READER REPORT.

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Gapang beach

and continues to thrive, helping
orangutans with rehabilitation.
The village itself rests on the
bank of the river Bohorok, where
many guesthouses, restaurants
and kiosks are scattered along its
THAILAND fringes. Though it was only six years
ago, in November of 2003 this town
had been all but swept away by a
Banda Aceh flash flood, killing nearly 300 people
destroyed in 2003 by the floods.
“I remember vividly, it was a Sunday
morning when I first heard the
river’s waters gushing – the reason
being I was sitting at home
watching the Italian football that
is shown every Sunday morning,”
he tells me with a smile. I, too, have
memories of watching the odd
Italian football match on Sundays,
when they heard of the disaster,
armed with food and supplies.
Within a year, a handful of
guesthouses had been slowly
rebuilt and surviving locals were
working in surrounding oil
plantations making art and craft
products to sell to NGOs and relief
workers who were on site.
After the flood Agun gradually

e e e e e e e
MALAYSIA
and completely destroying the local though there was certainly never re-built his home and business,
ALMOST FIVE YEARS ON FROM THE DEVASTATING TSUNAMI OF
in n
i RISEN FROM THE ASHES, n
i WHERE NATURE, in in in in
tourist resorts, demolishing homes, a flood that wiped out my home. and the guesthouse that is now on
SUMATRA 2004, DANIELA MARCHESI HEADS TO NORTHERN SUMATRA
z z z z z z z
INDONESIA
hotels and leaving around 1,500 For 45 minutes the river’s water offer is amazing. More than a room,

a aSOME OF SOUTHEAST ASIA’S

TO FIND THE PROVINCE
aBEST DIVING AWAIT… ga a a a
people homeless. rose to a staggering 12 metres, as the best way to describe it is as a

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On arrival to this little village electric cables crashed into the luxurious bedroom suite, which was
WILDLIFE AND
a a a a a a a
it became apparent that I had
“THE AFTERMATH OF THE TSUNAMI
I
stumbled upon a very tight-knit

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t was a sweltering

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However, after much negotiation,
HAD BROUGHT ALL OF
l
THE mHELP
government and the Free Aceh
REMAINING
BUKIT LAWANG community. The aftermath of this

e e e e e e RESURRECT THE AREA” e

afternoon when we we managed to arrange a transfer Movement, and to this day the The village sits on the eastern natural disaster had brought all its
INHABITANTS TOGETHER TO
v v v v v v
were decanted off that would take us to Bukit Lawang, agreement stands firm. border of the Taman Gunung remaining inhabitants together to

a a a a a a
the ferry at Belawan the first port of call on our northern Sumatra can be described as Leuser National Park and is home help resurrect the area, re-building

r r r r r r r
port on the east coast of Sumatra. Sumatra adventure. Indonesia’s Wild West, and our to 7,000 or so wild orangutans, as homes and facilitating the gradual

T T T T T T T
After a seven-hour journey across I was eager to trace how the journey towards the deep forest well as an orangutan rehabilitation re-opening of local businesses.

al a l a l al
the Straight of Melacca from
Malaysia’s George Town, having
al a l
region had recovered since it leapt
to unwanted global fame during
a l
of Bukit Lawang was certainly
testament to this. Potholes two feet
centre which assists with their
transition into the wild while
Deciding to stay at the Jungle
Tribe, a guesthouse and restaurant
water and bridges were swept
away. Along with his family
a shock to the senses given that
the majority of rooms I had been

Re Re Re Re Re Re Re
endured three consecutive low- the last decade or so with a series deep are not uncommon, as are teaching them how to climb and run by the locally renowned Agun, members, Agun managed to staying in were very much at the
budget blood-curdling horror of natural disasters. It was ravished speed bumps made of boulders find food. was a great decision. Born and bred scramble up the nearby hills to lower end of the budget range.
WRITER movies, I was ready to set foot by forest fires of epic proportions in and bridges being demolished The sanctuary was originally set in the area, Agun – now in his 30s – safety, though not everyone was so At 160,000 rupiahs (roughly £8) per

