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).

2. By Bus.

If you decide to take the land route by bus, you have to start to imagine that the distance from Bukit Lawang to Banda Aceh is 670 km, and the distance from Banda Aceh to Weh Island is 30 km via Ulee Lheue seaport located in Banda Aceh city to Balohan seaport located on Weh Island. Don’t worry, this land route by bus is actually very easy and cheap.

If you plan to reduce your travel expenses to Pulau Weh from Bukit Lawang, it is recommended that you embark from Bukit Lawang and travel to Binjai city via public bus. The journey takes two and a half hours. There are two kinds of public buses: the orange-colored PS (Pembangunan Semesta) bus and the red-colored Almasar bus. It is estimated to cost approximately 30,000 IDR.

It’s crucial to shout “saya turun di tugu!” to your bus driver when you come to Binjai city to let them know you wish to get off at the Binjai city monument. To be sure you stop at the right place, please click this [Google Map link]. I suggest you are standing at this point to head to the ‘Medan-Banda Aceh’ bus ticket counter on the side of the road. You don’t need to go to Medan to get a bus ticket to Banda Aceh, unless you really want to go to Medan city for shopping or stay over night there.

After you get off the bus, you should be on the left side of the road and facing the Binjai city monument. You should walk along the main road towards Aceh for 100-150 meters from where you get off the bus to find the bus ticket counter for the Medan-Banda Aceh route. Please note that the express bus to Aceh only operates at night; you will arrive in Banda Aceh no later than 8 am. It will be an 11-hour drive from Binjai to Banda Aceh.

When you buy a ticket, make sure you receive a ticket with a seat number, and please take a photo of your belongings that will be placed in the lower luggage compartment of the bus. Make sure your valuables are close to you or located in the overhead storage cabin.

Once you arrive at the bus station in Banda Aceh city, 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 bus station 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 the bus station to the Ulee Lheue seaport is about 30 minutes.

At Ulee Lheue, you will get information about the departure of slow boats (Ferry) and fast boats from Ulee Lheue seaport in Banda Aceh to Balohan seaport on Weh Island. Below is the departure schedule for fast and slow boats from Ulee Lheue in Banda Aceh to Balohan on Weh Island.

Slow boats:

First departure at 08:00

Second departure at 12:00

Third departure at 16:30

Fast boats:

First departure at 08:00

Second departure at 10:00

Third departure at 16:30

Once you arrive at Balohan seaport in Pulau Weh, you can contact the SUMECO team in Banda Aceh named Dodi. You can contact my WhatsApp number at +6282166316641 or our online chat at the bottom right corner of the website, to request your tuktuk in Banda Aceh and Pulau Weh.

3. By Private Car.

Your trip will not be inexpensive if you use a private car from SUMECO because we will make several stops, including one where you can see wild elephants (at an additional cost), one where you can see crocodiles, SUMECO conservation-based ecotourism areas, and several other locations where you might see wild animals or historic structures. But you can also travel directly to the Balohan seaport. For this option, please contact us directly via WhatsApp or the online chat feature located in the lower right corner of this website. We will choose the type of car based on the agreement; if you desire a trip that includes a forest to view wild animals, we will use a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. It is crucial to communicate your preferences for your trip.