Things to See

The 0 kilometre monument

The monument is on the western tip of Sabang, 29 kms away from the city centre, marking the westernmost point of Indonesia’s land. Coming to Sabang without seeing this monument is like going to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower.
As at April 2015 the 0 kilometre monument was
in the middle of a renovation

Get some bananas before you make this trip. On the way to the monument past the Iboih Beach, pull over at any random spot with lots of trees and step out of the car with the bananas. Chances are some monkeys will see you and come down from the trees for the bananas.

According to locals sometimes jungle dwelling wild boars can also be seen while on the way to the monument.

Japanese Fortifications and Bunkers

Having landed on Sabang on the 11th and 12th March 1942, the Japanese started building bunkers, coastal fortifications and barricades in preparation for war against The Allies. The remnants of these bunkers and fortifications can be seen all over Sabang.

A number of coastal fortifications can be found clustered close together in an area called Sabang Fair, about 3 kms from the city centre. Sabang Fair used to be known as Belakang Bengkel (literally means ‘behind the mechanic shop’).
A coastal fortification in Sabang Fair.
A cannon pointed at the sea was house here.
Looking out into the sea from a coastal fortification in Sabang Fair\
Cannon ammunition storage in Sabang Fair
Another war relics place worth visiting is Anoi Itam (literally means Black Sand) on the east coast of Sabang, approximately 9 kms from the city centre. Not only will you see a coastal fortification here, you’ll see a couple of bunkers too. As an added bonus the view looking out into the sea is pretty decent.
A Japanese bunker in Anoi Itam

Sunset

The sun “disappearing into the sea” is truly a beautiful sight to behold. In Sabang Fair there is a row of concrete gazebos available for public use. This is a great sunset spot and is popular among the locals.

Another good option is to watch sunset from higher ground – see the dimming sun rays penetrate through trees in the open space in front of the Sabang Hill Hotel. Yet another option is to see sunset from the sea in a fisherman’s boat.

Sunset in Sabang happens at roughly 6:30 pm.
One hour before sunset in front of the Sabang Hill Hotel

Active Volcano

If you’re feeling adventurous you can visit Gunung Berapi Jaboi (Jaboi Volcano), a small volcano about 15 kms south from the city centre. A word of warning: Jaboi Volcano is active, so be very careful when walking around the craters. Make sure you have a local guide to take you there, and use a walking stick to vigorously poke the rocks before you step on them. There are tales – true stories, not myths – of visitors who walked around carelessly and ended up stepping through thin crust into molten rocks.