Bubble Addict
The northwestern coast of Pulau Weh from the air at dusk: forested headlands, a jetty running out over the shallows and the bay turning from turquoise to deep blue.

Plan your stay

Getting to Pulau Weh is a flight to Banda Aceh and a ferry from there. Once you decide to come, we can sort out the rest: the port pickup, the tickets, a scooter, the laundry.

The route

How to get to Pulau Weh

Bubble Addict is in Gapang, on Pulau Weh, part of the Aceh province at the northwestern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia. Every route runs through Banda Aceh, about 32 km from the island. Flights come in from Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia, and from Jakarta and Medan within Indonesia. From Banda Aceh you get to the island by fast ferry or slow ferry.

  1. By air

    Fly to Banda Aceh

    Fly into Iskandar Muda International Airport (BTJ), which serves both international and domestic routes. Coming from Europe or the Americas, the usual connection is through Kuala Lumpur or Penang in Malaysia; from elsewhere in Indonesia, through Jakarta or Medan.

    • International flights: Kuala Lumpur and Penang (via AirAsia and Firefly)
    • Domestic flights: from Medan and Jakarta with several airlines daily

    By road

    If you're traveling overland, night buses operate between Medan and Banda Aceh, taking approximately 12 hours.

  2. By ferry

    Cross to Pulau Weh

    Daily ferries operate from Ulee Lheue Port (Banda Aceh) to Balohan Port (Pulau Weh).

    • Fast ferry

      Travel time about 45 minutes

    • Slow ferry

      Travel time about 90 minutes

    Tickets

    High-Speed Ferry: Express Bahari. Ferry: Ferizy. You can buy the Ticket From Apps, download it at App store / Google Playstore.

    • Choose Pelabuhan Asal: Ulee-Lheue (Banda Aceh)
    • Choose Pelabuhan Tujuan: Balohan (Aceh)

    Check-in process

    • During check-in, passengers are required to present a valid ID and, if applicable, the vehicle registration number that matches the details on the e-ticket.
    • Check-in is conducted at the port.
    • Check-in can only be done within the time stated on your e-ticket.
    • Tickets will be void (expired) if check-in is not completed before the stated check-in time.

  3. On the island

    Balohan to Gapang

    Upon arrival at Balohan, you can reach Gapang Beach easily by taxi, tuk-tuk, or motorbike. Just ask for Bubble Addict Diving Centre.

    Car and scooter rentals are also available at the port for travelers who prefer exploring the island independently.

Gapang Beach: casuarina trees over the sand, calm turquoise water, children playing at the water's edge.
Gapang bay from the air: the Pantai Gapang gate on the coast road, boats moored over turquoise shallows, forested hills behind.

Gapang Beach

Our location

Pantai Gapang, Sukajaya, Batee Shoek
Sukakarya, Kota Sabang
Aceh 24411, Indonesia
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Need a hand?

Write to us before you set off. We answer questions about flights, ferries and timings, and we can arrange a pickup at Balohan port for a fair price. Message us on WhatsApp or email bubbleaddictpulauweh@gmail.com.

The pickup is only the start of it. Most of what surrounds your diving we can arrange as well.

Ask us

What we can arrange

Most guests have their diving planned before they arrive and not much else. A good part of what is left we can arrange for you. Ask for what you want and leave the rest.

Arriving and leaving

  • We can meet you at Balohan port when your ferry comes in, and take you back down when you leave.
  • Transfers to and from Iskandar Muda airport in Banda Aceh.
  • We can buy your ferry tickets, and your bus tickets if you travel on overland from Banda Aceh.

Getting around the island

  • Scooter and motorbike rental.
  • A guided island tour with a local driver.
  • Laundry.
  • Where to eat in the village. We eat there too.

On the water and off it

  • A snorkeller can come out on the dive boat while their partner dives.
  • Dolphin spotting with our boat captain.
  • If our rooms do not suit you, we will find you a bed nearby that does.
  • We are a dive centre, not a travel agent. We arrange these things because we live here and know the people who do them.
  • Transfers, tours, scooter rental and laundry are quoted on request. You hear the price before anything is booked.
  • Send us your ferry or your flight and someone can meet you at Balohan. It saves you working the ride out at the port.
  • None of it is compulsory. If you would rather find your own scooter, do that.
Guests sitting together in the shaded cabin of the dive boat, some in dive gear and some not, with the forested coast of Pulau Weh through the open side.

Four to six days

The shape of a stay

Most divers here stay four to six days. That is enough for the sites that need calm water, and it leaves one morning for the island and some slack if a ferry changes. The days below are a shape, not a fixed plan.

  1. Day one

    Land and settle in

    Most people drop their bags, eat something at the café and go and look at the house reef, five minutes from the door. Registration and gear fitting happen at the shop whenever it suits you.

  2. The middle days

    Two or three dives a day

    Out on the boat in the morning, lunch on board, then the next dive. There are 20 dive sites around Pulau Weh. The boat has a cabin that seats ten and more, a toilet, and a rooftop to dry off on between dives.

  3. One morning

    The island instead

    Diving stops from Thursday evening until Friday afternoon, so one morning of your stay belongs to the island. A tour with a driver, or a scooter and no particular plan.

  4. The last day

    Ferry, then flight

    We can book the ferry back and get you down to Balohan, and on to Banda Aceh if your flight is the same day. Leave time between your last dive and that flight. Ask us if you are not sure how much.

The café bar at the dive centre: a driftwood beam strung with bulbs over the counter, the drinks menu chalked on the board behind it, two staff at work.

When the diving stops

There is no diving from Thursday 6 pm until Friday 2 pm, out of respect for the sea after the tsunami of 2004. Much of the island is closed on the Friday morning as well.

The café on site is open, and this is the morning we most often send guests out with a local driver. Other days in the year stop sea activities too. They are listed under non-diving days.

The reception and lounge at the dive centre: a timber counter painted in bands of blue and cream, rattan chairs around a low table and fans under the roof beams.

Before you travel

Tell us what you need

Send your ferry or your flight, the days you want to dive, and anything you would like us to arrange. We tell you what it costs before we book anything.

WhatsApp is quickest. Email works too: bubbleaddictpulauweh@gmail.com.

Message us on WhatsApp

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