There are many reasons to fall in love with Pulau Weh. From its gorgeous turquoise blue waters, to the lush green jungle – Pulau Weh is a beautiful island. To soak in all this beauty, we were searching for Pulau Weh accommodation that would give us amazing sea view and was away from the busy touristy beaches. Beach bangalows where every room boasts a balcony with gorgeous views of the ocean and palm trees. That is exactly what we wanted, and that’s what we got at Freddies Santai Sumurtiga.
Located at Samurtiga, which is around 15-30 minutes from the Sabang ferry port is Freddies Pulau Weh. To access Pulau Weh is simple – it’s about a 1 hour express ferry ride from Banda Aceh. Owned by Freddie, a South African who found his way to Pulau Weh back in 2006, Freddie fell in love with Pulau Weh. He fell in love so deep that he didn’t leave Pulau Weh. Instead, he now calls this tropical paradise ‘home.’
And feeling at ‘home’ is exactly Freddie’s motto. Every visitor to Freddies Santai Sumurtiga is felt so welcome. Freddie himself is humble and oh-so hospitality – he tries to greet every resort guest personally and to make sure everyone is feeling comfortable during their stay. This personalized service is exactly what sets Freddies apart from other resorts around the island… and is why many travelers continue to come back and stay at Freddies Pulau Weh.
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Freddies Santai Sumurtiga Resort
Freddies is made up of beach style bungalows, or as some might call them ‘huts.’ They are all located along the hill, overlooking the beautiful beach of samur tiga. Every bungalow has a balcony which offers great views over the turquoise blue water and palm trees.
Freddies offer several room types, including the standard bungalow which is fitting for a couple. If you need a bigger room to fit more people, then you need to consider the Family Room or the Deluxe Apartment. Either way, every room gets a sea view so fear not young grasshopper.
The Rooms
All the bungalows are built using natural supplies, using materials sourced predominately from Pulau Weh and the Aceh region. This means supporting local businesses and ensuring a more sustainable accommodation.
The Deluxe Apartments are the latest additions to the resort and are the most modern and upgraded. The Bungalows are more in a traditional beach style hut, which is fitting to the local environment and for an island that is relatively untapped. We stayed in a Bungalow during our stay.
The Bungalow
The Bungalow itself is simple, yet comfortableThere is a small fridge available in the room, along with a kettle to make some Aceh coffee or black tea. Freddies also provides drinking water to ensure you are well hydrated during your stay. The rooms all have fans, which to be honest is plenty. The rooms are comfortable enough, but with time an upgrade to its facilities won’t hurt.
The bathroom is basic and does get wet as the shower does not have a barrier. So I recommend wearing your flip flops in the bathroom as the floor is usually damp/wet. The hot water works well so after a day of touring around and snorkeling, you can come back to a nice hot shower. I do feel the bathroom needs an upgrade, but it is still fitting with the whole local beach shack feel.
While the room is simple, the views are complex and this is one of the many reasons why I loved staying at Freddies. I could not get enough of how amazing the view was and was happy just sitting on the balcony staring into the distance in awe by the tropical paradise.
The Facilities
The Beach
Right out front of Freddies Santai Sumurtiga is the beach – which means you don’t have to drive anywhere to get your beach holiday started. You can rent snorkeling gear directly from Freddies Pulau Weh.
There is some snorkeling out front, which has great visibility on a sunny day, and the snorkeling is not too bad. You’ll see mainly colorful fish here, but the water is especially great for swimming. If you are after some good snorkeling, you need to head out to some other parts of the island including Ibioh & Rubiah Island for that.
The beach is quiet, which means you are far away from the crowds. You only have to share it mainly with the guests from Freddies. And for us ladies, you can be comfortable in your bikini as it is in a more secluded area.
Restaurants
Freddies Pulau Weh has 2 restaurants on-site. One that is buffet style and the other that is a la carte style.
Buffet style is available for breakfast (Rp35,000 per person) and dinner (Rp65,000). Buffet dinner is served when the accommodation is quite full. There is a different themed dinner each evening – one night it is Italian, another night Acehnese, and another night Mexican. This keeps things more interesting and exciting. Before dinner begins, everyone convenes at the restaurant and Freddie personally greets everyone. He welcomes every guest that joins for dinner and offers some helpful advice about traveling around Pulau Weh. He then also introduces the full menu that we would be enjoying for dinner….and the best way to describe diner is YUMMMM.
