Pulau Weh

[Angel61]

Have been to Pulau Weh several times now. Although it is true that Aceh has the Shariah Law, you won't find any of that on PW. The atmosphere is laid back and people are very friendly.
Have been there both in February and September: February the water is clearer but not so many of the big boys, September, just before the Monsoon Season the water tends to be a bit on the murky side with at times strong currents but you really have bigger fish.
We stay in Iboih's Fina Bungalows (simple clean rooms with air con and en suite) and dive with Iboih Dive Centre just below Fina.

 

[CWK]

I was there in November last year. One morning we were simply told that we were not allowed to dive until 2pm. The reason was that a villager had died the previous night and diving was not allowed until after the funeral. I don’t think that this was Shariah law, but am quite certain that it was some form of religious edict.

 

[Angel61]

Maybe it was a Friday? Friday's diving is after 2 pm. In all the time I have been there, we never stopped diving when someone died. But perhaps nobody ever died when we were there?
We will keep going back because Iboih Dive Centre have become good friends.The village of Iboih has a very laid back atmosphere. Even the women wear short dresses, smoke and no head scarf (unless they are going into town).

 

[matts1w]

You should tell these tourists how issues in Aceh never cross over to PW...until they do.

CAUTION in Aceh (Sabang, Pulau Weh)

Hundreds of tourists cancel trips to Aceh

Y'all do what you want, just do so with eyes wide open.

 

[Dan]

Another reason to stay away from Weh, beside meh diving from all of the YouTube videos I have seen there. Lots of rocks, few hard corals and the usual suspects of fish, turtles & critters, some volcanic bubbles, nothing special.

 

[CWK]

Maybe it was a Friday? Friday's diving is after 2 pm.

Was not a Friday because I arrived on Friday. It was the day after arrival, which was Saturday.

 

[CWK]

By the way, the no diving till 2 pm on a Friday is another curious religious edict. I am quite certain that the Koran does not say anything about scuba diving, but on PW, you can't even do a shore dive with your buddy on a Friday Morning even though it does not involve a local muslim.

 

[matts1w]

"It never crosses in to the non-Muslim population..."...until it does.

Indonesian Christians whipped over sharia-banned child's play in Aceh | Coconuts Jakarta

 

[AmitMM]

hi,
planning a trip with family ( wife 2 small kids) from 22nd march for a week. what kind of diving to expect. came across peoples views here on sharia law etc.
what kind of atmosphere to expect when not diving. our dive school has informed about the Friday no dive rule.
keen to know about the diving conditions and the dive sites.

 

[AmitMM]

any inputs ? has any body dived in pulau weh recently please. thanks