Pulau Weh - worth a stopover ?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

I also like to see how Banda Ache recovered from the Tsunami
It was one of the reasons I got attached to Weh after my first trip. I got to see how resilient the place is, how the people have recovered and rebuilt their society. My best friend there lost his entire family during the tsunami, watching his mother die a horrifying death in front of his eyes, then almost got trafficked, somehow survived the streets, and eventually learned to be an excellent scuba instructor with an enormous respect for nature underwater.

I'm finishing my 5 days x 5 dives/day in Puerto Galera. Even though the diving is lovely and the reef is very nice, I still feel underwhelmed and think that Weh is much, much better and more magical. The reef is less nice than PG but similar vibe, except A WHOLE LOT more little and medium fish, some bigger things like sharks and rays, and unreasonably huge morays undulating through the water like dragons. Ofc PG wins a million times over when it comes to muck and macro, which isn't Weh's forte, but it's not your interest anyway. I go there for the atmosphere, the very friendly, unafraid animals, and the feeling of being one with the fish. Weh's best dives can be compared to very good dives in Komodo, and Weh'd mid dives are slightly better than PG's mid dives with an average, competent but not amazing muck/macro guide.
 
Hopefully I can make it in Jun/Jul 2025.
Need to choose an operator and it seems Monster Divers is back in business.
HKG/PEN/BTJ.
Firefly for the first time(PEN/BTJ).
 
Bought the round trip HKG/PEN/BTJ/PEN/HKG ticket for June.
Stop over for a day in Banda Aceh. I believe the town has been rebuilt from the trauma of 2004.
Will bring only basic equipment because 7kg is the max allowance for hand carry.
No diving on Friday! No big deal. As a tourist I have to respect the local culture/tradition etc etc.

First time in Sumatra. Have to visit Medan for the food if I have the opportunity.

Could it be as good as Penang?

 
Bought the round trip HKG/PEN/BTJ/PEN/HKG ticket for June.
Stop over for a day in Banda Aceh. I believe the town has been rebuilt from the trauma of 2004.
Will bring only basic equipment because 7kg is the max allowance for hand carry.
No diving on Friday! No big deal. As a tourist I have to respect the local culture/tradition etc etc.

First time in Sumatra. Have to visit Medan for the food if I have the opportunity.

Could it be as good as Penang?

Have fun! If you have time, make your way to the volcanoes and toba lake.

Which shop will you go with? Make sure they frequently go to faraway sites like Canyon and P3, and favor better sites like Bate Tokong and Arus Balee.
 

Back
Top Bottom