© © © ©
PROFILE.
PROFILE.
NAME DANIELA MARCHESI
AGE 27
INFO Daniela lives in London but has also
lived in Italy and France. She’s always on the
look our for the next adventure and has over
the years travelled to South America, South
Africa, Zimbabwe and more recently Southeast
Asia, where she further indulged her passion
for scuba diving.
© ©
on dry land and embrace some 1997, Bukit Lawang was the victim
peace and quiet. Sadly that of a devastating flooding in 2003
was not to be. and the Northern Province of Aceh
A further half-hour bus ride later was centre stage of ongoing
and we were confronted with the political unrest and conflict, with
bedlam that is Medan and set upon the Acehnese fighting a bloody
by constant, yet friendly hassle from battle to claim independence.
the local tourist agents and taxi Ironically it was the Tsunami in 2004
drivers wanting to offer us becak that triggered a peace agreement
motorcycle rides across the city. between the Indonesian
©
while traffic still drives over them.
In the rare event that roads were in
a reasonable condition, our driver
chose to drive as fast as humanly
possible while honking the horn
every 30 seconds. Three hours later,
though, and we finally arrived in the
sleepy village of Bukit Lawang.
Night had already set in and we
were ready for a good night’s rest.
up in 1973 by two Swiss zoologists,
Monica Borner and Regina Frey,
who made huge progress in the
rehabilitation of these ‘men of the
forest’ that they recaptured from
captivity or from forests that were
being swiftly destroyed with no
regard to the animals living within.
The Centre has now been taken
over by the Indonesian Government
has been working with travellers
since the age of ten and regularly
runs adventure trips into the Park.
Short and with a cheeky smile, his
warm, friendly and caring character
really personified the laid-back vibe
that the village has.
Talking with him, I was reminded
of the region’s tragic past, as he
recounted how Bukit Lawang was
fortunate. Even an orangutan that
had been temporarily placed in a
quarantine cage was swept away.
International financial and
physical aid was soon to follow,
as well as from organisations
and businesses from the Medan
province. In addition, people
who had already visited the area
previously came straight back
night, it would have seemed rude
to not oblige. The room also came
with a balcony that overlooked
the spot where a group of wild
orangutans watered early every
morning. I felt truly privileged to be
able to witness such a sight. It was
great to be able to watch them as
they went about their morning
rituals. Quite the room with a view! »

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 READER REPORT.sumatra

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© © © ©

» Evenings were spent sampling from tree to tree while circulating As we walked along, Oman Aceh on top of an ancient dormant

e e e
the local cuisine, something I really the area (a trait human males explained to me how the fruits of volcanic crater, surrounded by

in in in
enjoyed. Dishes such as nasi goreng should perhaps get accustomed to). the jungle often serve as medicinal vibrant coral reefs and waters that

z z z
(a classic Indonesian dish of fried Accompanied by Agun and his remedies for local residents. host a vibrant mix of exotic marine

a a a
rice, ground peanuts, egg and friend Oman, the following day Referring to it as the ‘Jungle life. Being only a few miles from the

g g g
chicken) and chicken gado gado I decided to head out into the heart Pharmacy’, every corner revealed epicentre of the Tsunami, Banda

a a a
(a chicken and rice dish with a of the national park on a jungle another plant that, when boiled, Aceh, and all of the Aceh province,
peanut satay sauce) cost no more trek. Though not before a hearty could be beneficial. Indeed, who suffered terribly as a result, with

l m
than £1.50 and the servings were breakfast of banana pancakes and
m
knew that wild cinnamon can

l “HOW AMAZING TO BEeSOl CLOSE TO m

over 226,000 Indonesians perishing

e e
more than plentiful. mango juice, which quickly became reduce fevers or that water lilies can in the disaster. It was only after

v v AN ORANGUTAN - THEY v HAVE A LOOK

On our first morning we set off staples throughout the trip. There

a a a
for the feeding platform in the Park is nothing quite like having fresh

r r r IS BOTH r
HQ, which was just a stone’s throw mango to start the day.

