Are you keen on joining this trip but you don’t have friends to go with? You can always check our group tour calendar.
You would prefer to go with your group of friends or on your preferred travel date? You can always request for a private tour.
INTRODUCTION
As the oldest tribe in Indonesia, Mentawai stays as original as it is – villagers far from modernization, with only left few people, the tribe stays on preserving the culture and traditions. This is where travellers come to get a truly off the beaten track adventure.
The local people have a strong spiritual relationship with the forest with a belief system that emphasizes harmony with creation. The other big attraction for visitors to these islands is 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.
The Trip Condition
Mentawai Island is one part of Indonesia’s island that is still quite isolated. So you must be ready of these conditions, and we strongly believed that your purpose of visiting is to know Mentawai’s nature and culture for a true experience of a simple and primitive Culture. This trek is only recommended if you are prepared to accept very basic and less comfortable conditions.
This is a challenging trek that will take you far from the tourist trail, into the heart of the Mentawai Islands. Deep within their jungles indigenous people live close to nature. A people in transition, these uncomplicated rainforest dwellers are struggling to maintain their traditional lifestyle against the paradoxes of modernization.
You will stay as guests of a local Kerei (medicine -man) in the Uma (traditional family house). The facilities here are very basic, however, you will gain a unique insight into the lives of these people who maintain a belief system based on living in total harmony with nature. Your journey begins with an overnight boat crossing to Siberut, the largest island in the chain.
DAY 1 (FRIDAY): PADANG
Arrive in Padang, and you will meet our team to transfer you directly to your hotel.
DAY 2 (SATURDAY): PADANG – MUARA SIBERUT – MENTAWAI TRIBE (B,L,D)
Fastboat will depart at 07:00 AM from Padang to Muara Siberut (3-4 hours). Upon arrival in Muara Siberut, collect our luggage assisted by our local team. While our local team reports our arrival at the police station, we will have lunch at the village’s local house.
After lunch, we will walk to the harbor for about 10 minutes to get to our small motorized wooden boat to reach Mentawai Island (2-3 hours). After we arrive, we will go to our homestay. We will stay at Uma, the Mentawaian traditional house. Along the walk, we will pass by a muddy area with slippery logs, sago trees, a jungle trek, and so on. So, please prepare yourself for this.
DAY 3 (SUNDAY): MENTAWAI (B,L,D)
Today, we will explore the daily activities of the Mentawai Tribe, such as searching for Sago worms or making sago powder – the staple food of the Mentawai Tribe. We will also see the traditional fabric (Tenun) making process. Stay overnight at the local house.
DAY 4 (MONDAY): MENTAWAI (B,L,D)
Today’s program is to see the tattoo-making process of the Mentawai Tribe. The tattoo represents the status of the people. After that, we will see how they do hunting and fishing. We shall not miss watching the traditional dances of Mentawai before the end of the day. Stay overnight at a local house.
DAY 5 (TUESDAY): MENTAWAI – PADANG (B,L,D)
Spend the last moment with the Mentawai by visiting another village. We will do short trekking and canoeing to the last Mentawai village. If lucky, we can meet more Mentawai Tribe in other villages. After lunch, pack up and return to Muara Siberut and then to Padang using a fast boat from 3 – 6 PM. Upon arrival at Padang, transfer to a hotel in Padang.
DAY 6 (WEDNESDAY): PADANG – SINYARU ISLAND (B,L,D)
Breakfast on your own time. Drop off at the airport.
How to Book
Please add the trip you would like to book to your cart, including the total number of people, yourself, and your companions. You do not need to make a payment at this stage. Once we receive your booking information, we will send a confirmation email with payment details and any other necessary information to finalize your booking.
By making a booking with us, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions.
Things to Note