You can also choose your meal directly from the a la carte menu. From local dishes to BBQ to pastas and pizzas, there are plenty of variety to choose from. Since you’re on Pulau Weh, where the seafood is freshly caught, I do recommend trying the BBQ seafood. It is also possible to purchase alcohol at Freddies and the prices are extremely reasonable.
The Verdict
Hubby and I enjoyed our stay at Freddies Pulau Weh because of the personable service from Freddie himself, and for the amazing tropical beach views from our balcony. We found the staff to be friendly and were ready to help when needed.
The price point was affordable, especially considering how beautiful the views are. I do feel that the rooms need an upgrade. The hospitality we experienced here, especially from Freddie was exceptional. This was truly the highlight of our stay, and made our time in Pulau Weh so much more memorable.
To book just click here for up-to-date pricing and availability. Prices start at Rp371,000 (U$28 | A$35) per night for a Bungalow. Meals and transport can be added on. Upon booking, Freddie sends a personalized email to you. I think this is amazing, and you can ask him any questions you might have about your upcoming trip. He kindly assisted us to book the airport transfer, ferry tickets, and transport on the island. It made the trip so much more seamless and we really appreciated his kind service on this.
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No compensation was received for this review, our stay was independently paid for. All opinions remains my own.
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I'm Soraya, travel & food blogger and sunshine chaser at Hello Raya. You know that travel bug? I have been well and truly nipped, infinite times.This is my online nook to share my lifelong experiences of travel & food in hopes to inspire you to explore our beautiful world. 11 Comments on Coconut Trees & Clear Blue Waters at Freddies Resort in Sabang Island (Pulau Weh), Indonesia
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I can’t get over how stunning this location is and how inexpensive the cost is. Sure I understand that there might need to be some renovations that could be done, but even so the value is tremendous. I love the fact that Freddie is so personal in his approach and essentially this would make it feel so good from a service point of view. This would definitely be somewhere I would love to visit and stay for a while. Just relax and soak up the peace and quiet of beautiful nature right outside your front door!
We absolutely loved our stay here – Freddie was such a fantastic host that it made our trip so much more memorable. The view was sensational and we could have easily spent a whole month here. It was truly so peaceful.
Those bungalows are so adorable and so completely affordable! Beach days are the best days for me. Freddies looks like such a cute and cozy little place.
It was such a cosy spot with amazing views!
Ive never heard about Pulau Weh but it looks like a paradise! Those beaches, palm trees and great food! I love Indonesia for being so beautiful and cheap at the same time! I hope I’ll get to go back there one day and explore more than just Bali which I’ve only visited so far! Your photos are so stunning!
No wonder Freddie made Pulau Weh his home. I can see that he has probably poured quite a bit of effort into getting his property ready for his guests. It seems like an amazing, cosy stay option in an absolutely wonderful place.
Ohh Freddies at Pulau Weh is a place I would personally choose! I love a simple life with a simple bungalow right by the beach with tons of fresh coconuts and great snorkeling right off the beach. Although they might need to upgrade their toilets I belive the hospitality of the owner and the staffs is the most important. Imagine having a great toilet with horrible staff! But of course, the best is to have both!
Pulau Weh looks like my kind of beach – not crowded, peaceful and with terrific natural views. I also love the native vibes of the bungalows at Freddies. The personalized service is also a big plus as they value guest relations. That price is definitely a great value for money.
Freddies Santai is the perfect kind of place I’d like to stay at too. Those bungalows are amazing, and the view of the sea, the gorgeous blue waters of the sea, is so lovely! I also love places with outdoor restaurants like this one has, overlooking the sea. There’s nothing like relaxing on the beach, soaking up the sun and then enjoying a margarita over the sunset with that kind of view! Indonesia has so many hidden gems!
Geez am feeling envy and wishing its already summer! Indonesia is on my list for this year and definitely wenwill check this resort. You look fantastic as well.
Pulau Weh in Indonesia looks perfect peaceful relaxed beach holiday. I love coconut trees and therefore I am adding this place to my list. Thanks for sharing honest reviews about the cottages and I think as they have best views, they could have renovate some small things in their rooms. Did you suggest to them?