.
Western style swimsuits are not recommended except in Sabang. Pickpocketing is rare, but be careful in crowded areas. Copyright © 2004–2023 Yelp Inc. Yelp, and related marks, are registered trademarks of Yelp. This website is currently unavailable. By continuing, you agree to the privacy policy and terms and conditions and to receive emails from Rotten Tomatoes.
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