Tourism of Indonesia
Ready to Go to Mentawai Islands
Planning to go on a tour or travelling, we definitely want a smooth trip, comfortable accommodation, cheap hotels, good food, cheap plane tickets, close to everywhere, and can rent a motorbike or car.
Attraction
In Mentawai Islands, there is natural beauty and unique culture of the local community. There are many uniqueness, starting from the village (desa), sub-district (kecamatan), district (kabupaten) and provincial levels.
In Indonesia, each province has different and interesting characteristics. Each province has a different and unique culture and lifestyle.
The Mentawai Islands Regency are a chain of about seventy islands and islets approximately 150 kilometres (93 miles) off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia.
Siberut at 4,030 square kilometres (1,556 square miles) is the largest of the islands. The other major islands are Sipura, North Pagai (Pagai Utara) and South Pagai (Pagai Selatan).
The islands lie off the Sumatran coast, across the Mentawai Strait. The indigenous inhabitants of the islands are known as the Mentawai people.
The Mentawai Islands have become a noted destination for surfing, with over 40 boats offering surf charters to international guests.
A wild trip with an adventure to the Mentawai islands. Be surrounded by tropical rainforests and immerse yourself in the traditions of the local people.
While the physical distance between the mainland and Mentawai is not great, this remains one of the most isolated places in Indonesia, and was only subject to outside influences at the start of the 20th century.
A long way from the world of shopping malls and theme parks, this is where travellers come to get a truly off the beaten track adventure.
Located off the West coast of Sumatra, the Mentawai archipelago includes four municipalities, Sirebut, Sipora, North Pagai and South Pagai.
Sirebut is the biggest of the islands and remains largely covered with tropical rainforest. From the moment you arrive on Sirbeut and see the white coral beaches, ancient rainforests and hear the cheeky black gibbons playing in the trees you’ll find it hard to resist falling in love with the place.
This island is home to a rich array of bio-diversity which has earned it designation as a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
The remote location of these islands means that the Mentawai people have had very little contact with the outside world.
The archipelogo is thought to have broken off from the rest of Sumara about 500,000 years ago and it is only since the 20th century that outside influences began to have an impact on the local people.
Today, the Mentawai still abide by traditional practices and live largely off the land. Local people have a strong spiritual relationship with the forest with a belief system that emphasizes harmony with creation.
It is believed people first came to inhabit these islands at least several thousand years ago. Most anthropologists classify the Mentawai people as Protomalay which means they have a mostly Neotlithic culture but have not been effected by Buddhism, Islam or Hinduism.
Tatoos are an important symbol in Mentawai culture and reflect maturity, manhood and status. The art of this body painting has been inherited from ancient ancestors and the ink is made from natural fibres.
The government is taking good care of the preservation of nature and maintaining the condition of the forest.
The environment is also well maintained.
Activity
Visiting Mentawai Islands, we will witness routine community activities in unique traditional cultures. And there are special dishes and food as part of culinary tours that are delicious and yummy.
The biggest town on Sirebut is Muara Sirebut on the southeast coast. This is the major point of entry for tour groups from the mainland.
From here, you can travel with a with a local guide and trek inland to some of the Mentawai villages. If your bahasa is good enough, chat to the locals and enjoy their hospitality.
The other big attraction for visitors to these islands is the world class surfing. With some of the best surfing conditions in the world, monster waves and swells that remain all year round, this is ranked by serious surfers as a must visit destination.
With some of the biggest breaks in the world, this is the place to come for some world class surfing. There is no ‘off’ season here, the surf is great all year round.
Warm water, perfect barrels and limited crowds – once you surf the Mentawai islands, no where else in the world will compare.
Trekking through the incredible jungle landscape, jumping over swamps, paddling in pirogues (traditional boats), surrounding yourself in lush green vegetation, all of this will be the experience of a lifetime.
If you’re willing to brave the bugs and mud, a walk through an equatorial forest here will leave you lost for words.
Many travelers make the trip to the Mentawai islands to absorb the culture, meet local clans and learn about ancient traditions.
