There are three ways to travel from Bukit Lawang to Banda Aceh and Pulau Weh: by plane, by bus, and by private car. If you are in Bukit Lawang, you should start to think that Bukit Lawang and Banda Aceh or Pulau Weh are in two different neighboring provinces. Bukit Lawang is in the province of North Sumatra, and Banda Aceh, or Pulau Weh, is in the province of Aceh. Please remember, to get to Pulau Weh from Bukit Lawang, Lake Toba, Berastagi, Medan, or anyplace outside the province of Aceh, you must first arrive in Banda Aceh.
1. By Plane.
If you decide to take the air route by plane, then what you have to think about is leaving for Kualanamu International Airport in North Sumatra province. This trip you can certainly imagine when you come to Bukit Lawang from Kualanamu International Airport. The flight between the two provinces takes one hour. The airport in Banda Aceh is called Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport, located in Blang Bintang sub-district.
When you arrive at Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport, you may request a becak or tuktuk, which is also an SUMECO team in Banda Aceh named Little John Tuktuk, to transport you from the airport to the Ulee Lheue seaport in Banda Aceh city. If you have additional time, and if you and John agree, John would gladly show you around Banda Aceh, including the Aceh Tsunami Museum and the Floating Ship, a historical ship memorial honoring the Aceh Tsunami that occurred on December 26, 2004. The trip from Sultan Iskandar Muda airport to the seaport is about 60 minutes (20 km).