North Aceh, one of the districts in Aceh, has a sizable amount of forest land. The majority of these forests are tropical wet forests with numerous rocky river flows.
Those who enjoy outdoor adventures in nature, mainly photographers, can certainly visit a variety of natural areas. However, not all locations are accessible to everyone due to the tracks' extreme difficulty for two-wheeled, let alone four-wheeled, vehicles to navigate. You might be able to do it on foot, but it could take up to a few days and necessitate careful planning.
There are interesting locations that you can visit in the meantime without needing to pack much. North Aceh's Sidomulyo forest has stunning natural beauty, and the Blang Kolam waterfall is also nearby. Both two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles can transport you there, but you must walk an additional 500 meters to get to the waterfall's spot.
In the parking lot, there are a number of cages for native wild birds, but they all appear to be empty. For the purpose of attracting visitors, hornbills and other rare bird species were housed in the cages a number of years ago.
My favorite outdoor ecotourism is Sidomulyo Forest. I had been there a second time before my most recent visit. There is a waterfall, fascinating bugs, the weirdest birds, many kinds of mushrooms, and stunning natural scenery. Of course, you need tools like a capable camera with a telephoto lens in order to catch birds, and I don't have that.
The day I visited, it was quite sunny. Fortunately, stairs have been built along the path, albeit some of them have been harmed by rain or aging erosion. You can ascend and descend the slopes in good weather without worrying about the steep, slick trails.
I noticed many mushrooms that looked like white roots sticking out of the ground along the side of the path I was on. It is the species Eocronartium muscicola , if I'm not mistaken.
As I walked down the stairs, I also noticed some lacewing eggs (larvae) . They adhere to brittle twigs. They are so tiny and lovely, it's incredible.
I finally reached the waterfall spot after spending around twenty minutes ascending and descending the hill through thousands of steep, narrow stairs. But all of a sudden, the weather decided otherwise. The sky, which had been very bright, suddenly became dark because of the heavy cloud cover. A short while later, it started to rain heavily.
Together with my friends, we rushed to an impromptu tarpaulin-roofed tent only a few meters from the waterfall. Apparently, it wasn't just us; there were several other visitors who had also come to take shelter there. In the cramped tent, we huddled together like wet chicks.
After pouring for approximately an hour, the rain abruptly ceased. The formerly dark sky subsequently became brighter once more. Even though it only rained heavily for an hour, the river water where the once-clear waterfall was located changed color and became cloudy-yelled.
Once more, I found several mushrooms growing among the decaying wood near the waterfall. I can affirm that the environment of Blang Kolam waterfall is a paradise for mushrooms.
Along with the lovely insects that started to fly around, which appeared to cordially greet our arrival there.