Come and see how a shaman (traditional healer, sometimes called a witchdoctor) does his work. According to Mentawai beliefs, illness and accidents are nothing but symptoms of a trouble mind.
The waters surrounding the islands are ideal for snorkelling and diving.
Ecotourism activities are popular here too. As a habitat for rare primates, the natural rain forest of Mentawai is the perfect place for research or other educational purpose. Here, you can conduct research about:
- Snub-nosed monkey/Simakobu (Simias concolor) monkey family eat leaf as primary food
- Joja or Lutung Mentawai (Presbytis potenziani) easily identified for the long tail, white face and black hair head
- Bokkoi atau Beruk Mentawai (Macaca pagensis)
- Kloss Gibbon/Bilou or Siamang Kerdil (Hylobates klossii) famous for the beautiful voice, different compared to general monkey
Boost your taste with exotic and fresh seafood that you can find in the local restaurants run by local people.
If you are lucky enough, you can pick and cook your own seafood, but make sure you know the secret recipe/spices from Mentawai people. If you’re not into seafood, you can find regular meals as well.
In this place there are also regular events or activities held every year, both national and international.
Accessibility
The journey to Mentawai Islands is now very easy. We can enter through various modes of transportation.
Sebaung Merauke Air flies between Padang and the Mentawai islands. It is a 30 minute flight. Flights can be booked via a number of local agents including Mentawai Air. Some resorts which operate on the islands will arrange flights and airport pick ups for you.
An overnight ferry service departs from Padang. It is best to regularly check times with ferry operators as timetables can change depending on weather conditions.
Probably the easiest way to get to Sirebut is to join a trekking tour. These tours normally depart from Bukittinggi or Padang and will organise transport to the island.
Independent travellers will need to be able to speak reasonable Indonesian to negotiate with local guides in Sirebut. They also must organise their own travel permits with police.
The condition of the infrastructure is getting better. Starting from highways, airports, trails, ports, bridges, stairs, even some places can be reached by toll roads.
We can visit by plane, car, ship, bus, motorcycle and bicycle. At some point, we can take the train. We can also walk freely.
Amenity
In Mentawai Islands, as technology getting better. We can easily find locations for mini markets, shops (warung kedai), Money Changer, ATMs, Bank BRI BCA BNI Mandiri, BTPN Bank Nagari BJB, supermarkets, and restaurants. So we will not starve or lack the necessary items.
There is a guest house and restaurant in Muara Siberut. While travelling in villages, guests can sleep on the floor with a local family. Payment is up to you but is normally in the form of cigarettes or other gifts. Visitors are expected to bring their own food.
Mentawai island trek adventure travel organise treks on Siberut island. This includes arranging accommodation of home stays with local clans and camping in the jungle.
Boost your taste with exotic and fresh seafood that you can find in the local restaurants run by local people.
If you are lucky enough, you can pick and cook your own seafood, but make sure you know the secret recipe/spices from Mentawai people. If you’re not into seafood, you can find regular meals as well.
If you are sick and need help, you can also visit clinics, drugstore pharmacies (apotek), practice doctors, hospitals, and health centers (puskesmas).
In this place we can also look for places of worship such as mosques, churches, and others.
Accommodation
Finding place to stay in Mentawai Islands is very easy. We can stay at home stays, hotels, inns, hostels and other places.
To get lodging at a cheap and definitely comfortable price, please see below:
Booking.com
Experience and Reviews
There are already many visitors have visited Mentawai Islands, there are many interesting stories that are told. Like feeling satisfied, happy, wanting to come again, sleep well, and almost no one is disappointed or complains to come here.
So, visitors will find out on how to find the best hotels, where is exactly located, why it is amazing, how much is the fare and rate, who are the people, whom to ask, and when is the best time to visit.
We can visit these tourist attractions from Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Redep, Tanjung Selor, Tapak Tuan, Tarakan, Tarutung, Tasikmalaya, Muara Bungo, Muara Enim, Muara Teweh, Muaro Sijunjung, Muntilan, Nabire, Negara, Nganjuk,
That’s all the information we provided, hopefully useful.
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