Sabang, Indonesia, Day 117

The above sign says it all! This port was something of a last minute addition t0 our itinerary in place of Myanmar, I think. What wonderful luck that was! Never been to Myanmar, likely never will, but Sabang was a fabulous replacement. Sabang is located on the northwestern most tip of Weh Island, a part of the islands comprising Indonesia. Weh Island is one fantastic photo op after another. They are not accustomed to cruise ships stopping here constantly, thus are not particularly well equipped to handle even our smaller number of tourists, but that to me was a plus. The place was not overly commercialized distracting from its natural beauty. This lush tropical jungle of volcanic mountain peaks, sheer cliffs thick with towering palms, modern switchback roads (smooth, well maintained, narrow two lane with guard rails!), crystal clear water, white sand beaches, and friendly people is reminiscent of Seychelles and you all know how very much I love Seychelles!

Zero Kilometer marker high atop a volcanic mountain peak.

Iboih village shoreline.

Magnificent splendor, nature is.

One of my favorite beach scenes.

Love these guardrails. Seychelles did not have these.

View of distant mountain side over the rooftops of the fish, fruit & vegetable stands at roadside.

A typical residence. All had flowers blooming in their yards.

The recorded history of the island dates back to 300 BC, according to our daily "Currents" publication, with something of a checkered past. My excursion of choice for this day was "Weh Island Discovery" consisting mainly of driving to various points of interest with stops at those points. As mentioned, it is a rarity for cruise ships to stop at this port, so tours are something they are still developing. Buses are non-existent. Not sure from whence they came, but some twelve or so of us were loaded into three comfortable air-conditioned SUV's with one tour guide for the three vehicles. Our driver did not speak English but one of my shipmates happened to have along a book of Indonesian phrases which she utilized occasionally, much to the surprise and apparent pleasure of our driver. The one guide divided her time among the three vehicles allowing us little chance of gaining any insight into the local culture. I mention this, not as a criticism. but rather an explanation as to why I cannot relate any such information to you as is my custom. What I can tell you is that EVERY view was breathtakingly beautiful! We first went to "Zero Kilometer" from which the measurement of the length of Indonesia commences. Something of a spectacle in and of itself. Proving that this isn't entirely their first rodeo, multiple opportunities for one to part with ones money were available. Our guide was most helpful to me in successfully negotiating with the nice young man who spoke exactly as much English as I did his native tongue. Transaction complete, we loaded into our appointed vehicle, this time with the guide along, to proceed to the beach village of Iboih. Snorkeling IS quite the thing here and many new, nice resorts were spread out along the beachfront to accommodate the snorkeler. At the beach, we were treated to a cool coconut water straight from the coconut via a straw (I declined as I have experienced this previously and it left my hands really sticky) along with a package of local nibbles: the local version of Dunkin Donuts, some kind of leaf wrapped pasty treat I ignored and something else apparently forgettable as I now have no clue what the third item was. I did eat it, but . . . Much to my amazement, this pristine beach was completely void of swimmers, snorkelers, humans. Even the fishermen seemed to be otherwise occupied as their boats sat abandoned along the shore. It was in this quaint little village that I had yet another experience that I can check off my list as having done, not necessary to repeat. An Asian water closet. Need I say more. Only downside of the entire day! Having been treated to local cuisine of sorts, we once again hoped into our SUV and drove back to Sabang and the ship. Stopping at a landmark along the way. I regret that more information was not made available to us but they are trying. Our guide did say that ours was one of if not the first cruise ship to stop here post COVID. Those of my shipmates who ventured into town on their own had nothing but kind words for the town and its inhabitants.

Other than the water closet, I saw nothing the entire day that was less than pristine. No trash, no homelessness, no shanty towns, nothing to impair the beauty bestowed upon this part of the world. Yay! We humans haven't yet ruined everything. These pictures only afford a glimpse of the majesty of this island paradise.

Today Is Someday! Waste Not!