T T T T
away. Within the sanctuary the It was a great day covering a

al ‘semi-wild’ apes are still fed twice

daily with milk and bananas.
al l SORROWFUL” al
IN THEIR EYES THAT
sizable patch of the Park. With some

INQUISITIVEaAND
fairly steep ascents and descents,

Re Re Re Re
Though few tend to come, the I spent a lot of time sliding down
majority live close to the Park HQ. on my bum or grabbing on to trees,
We were lucky enough to have a roots or whatever else was in arm’s cure stomach aches? Certainly not I. I visited the ‘Tsunami Memorial

© close encounter with a mother and

child while they were fed by one of
the rangers. How amazing it was to
© ©
be so close to an orangutan – they
have grace, power and a look in
their eyes that is both inquisitive
and sorrowful. A male appeared
from the thick of the trees. Intent on
catching the female’s attention, his
technique consisted of swinging
reach. Throughout the course of the
morning the sound of baboons and
monkeys could be heard in the near
© His knowledge was encyclopedic
distance, but interestingly enough
all activity appeared to cease at
noon. The locals believe this is
because they are respecting the
Muslim prayer time – whether this
is true or not, I definitely admired
their rigorous time keeping.
and made for a fascinating walk.
Soon, though, it was time to
move on, and so I made my way
further north to the island of Pulah
Weh, known as Sabang by the
locals, in search of some diving.
PULAH WEH
Weh lies 40kms northwest of Banda
Boat’, a 100m-long and 20m-wide
barge that was lifted up and across
a road 5kms inland, that I began to
get an idea of the mammoth scale
of the destruction caused. Notably,
the large mosque in Banda escaped
almost unscathed, interpreted as a
sign from God by the locals.
I had heard that the Acehnese are
renowned for being very friendly, »

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 sumatra.READER REPORT READER REPORT.sumatra

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az az az az az az az
Daniela flew to Bangkok with Jet Airways for

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£400 return. She travelled to Sumatra using

a a a a a a a
local transport from Malaysia, boarding a
ferry from Medan for the outward journey

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and returning to KL by plane from Banda

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Aceh with Air Asia.

e e e e e e
www.jetairways.com

v v v v v v
www.airasia.com

Tra Tra Tra Tra Tra TraGETTING AROUND

Tr
Local transport in Sumatra is fairly reliable,

l l l l l l l
though be prepared that they have no

a a a a a a a
timetables and departure times depend

Re Re Re Re Re Re Re
on when the buses are full.

DIVING

© © © © © © ©
Daniela chose to dive with Lumba Lumba
Dive Centre on Pulah Weh.
www.lumbalumba.com

VISA
British passport holders require a visa for
Indonesia – these can be obtained on entry
but only for short periods. You are advised to
check with the embassy in London.
HEALTH
Vaccinations against cholera, diphtheria,
hepatitis A+B, Japanese encephalitis, polio,
rabies, tetanus, TB and typhoid should be
considered depending on the length and
nature of your stay. There is a risk of malaria
and dengue fever throughout Indonesia.

Gapang, and the latter is where I have ever seen – within a nutrient- Mama Doughnut, a local lady who with the reconstruction process.”
I chose to set up camp. Gapang rich habitat providing for cooks fresh doughnuts and savoury Once the dive shop’s compressor,
beach has a horseshoe shape and multitudes of species, making it a snacks, strategically arriving at the heart of the operation, was

e e e e e e e
is encircled by hills and thick lush true paradise for divers. The current the dive shop at the end of every functioning again, Lumba Lumba’s

in in in in in in in
green forestation with more palm can be quite unpredictable, and scheduled dive, knowing full well main customers were relief workers

z z z z z z z
trees towards the shore. quite often when we did our safety tthat
hat everyone will be craving sugar. and NGOs who came over at

a a a a a a a
Together with a few others I had stops at the end of the dive, it was As much as I tried to resist the weekends from the disaster that

