After the tsunami: Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 20 years on

On 26 December 2004 at 07:59 local time, a magnitude 9.1 undersea earthquake struck 240km west of Sumatra, Indonesia, rupturing the greatest fault length of any recorded earthquake (1,500km long), and releasing energy equivalent to 23,000 atomic bombs.

The tsunami waves it triggered spread across the Indian Ocean at speeds of up to 800km/h (as fast as a jet airliner), devastating coastal areas in more than a dozen countries and killing 230,000 people in what would become one of the greatest natural disasters in modern history.

But it was Aceh, Indonesia – a province already blighted by decades of civil war – that was hardest hit, particularly the capital Banda Aceh, where waves of up to 20-30m swept through the city, destroying more than 60% of its buildings and killing an estimated 61,000 people (around 25% of the population.)

Twenty years on, Banda Aceh has been rebuilt and is thriving once more. "The transformation has been extraordinary," says Sam Clark of UK-based Experience Travel Group, which has recently launched trips to the city. "It's a testament to the fortitude of the Acehnese people to see how Banda Aceh has risen from the waters."

Clark goes on to cite the locals, their culture and the moving tsunami memorials as some of the highlights of a visit here, as well as the city's proximity to other attractions including the coffee-growing Gayo Highlands, the snorkelling and dive sites of Weh Island and the rainforests of Gunung Leuser National Park – one of the last places on Earth where critically endangered orangutans live in the wild. "Banda Aceh and the wider province represent the final frontier of adventure tourism in Indonesia," he says. "And for the intrepid traveller, they'll find it's a place well worth seeking out."

An autonomous province of Indonesia since 1949, Aceh was once an independent sultanate that reached the height of its powers in the 17th Century during the reign of Iskandar Muda. The main relic from this time is Gunongan, a pleasure garden and bathing place. According to popular stories, it was a gift for Muda's favourite wife, the Princess of Pahang, and was built in the form of a stylised mountain to ease the homesickness she felt for the highlands of her homeland.

In the 13th Century, Aceh became the first Muslim stronghold in the Indonesian archipelago. Banda Aceh was the final stopping-off point for many Asian pilgrims before they sailed to Arabia to perform hajj, and it became known as the "Doorway to Mecca". The Baiturrahman Grand Mosque is the city's greatest religious building and is open to visitors from all faiths. The mosque survived the tsunami intact – a sign interpreted by many as divine intervention – and in the immediate aftermath it served as both a survivors' shelter and a temporary morgue for bodies awaiting identification.

The largest of the city's mass graves is Siron Tsunami Memorial Park where 46,718 unidentified bodies are buried. On a commemorative sculpture of advancing waves, an inscription in Arabic reads, "Be, and it is".

"It refers to the power of God's will," says local guide Mahlizar (Acehnese people traditionally only use a first name). "Everything is decided by Allah. Whether someone was drowned, washed out to sea, never found or never named, we must accept and respect his decision, even if we don't understand the reason why."

One of the most iconic symbols of the tsunami is a fishing boat that came to rest on top of a house in Lampulo village around 1km from where it was originally docked. "That day, I thought the Earth would split in two," says Bundiah, one of 59 people who survived by climbing onboard to escape the rising water.

Bundiah is a regular visitor to the site, where she shares her memories with visitors. "Telling our stories honours the past and helps us process what happened so we can move forward towards the light."

The tsunami prompted an unprecedented humanitarian response and international relief effort. More than 140,000 houses were built, alongside thousands of kilometres of new roads, bridges, schools, parks, hospitals and mosques. "The physical scars were quickly removed, but the grief and mental trauma took much longer," says Mahlizar. "Our faith was of great comfort and a vital part of the healing process."

Many locals credit the strength of Acehnese culture and community as key factors in dealing with the tragedy. "The deep roots of our history and traditions help make us unshakeable," says Rosna, a member of the Tenun Songket Aceh Nyakmu weaving co-operative.

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She goes on to explain that the centuries-old Pinto Aceh pattern is still popular with her customers, as it was in the time of the first sultans. "We see it in shirts, shawls and sarongs worn at weddings, births and Eid celebrations. It unites us all in moments of great happiness." 

Husnul, a dancer, believes that Aceh's powerful sense of identity is most clearly seen in its traditional dances. "Importantly, we perform them as a group, as one," she says. "The Ranup Lampuan shows how we love to welcome guests and visitors; the Seudati demonstrates the strength of our people and our faith." (Seudati originates from the word "shahādah", the first of the five Pillars of Islam.)

In the 20 years since the tsunami, coffee-shop culture has become a new element of Banda Aceh's identity, with black kopi sareng (coffee filtered through a fine, porous "sock"), the most popular on the menu. "There is no life without it," says Muzakir, a barista at Solong, the city's oldest coffee shop, who tells me he sells more than 1,000 cups a day. "The only thing we stop drinking coffee for is Salah (prayer). And that's only for 15 to 20 minutes."

Many cafes serve Gayo coffee, grown in the Gayo Highlands close to the Acehnese city of Takengon, whose volcanic soils produce Arabica beans rich in chocolatey, nutty and caramel flavours.  "It is now considered one of the finest coffees in the world," says Muzakir. "That's important in changing the perception of the region. We are not just about the tsunami anymore."

Muzakir believes that coffee has played a pivotal role in the city's transformation. "It is a tool of society," he says. "It encourages an open conversation between men and women and allows us to explore new ideas and ways forward. Nokia once had a famous catchphrase about their phones connecting people. In Aceh, it's coffee that does the same job." 

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