Hi, there’s a 9 hour ferry from Gunung Sitoli (Nias) to Singkil (Sumatra) that goes there and back twice a week. And then you can take one of the boats from Singkil to Pulau Banyak.

You probably wouldn’t save much (if any) time by doing that instead of driving from Medan, but it could be a good option if you’re wanting to visit Nias and the Banyaks in the same trip.

Here’s a timetable for the ferry, courtesy of Claudine from Palambak Island Resort: https://theworldtravelguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Nias-Singkil-Ferry-Timetable-08-2024.jpg

That sounds like a great trip! We haven’t done Pulau Weh yet, but maybe next time we’re in Sumatra. I’m sure you’d enjoy Belitung too if it’s not already on your list. Good luck!

Hi! That’s exactly when we were there. We went in late December and stayed until early January. It was a very different way to ring in the New Year. Very relaxing though. I don’t think there’s a whole lot of difference between dry and rainy seasons here. At least in our experience, the rain was usually at night. During the day it was sometimes cloudy, but plenty of sun overall. Good luck!

Hi. Generally there’s no alcohol available, except maybe if you stay at one of the surf resorts.

Hi, is IT possibile to buy alkohol drinks on the islands?

That’s a fair point. Even though crocs haven’t been spotted outside of Matahari island or Tuangku island (Haloban village), it’s still possible for them to show up in other places. Definitely avoid mangroves and swamps since they like to hang out in those areas, and that’s where the last attack happened in Pulau Matahari.