g g g g g g g
met en route to the island, as well simply a case of gripping onto the aroma of her freshly baked goodies, was Banda Aceh in search of some

a a a a a a a
as a bunch of great characters nearest boulder. In fact, one of the I’m sure I ended up substantially well earned respite.
hailing mainly from Thailand, India, dive sites is called ‘Arus Balee’ which contributed towards her daily The physical effects of the

m m m
the UK and Finland, we indulged quite literally means ‘Bastard
m income during my stay.
m tsunami are barely noticeable on
m m
el l l l l l l
» and my first blunder at the Uleleh

e e e e e e
point on the island was out of order. in some fantastic diving. For the Current’. I could not have put it Lumba Lumba’s owners Tom and Gapang Beach nowadays. Other

v v v v v v
Port certainly confirmed this. After Before I knew it the Harbour following week the daily routine better myself. Marjan, originally from Holland, than a line on the Lumba Lumba

a a a a a a
travelling by bus overnight from Master had enlisted one of his was simply: eat, dive, eat, dive, The Batee Tokong dive site was have been running the business dive shop that marks how high the

r r r r r r r
Medan to Banda Aceh, I had been security guards to drive me to the eat, sleep – sneaking in the odd nap also another treat, a circular plateau since 1998. Having initially travelled water rose, you wouldn’t know that

T T T T T T T
reluctant to carry excessive nearest cash point in Banda Aceh, in and contraband beer at regular that sucks in hordes of fish and is to the island as diving instructors, a disaster had struck the island.

al
amounts of cash with me and very
naively presumed I would be able
Re
to withdraw the necessary amount
once I had taken the ferry over to
Weh. This was unfortunately not the
al
a security car nonetheless. Needless
to say we had no trouble getting
Re
there and back in time for the ferry,
as we bypassed all security checks
at a very speedy pace. Pulah Weh,
intervals along the way.
There are 20 or more dive sites
al
Re
around the island, offering a
mixture of reef walls, deep and
shallow wrecks, sloping house reefs
known as the moray capital of the
world, for the sheer quantity and
al
Re
variety of these eels that can be
found here. As we gently drifted
with a forgiving current we dodged
they immediately fell in love with
the area and set the up business;
al
Northern Sumatra is truly
fascinating, but it’s not your typical
al al
Re Re Re
they haven’t looked back since. Southeast Asian backpacker
After the Tsunami hit the island, experience. My advice is to simply
together with other local residents go and experience it. Your money

©
case, as some fellow travellers who
were disembarking an earlier ferry
informed me that the only cash
©
consisting predominantly of fishing
villages, has two different beaches
to choose from, namely Iboih and
©
and many drift dives. My friends
and I chose to dive with Lumba
Lumba, arguably one of the most
around avenues of stunning red
gorgonian sea fans, while watching
trigger fish schooling and being
© and business owners, they set out
to rebuild houses and restaurants
along the beach as well as getting
© will be more than welcomed and
you will get to witness how the
region has risen from the ashes.
© ©
professional dive operations in the whirled around as though in a the dive shop up and running Time slows down when you are
“TIME SLOWS DOWN IN SUMATRA, AND area, well-equipped and efficient
with three dive boats and two daily
washing machine.
Along the beach there is a
again. “We had so much support
from friends, family, past customers
there and the experiences you’ll
invariably collect are fantastic. Plus
THE ISLAND’S UNTAPPED RESOURCES scheduled dives. selection of restaurants offering and even prospective customers the island’s adventure resources
MAKE IT ONE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA’S LAST On every dive I had the privilege
to witness the dense marine life –
scrumptious local food and, on
request, freshly caught fish. Another
who had yet to visit,” says Marjan.
“We were inundated with emails,
remain untapped, making it in
my eyes one of Southeast Asia’s
REMAINING TRAVEL FRONTIERS” quite possibly the most spectacular protagonist of Gapang Beach is and money was donated to help last remaining travel frontiers. ■

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