Aceh, located to the North of Sumatra, encircled by the Malacca Strait and the Indian Ocean is accessible by air, road and sea. Once in Aceh, there are some interesting modes of local transport.

Most western countries do not currently have direct flights to Aceh, so stopovers in Malaysia or Indonesia are usually required.

Our Aceh Transportation Guide will tell you all you need to know about travelling in and around Aceh. Use our Aceh Destination Guide or click on our Indonesia Country Guide if you want to know more about travelling to Indonesia.

Aceh Transportation Guide

Aceh, located to the North of Sumatra, encircled by the Malacca Strait and the Indian Ocean is accessible by air, road and sea. Once in Aceh, there are some interesting modes of local transport.

Getting to Aceh

By Air

There are daily flights from Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur to Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh. The airport lies about 20 kms from the town of Banda Aceh. While Garuda Indonesia flies more than three flights daily to Banda Aceh, Lion Air and Adam Airlines, and Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur operate flights as well. Fortunately, while the town of Banda Aceh was damaged due to the Tsunami, the airport remained untouched, thus making it very safe to fly to Banda Aceh.

English speaking staff
Garuda Indonesia and BP Travel, on JI Polem 75, have efficient English speaking staff to handle air bookings.

By Sea

Aceh can be reached by boat from Penang, Malaysia. The ferry sails from Penang to Krueng Guekueh port in the Lhokseumawe. The entire journey takes around 13 hours, in a ship, which has a maximum capacity of a 100 passengers.

Ferry reservations
ASDP (M) Sdn Bhd, Penang, Malaysia, handles ferry reservations.

By Road

Aceh can be accessed by road from Medan. The buses are comfortable, air conditioned and cover the distance in around 11 hours, for a fare that ranges between Rp 100,000 and 170,000. Tickets may be purchased from the bus terminals at Medan and Banda Aceh or from the operator's offices. Have a look at the ready reckoner given below to find the bus service that is most convenient to you. All bus operators in Medan have their booking office on JI. Gajah Mada.

Bus Company Medan Office Ph.no Banda Aceh Office Ph.no
Pelangi +62 (061) 457 6011 +62 (0651) 423500 (on JI. Mohd.Jam)
Anugrah +62 (061) 4536117 N/a
PMToh +62 (061) 4152546 +62 (0651) 41134
Pusaka +62 (061) 4575951 N/a

Getting around in Aceh

Most hotels in Aceh have taxis that can be hired on a per day basis. But if you want to get a flavour of the local transport, you could hire a Becak, which is a motorised three wheeler or tri-shaw. An authentic local experience right down to the haggling of the fare, the Becak is on the roads right round the clock.

You could hop into the other local mode of transport, a mini bus that goes by the quaint name of Labi-labi. Labi-labi rides are fun, but they do not cover the entire city and go off the roads at 7 p.m.