Pulau Weh

Pulau Weh sits off the northwestern end of Sumatra, the last piece of land before the Andaman Sea. It is a small island of forested hills and coves, and the reason most people come is what is underwater: steep drop-offs, good visibility for much of the year, and volcanic gas bubbling up through the sand at a site off the southern coast. Iboih and Gapang are the two main beach strips, both low-key clusters of wooden bungalows rather than resorts. Rubiah island, a short boat hop from Iboih, is the standard snorkelling stop. On land there is a road loop, a few waterfalls and the marker at Kilometre Zero, the westernmost point of the country.

What you actually see

• The reef walls - steep drop-offs close to shore with good visibility much of the year.
• Rubiah island - the snorkelling spot reached by boat in minutes from Iboih.
• The volcanic vents - gas bubbling up through the seabed at a dive site off the south coast.
• Kilometre Zero - the marker at the westernmost point of Indonesia, at the end of a forest road.

When to go

March to October brings the calmest sea and the best underwater visibility; the wetter months from November to February can bring swell and cancelled boat trips. The island is small enough to see in a few days, but most people stay longer than planned. Ferries run to a fixed timetable, so check the return sailing early.

Honest expectations

Getting here takes a full day from most of Indonesia, and flights to Banda Aceh are limited. Accommodation is simple: fans rather than air conditioning, patchy power and slow internet in places. Aceh is culturally conservative and modest dress away from the beach is expected, alcohol is not sold openly. Some reef areas show bleaching and old anchor damage.

Nearby

Banda Aceh is an hour away by ferry on the Sumatran mainland.