Rubiah Island, Sabang: Exotic Adventures at the West End of Indonesia

Hello, Hivers!

Today I want to share a story about my favorite short holiday destination that I never miss every year, Sabang, an exotic destination at the western tip of Indonesia. This beautiful city, which is located in Aceh and stretches as an archipelago, offers stunning natural beauty. Its charm is undeniable. The beautiful beaches with white sand and blue sea water form a stunning view. It's not surprising that many tourists come to enjoy snorkeling, freediving or scuba diving in its clear waters.

Transportation: Fast Ship vs Slow Ship to Sabang

The trip to Sabang starts from Ulee Lheu port with two boat options: fast boat and slow boat. Even though fast boats can cut travel time to 45 minutes to 1 hour, I always choose slow boats which provide a trip of around 2 hours.

Its more affordable price and ability to transport motorbikes were the main reasons I chose it. The slow boat rate is IDR 68,000 for one person and one motorbike. Apart from that, I can enjoy the trip more relaxed while enjoying the cooling sea breeze. Meanwhile, fast boats range from IDR 100,000 - IDR 120,000 per person.

To enter the port, we have to enter using a toll card, if we don't have one, we can get one at the entrance to the port gate. The manufacturing price starts from IDR 30,000 depending on the balance we want to top up. The card is blue as shown above

Rubiah Island: Natural Charm that Never Gets Bored

Arriving in Sabang, I visited several beautiful beaches to enjoy the stunning views. However, I always visit Rubiah Island every time I go to Sabang.

On adventures to Sabang, Rubiah Island is always my main destination. The reason is because the natural scenery never makes me bored. How about the natural scenery that never gets boring? Find the answer here! I will share why this beach always makes me come back through the photos I share in this article.

To get to Rubiah Island, I had to cross using a speedboat from Iboih Beach. Rubiah Island itself is a spot where people go snorkeling. Of course diving can also be done.

Diving on Rubiah Island

I went to Rubiah to dive. But unfortunately I didn't have an underwater camera at that time, so I didn't have any underwater photos while diving in Rubiah. Even though I didn't have an underwater camera to capture all the spectacular moments, this experience was still amazing!

First of all, just imagine sea water that is so clear, as if it were a window to an underwater world full of mystery. As soon as I descended to a depth of 12 meters, beautiful and colorful coral reefs seemed to welcome me. That's awesome, friends! I was immediately fascinated by the diversity of colors and underwater life around there.

The fish swimming around the coral reef are truly stunning. They are so colorful and lively, providing an unforgettable spectacle. They seemed to paint an infinite color story, adding a magical feel to my underwater adventure. It's so beautiful, it feels like you're in a giant, natural aquarium. I could see fish milling peacefully around the coral reefs, forming a natural show like no other.

Unfortunately, I couldn't record all this underwater beauty. A little disappointed? Certain. But, then I realized that the absence of a camera actually made me focus more on enjoying every second under the sea. Without having to adjust the camera angle or ensure focus, I can more freely absorb the beauty of the underwater world.

Sabang Weather: Drama Between Sunny and Heavy Rain

The weather when I went there was a little strange. Where at first the weather was very sunny, then it rained heavily. A few moments later, miraculously, the sky was clear again as if nothing had happened. But, not long after that, it rained again. Seriously, it's like an endless weather drama.

Look, it's really pouring rain! This incident repeats itself over and over again. For a few moments it was sunny, it rained again, it was sunny again, and so on until the afternoon. Until the sun actually appears at the end of the day. And the holiday is over~

we helped push the boat to the shore

Thank you for reading the story of my short holiday to Sabang. How about you guys? Have you ever visited Sabang or have plans to do so? Let's share experiences and tips in the comments column below. I really want to hear your stories! See you on the next adventure, friends!