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Indonesia is the best surfing destination in the world. Huge ocean swells, warm water, 17,000 islands, friendly people, the list goes on. Probably the best part of Indonesia for surfing is the Mentawai islands off the West Coast of northern Sumatra. I did a 10-day jungle hike through Siberut, one of the islands back in 1993. While I was in Siberut I stayed on the porches of long-houses belonging to natives. These were raised on stilts as the boggy ground was deep with mud and surrounded by jungle. Surfers know that the only way to access the Mentawai islands is by live-aboard boat, meaning they eat, sleep and play on the boat. The only time they leave is to surf. Lack of infrastructure is the reason for this added to the tremendously high rate of malaria. During my time in the Mentawai islands I swam down jungle rivers and walked around barefoot, but diseases are around and they take a toll on the people.
Most surfers do not get to see the Bronze Age Mentawai natives in the tiny jungle villages, hunting monkeys, chopping down sago trees and travelling by dug-out. SurfAid International helps in the fight to stop the spread of malaria in the Mentawai islands. Make a donation if you feel the need.
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Good article on MSN about surfing in the Mentawais
How about donating to Surf Aid International if you are concerned about the Mentawai people?
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I am contemplating a land based feral trip to mentawais for surf. How did you avoid malaria on your 10 day jungle hike? What is access like to the villages near surf locations?
I went to Siberut for jungle trekking, and Nias for the beach relazation.
Man Siberut is jungle. We’re talking knee deep mud, solid trees and bush, etc. No way you’re getting through there alone.
All the surfers stay on boats and usually never go ashore.
I walked around in the jungle mud barefoot, swam down jungle rivers and during the day the mozzies were no worries.
Nias has a really nasty strain too, but we were all just wearing shorts.
Most of the longhouses we stayed in were deep in th jungle next to rivers. Along the coast there are some beaches but there is a ton of mangrove too, real Tarzan land.
im a surfer wanting to to stay at in the mentawias but dont want to do the “boat trip”. is it possible to stay for a few months, living cheap? are there any places to stay?
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