Aceh: Interesting Places

Museum Negeri

There is a museum in Banda Aceh located near the Governor's residence. The main building of the Museum is a house built in a traditional style by the Dutch Governor Van Swart in 1914. The museum has 3 floors filled with antique weapons, gold jewelry, ceremonial costumes and household furnishings. The 'Rumah Aceh' is an excellent example of traditional architecture, built completely without nails, being held together by cord and pegs. Among the exhibits is a big clock Cakra Donya, a gift from China Emperor and brought to Aceh by the famed Admiral Cheng Ho in 1414. On the bell can be found a Chinese script, Sing Fang Niat Toeng Juut Kat, no one knows what it really means.

Glen Labuhan Guest House (Monkey Beach)

Glen Labuhan beach Guest House (Monkey beach) is situated between two jungle covered mountains comprising a sheltered 120 m length of beach, with dense rain forest and lake immediately behind. Some 80 % of the bay is coral rock, the home of uncountable tropical fish. The Northern end of the beach is sand, suitable for swimming out and snorkeling behind the coral. The beach has long been favorite picnic site of expatriates working in parts of Sumatra. The Guest House is on the Beach (within 15 meters of high water line), and overlooks the shoreline trees to islands of Northern tip of Sumatra. It is a first class private Guesthouse with family accommodations in a tropical paradise. Alternative accommodation (for Tarzan enthusiasts) is tree house, some few meters a long beach. All meals are inclusive.

Pinto Khop

Pinto Khop, which is located at a few steps from the Pendopo, are also charms of the city. Gunongan was erected around the 16th century during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda.

Kerkhof

The cemetery here holds the remains of over 2,000 Dutch, Eurasian, Javanese and Ambonese soldiers who died fighting in the Aceh Wars. Kerkhof or Churchyard is a much-visited site especially by Dutch visitors where the remains of more then 2,000 Dutch soldiers lie buried. About 2,200 soldiers were buried in this graveyard including the General Kohler. Their names, where and when they died can seen at the gateway to the Kerkoff.

Cut Nyak Dhien House

The house is a replica of the heroine Cut Nyak Dhien House, from the Aceh War. The colonial forces burned down the house but a replica was built later. This house in Lam Pisang, about 6 kilometers from Banda Aceh, now is a museum. The house is located in Lampisang Village, Lhok Nga subdistrict, Greater Aceh district. Although Lhok Nga was the area worst hit by tsunami, the Tjut Nyak Dhien House survived. The daughter of a chieftain, Tjut Nyak Dhien joined the fight against the Dutch invaders in 1875. Her first husband fell in battle, and she remarried. When her second husband also died fighting, she continued the struggle with her children. After six years in the jungle, she was captured by the Dutch and exiled to West Java where she passed away in 1906. Tjut Nyak Dhien is recognized as one of the National Warriors of Indonesia.

Indra Patra Fortress

This old fort was built during Iskandar Muda time. It probably functioned as a defense against invaders. (Damaged because of Tsunami).

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com