Indonesia (My 16 days in Sumatra Island - Acheh, Medan, Lake Toba, Dumai, Pekanbaru, Bukittinggi & Padang) May 22 > June 5 2025 Day 1 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia & Acheh, Sumatra)

Sultan Iskandar Muda
International Airport, Aceh 

Downtown Banda Aceh, North Sumatra

Day 1 Thursday May 22 2025 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia & Aceh, North Sumatra) - a short flight time (1.5 hour) from Kuala Lumpur International Airport > Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport, Banda Aceh; upon arrival, took a Grab from the airport to Mulia Homestay for our 3 nights stay & after the hotel check-in, devoted the evening doing a walkabout near Hotel Medan & Night Market area

1) The start of my Rapid KL train ride (35 minutes) from SS15, Subang Jaya (my home place) > KL Sentral to board an airport shuttle bus to Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (bus journey approx 1 hour)

2) Aerosky bus ride (Rm10, Senior) departing 11.20 from KL Sentral > Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) 

3) Aerosky bus arriving in Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2)

4) My takeaway lunch (roasted pork rice Rm9) in Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2)

5) After immigration & security clearance, meet up with my travel buddy at the airport waiting lounge in Gate Q7. 

6) On board Air Asia flight to Aceh departing KLIA at 16.50 & arriving in Aceh at 17.20 (flight time 1.5 hour)

7) Arriving in Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport, Aceh, North Sumatra

8) Took a GrabCar (IDR100k = Rm27) from Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport > Mulia Hotel, Banda Aceh. 

9) Hotel accommodation (Banda Aceh) - my 3 night stay in Mulia Homestay, Aceh; room tariff @Rm67  + bread / jam breakfast (US$15.20), twin sharing. 

10) Evening walk from Mulia Hotel > downtown Aceh - exploratory visit. 

11) Dinner in a local restaurant in downtown Aceh, each of us savoured a plate of fried rice with fried chicken / egg @IDR22.5k = Rm6) 

12) Familiarisation visit in downtown Aceh after the dinner & a leisure walk back to Mulia Homestay. The night market visit selling fish, fruit & vegetables was an interesting one ! A great start for our first day in Aceh ! Bought a bunch of banana & snake fruit (IDR40k = Rm10.80) from a local fruit shop.