Meunasah Beutong – agricultural village in the foothill zone of Kabupaten Aceh Besar
Meunasah Beutong is a small gampong (village unit in the Acehnese administrative system) located in Kecamatan Lhoknga, Kabupaten Aceh Besar, Aceh province, Indonesia. Based on its coordinates (5.515°N, 95.250°E), the settlement lies in the coastal-highland zone near Banda Aceh on the northwestern tip of Sumatra. The gampong is one of 28 gampongs in Kecamatan Lhoknga within Kabupaten Aceh Besar. The broader administrative unit, Kabupaten Aceh Besar, is one of Indonesia's kabupatens in Aceh province.
General overview
Meunasah Beutong is not among well-known tourist destinations; it is an agricultural community situated near foothills. The gampong lies in a highland zone, positioned in the foothill area surrounded by rice fields, specifically within the area of Kemukiman Lamlhom, Kecamatan Lhoknga, Kabupaten Aceh Besar. The local population's primary livelihood source is agriculture, supplemented by small-scale commerce, entrepreneurship, and animal husbandry. The gampong's society is traditionally characterized as cohesive, religious, and self-reliant. According to 2019 data from the BPS (Badan Pusat Statistik, Indonesia's Central Statistics Agency) for Kecamatan Lhoknga, Meunasah Beutong's population at that time was 715 people, comprising 374 men and 341 women. Based on land-use data, the gampong's total area is 193 hectares, of which 71 hectares are general agricultural land, 34 hectares are rice fields, and 88 hectares are non-agricultural land. For Kabupaten Aceh Besar as a whole: in mid-2024, the kabupaten's total population was 439,048 people. Kabupaten Aceh Besar is also Indonesia's westernmost kabupaten. The kabupaten's administrative seat is the city of Jantho, and the region is the birthplace of national hero Cut Nyak Dhien, who came from Lampadang.
Real estate and investment
At the gampong level, detailed real estate market data are not publicly available for Meunasah Beutong; therefore, the following section describes generally observable characteristics of the broader Kabupaten Aceh Besar real estate market. In Kabupaten Aceh Besar, the median sales price for real estate is approximately 196,928 USD, with a median price per square meter of approximately 1,288 USD. Real estate market supply within the kabupaten is primarily concentrated in the vicinity of Banda Aceh; in highland, agricultural gampongs such as Meunasah Beutong, transaction volumes are considerably lower and less documented. Generally speaking, under Indonesia's Basic Land Law (Undang-Undang Pokok Agraria) governing land ownership, foreign nationals cannot acquire full ownership rights (Hak Milik) to real estate; instead, they have access to Hak Pakai (use rights) or Hak Sewa (lease rights) frameworks, the detailed provisions of which can be verified with Indonesian authorities. Aceh province's special autonomous status (Daerah Istimewa Aceh) and the local application of Islamic law (syariah) are additional factors worth considering before making investment decisions; official legal advice is necessary regarding specific real estate market implications.
Safety and security
Publicly documented crime statistics are not available at the gampong level for Meunasah Beutong; therefore, only general observations regarding the broader region can be made regarding public safety. Aceh province – particularly Kecamatan Lhoknga around Banda Aceh, which is also visited by tourists – is generally considered a peaceful region according to current travel and public safety information. According to the gampong's own description, the local community lives a cohesive, religious, and self-reliant life, which generally may indicate strong social control at the village level. In Aceh province, a notably stronger Islamic-based local normative system (syariah) applies, which increases the importance of complying with local regulations for both residents and potential visitors. This is not in itself a public safety assessment, but rather a generally known legal and cultural context that should be understood by those staying in the province.
Tourist attractions
Meunasah Beutong itself does not have identifiable named tourist attractions based on available sources. The gampong's broader immediate surroundings, Kecamatan Lhoknga, however, is a well-known location for coastal tourism in Aceh. Among the tourist sites found in the Lhoknga area are Lampuuk Beach, Momong Beach, Pucok Krueng, Sea Side Beach Park, and a golf course. Lhoknga Beach offers offshore wind conditions during the northeast monsoon between October and April and is a popular surfing spot with 2–6 foot high tubular waves; between January and March, strong winds also make it suitable for kitesurfing. The beach is located approximately 16 kilometers from Banda Aceh and approximately 28 kilometers from Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport (Blang Bintang). Lampuuk Beach is also located within Kecamatan Lhoknga; it lies just 15 kilometers from Banda Aceh city center. Lampuuk Beach is sometimes also called Lhoknga Beach, as it is situated within Kecamatan Lhoknga; a local golf course and the Andalas cement factory are visible nearby. In the directly neighboring city of Banda Aceh, it is worth mentioning the presence of memorial sites related to the 2004 tsunami within the broader tourist context of Kabupaten Aceh Besar, such as the Tsunami Museum, which serves as a site for documenting and commemorating the 2004 Aceh tsunami.
Summary
Meunasah Beutong is a small, agricultural and foothill-character gampong in Kecamatan Lhoknga, Kabupaten Aceh Besar, in Aceh province on the northwestern part of Sumatra. According to 2019 BPS data, its population is 715 people, its area is 193 hectares, with rice fields and general agricultural land comprising its dominant portion. Both from a tourism and real estate market perspective, the broader kecamatan and kabupaten levels are relevant: Kecamatan Lhoknga is known for its coastal tourism near Banda Aceh, and Kabupaten Aceh Besar's real estate market is moderately active, though rural zones such as Meunasah Beutong typically have less documented markets driven primarily by local buyers.
