KOMPAS.com – Travelers, especially outdoor enthusiasts, can now pamper their eyes with the green scenery overlooking 8,000 hectares of mangrove forests in Langsa city in Aceh on the northern tip of Indonesia’s Sumatera.
To see the largest mangrove forest in Southeast Asia, visitors can take advantage of the newly-built Tower of Mangrove Forest Park. The 45-meter-tall tower was officiated by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno on Friday, April 15.
Also read: Animals Gone Wild: Elephant Handler in Indonesia’s Aceh Province Mauled By Wild Elephant
The eight-floor structure can accommodate up to 100 visitors. From the tower, Sandiaga said visitors could take advantage of the beautiful scenery of the mangrove forests and even the Strait of Malacca, a waterway connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
“The tower will not only become the new tourism icon in Aceh but also in Indonesia,” the minister said in a statement on Friday, April 15.
The mangrove forests stand about 184 kilometers or a four-hour drive from the Malikussaleh Airport in the North Aceh regency.
“This is a unique tourist attraction. This location is also known as the largest mangrove forest in Southeast Asia,” he said.
“It is necessary to hold a regional event here to promote and strengthen the tourism,” Sandiaga said.
Also read: Sandiaga Uno’s Strategy to Stimulate Indonesia’s Tourism Industry
Meanwhile, Langsa Mayor Usman Abdullah said that the development of the tower began in 2018 and was completed this year. “About 30 species of mangroves grow here and they are rare, too,” Antara state news quoted Usman as saying on Friday.
(Writer: Ni Nyoman Wira Widyanti | Editor: Ni Nyoman Wira Widyanti)
Simak breaking news dan berita pilihan kami langsung di ponselmu. Pilih saluran andalanmu akses berita Kompas.com WhatsApp Channel : https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaFPbedBPzjZrk13HO3D. Pastikan kamu sudah install aplikasi WhatsApp ya.