Aceh

Aceh occupies the northern tip of Sumatra and is one of Indonesia's most distinctive provinces — both for its long history of political independence and for its status as the only Indonesian region where Sharia law applies formally alongside national law. The province has about 5.4 million people, the vast majority ethnically Acehnese and Muslim. Its capital, Banda Aceh, was the worst-hit major city in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, an event that fundamentally shaped the province's recent history.

Geography

Aceh covers about 57,000 square kilometres at Sumatra's northern end, with the Andaman Sea to the west and the Strait of Malacca to the north and east. The Barisan mountain range runs the length of the province; Mount Leuser (3,381 m) at the southern border is the centerpiece of one of Asia's most important rainforest reserves, the Gunung Leuser National Park, home to Sumatran orangutans, tigers, elephants and rhinos.

The coast is volcanic and dramatic; the highlands are cool, with coffee plantations around Takengon at Lake Tawar.

Politics and recent history

Aceh has been politically distinct for most of Indonesia's modern history. The Sultanate of Aceh resisted Dutch colonisation through the 40-year Aceh War (1873-1914). Post-independence, the province has seen multiple separatist movements, most prominently the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which fought a 30-year insurgency against the Indonesian state until the 2005 Helsinki peace agreement.

The 2005 agreement was facilitated in part by the 2004 tsunami, which killed roughly 170,000 people in Aceh and shifted political dynamics on the ground. The agreement granted Aceh substantial autonomy, including the formal application of Sharia law for Muslims and a special revenue-sharing arrangement.

Sharia application is real but uneven. Public consumption of alcohol is forbidden; women are expected to wear hijab in public; unrelated unmarried couples cannot share accommodation; gambling is prohibited; corporal punishment (caning) is used for some offences. Foreign visitors are largely exempt but expected to respect the rules in public.

What to see

• Banda Aceh: the tsunami museum (Aceh Tsunami Museum) is one of Indonesia's most important contemporary memorial sites; the Masjid Raya Baiturrahman is the iconic Acehnese mosque, beautifully preserved
• PLTD Apung: the famous power-generation ship carried 5 km inland by the 2004 tsunami; now a memorial
• Sabang Island (Pulau Weh): just off the northern tip, known for diving and snorkelling at Iboih Beach
• Takengon and Lake Tawar: highland resort town and large crater lake in the central mountains; the centre of Gayo Aceh coffee production
• Gunung Leuser National Park: trekking from Ketambe village for orangutan viewing; the southern side accessed from Bukit Lawang in North Sumatra is more developed

Culture

The Acehnese have their own language (Acehnese), distinct cuisine (the famous Mie Aceh — yellow noodles in spiced curry-style broth), and a long history as a trading port connecting India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The famous Saman dance is a UNESCO-recognised Acehnese cultural form.

Acehnese coffee, especially Gayo Arabica from the central highlands, is regarded as among Indonesia's best.

Practical

• Airport: Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Banda Aceh, with flights from Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Medan
• Getting there: most visitors come overland from Medan (12 hours) or fly direct
• Best time: October-April is the drier period; the equatorial climate is hot year-round
• Alcohol: largely unavailable; some hotels for foreign visitors stock it discreetly
• Dress: long sleeves, long trousers / long skirt expected in public; hijab not required for non-Muslim foreigners but increasingly customary
• Money: ATMs in major cities; cash needed in rural areas

Aceh is one of Indonesia's most rewarding off-the-beaten-track destinations, with serious history, dramatic landscape, and a culture distinct from anywhere else in the country.