Playgrounds – Mentawai Islands

Visas

Citizens of another 87 countries are eligible to obtain one of the following visas:

• Electronic Visa On Arrival (e-VOA/B213)
• Electronic Visitor Visa
• Social, Tourist, or Cultural Visa (B211)
• Free Visa Stamp
• Multiple Entry Visa

Some passport holders are eligible to apply for an online e-VOA or Visitor Visa, otherwise, you must obtain a visa in advance at an Indonesian embassy or consulate. If you get the e-VOA before you arrive, you have the option to extend by simply filling out a new Indonesia eVisa application form online, but must first leave the country in order to request a new visa.

Visas issued at the airport on arrival can only be extended through an immigration office, which should be done 14-7 days before expiry.

Visitor Visa is a single-entry visa valid for a 30-day stay in Indonesia with the purpose of Tourism, Government visits, Business Meetings, Goods Purchasing, or Transit only and is not extendable.

The B211 is a 60-day visa for visiting family, friends or an employment trial and can be extended 3 times by 30-days. More hoops to jump through including being sponsored by an eligible Guarantor. Cost IDR 2,000,000.

9 neighbouring countries get a Free Visa Stamp for stays of up to 30 days maximum with no extensions permitted (Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam).

Multi Entry, investment, sport and journalist 60-day visas are available through the main portal.

The 30-day e-VOA & Visitor Visa fee is IDR 500.000. You may be asked for proof of your return flight details and proof of financial resources.

DO NOT overstay as the fines aren’t cheap (IDR 1,000,000/day) and they can stop you from re-entering for a period of time. As always, check for any updates before you book your trip, as visa policy has changed a few times in recent years.

Getting There

Free 30 day visas have replaced the pay on arrival system for most nationalities. The 30 days are non-extendable – you must leave and return for another tourist visa. All other visas must be applied for at an embassy prior to leaving. 60 day visas are longest available. Connections to Padang Minangkabau Int. Airport from Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia and Singapore on Tiger Airways. Domestic flights arrive from Jakarta, Medan, Batam, Bandung and Subang on Garuda, Batavia Air, Lion Airlines, Mandala Airlines, Air Asia, Sriwijaya Air & SMA (Sabang Merauke Air). SMA operates a Padang to Rokot (Sipura) or amphibian direct to Macaronis resort. Susi Air have 12 seat Cessna charters. Board charges vary wildly across the airlines and small planes have a two board limit and length restrictions. It’s a 3-4 hour ride by speedboat to Tua Pejat, but most charters take twice that. Overnight ferries from Padang to Siberut, Tua Pejat/Sioban (Sipora) and Sikakap (North Pagai,) are slow (up to 14hrs) and subject to timetable change (different vessels to different ports on different days!). Ambu Ambu prices start from around $15 e/w for V.I.P lounge chair to $35 e/w for a cabin. Mentawai Express fast ferry takes 4hrs and carries 170 passengers. Most charter guests will be whisked from Padang airport to either of the harbours at Teluk Bayur or Pelabuhan Bungus and set off without having to stay overnight in Padang.

Getting Around

Most surfers are likely to be aboard one of 50 odd charter boats operating in the Mentawai’s. Many boats boast superior top-end speeds, but most will be cruising in the low teens, knots-wise. Long-distance travelling is often done at night and weighing anchor when the wind shifts often becomes a race to get to the next spot. Staying in one of the land-based surf camps means using the hi-speed dingies if the local breaks aren’t working and can be a bouncy ride on the longer inter area strikes. Independent travellers have been discouraged by difficulties like getting from the lee-side ports across to the surf and finding accommodation in the local villages. Roads are rare and there’s only a few motorbike/walking paths to major spots like Macca’s, so most villages are best accessed by boat. Silabu Village installed 2 buoys in Pasongan harbour next to Macaronis, requiring boats to book in a week before arrival and pay a mooring fee plus a per head surfer fee, which are used for community projects. This limits the numbers to around 36 maximum, shared evenly between the resort and charters and stops anchor damage in the bay. This precedent may expand across the region if resorts can obtain the various government licenses. Threats to revoke charter licenses for boats not registered in Indonesia have been rumoured and would drastically reduce surf fleet numbers if implemented.

Accommodation

Yacht charters offer unrivalled flexibility to be in the right place at the right time and are still the preferred option for a Mentawai surfari. Vessels carry from as few as 5 to as many as 14, so factor in the instant crowd. Levels of luxury vary from pimped-up, gleaming white sports cruisers and catamarans to local sailing ketches. Some charters carry a PWC along with a fast tender to ferry people to the line-up. For a comprehensive list of operators, go to the respected charter kings at Indies Trader.

At least 20+ land camps are now firmly established in the Playgrounds area and trips are usually for 10-14 days costing anything from $55/d for a basic homestay to $300/d for the luxury resorts. Many boats/camps are booked out at least a year in advance, especially for peak season, so plan ahead. Doing it in a harder, but maybe more rewarding manner, some villagers do put surfers up – be generous in return. Staying in Padang to connect with your transfer or charter usually requires staying overnight. Various operators have deals with hotels and homestays and sometimes it is included in your package. The Ambachang and many other western-style, multi-storey hotels were destroyed in the Sept ’09 earthquake, but have now been rebuilt.

The Mentawai Tourism Department has raised the individual surfing tax to Rp.2.000.000 for 2024.

Activities

The virgin forest, rugged topography, rare flora and fauna and a unique tribal society make the Mentawai’s an ideal spot for trekking. Neolithic material culture has evolved for 2-3000 years on Siberut, which is the place to experience daily life in an authentic Mentawai village. The southern islands were colonized far later (2-400yrs) and recent immigration has brought some modernisation. Eco-friendly tours offered by various surf and trekking companies are now doing more to benefit the local populations and the land-based camps are increasingly sourcing food and labour from local villages. A local government tax on every visiting surfer (land or sea) is earmarked to help create infrastructure. The non-profit organisation Surfaid International has already vastly improved health care by fighting preventable diseases like malaria, through education and mosquito net distribution. Walking paths criss-cross the islands through dense tropical lowland rain forest, home to endangered endemic monkeys (Mentawai macaque, Kloss’s gibbon, pig-tailed langur, leaf-monkey, snub-nosed monkey) deer, snakes (reticulated python, king cobra, viper), saltwater crocodiles and a range of amazing birds. 60% of the forest is intact, but logging and cash crop clearing threaten the local wildlife.

Hazards & hassles

The surf is intense. Be prepared for long hold-downs and nasty reef cuts; take a well-stocked first aid kit. Boat operators can provide basic first aid assistance like suturing, but any major injury this far from expert medical attention can be fatal. Only choice is one of Padang’s 3 hospitals, which were all damaged in the ’09 quake. Staph infections are commonplace. Strong rips are a hassle and the sea-lice can be extreme. Heat exhaustion can occur after super-long sessions – stay well hydrated and screened from the midday sun. Sea sickness can strike anyone – take prevention measures (pills, bands, etc). Rampant and very dangerous strains of malaria are a serious threat and many anchorages are close enough to shore for mozzies to attack.

Handy Hints

Bring lots of spare surf equipment like wax and leg-ropes. In the prime season, bigger boards can help at spots like Thunders and Iceland, but not too long to fit and turn in the perfect barrels. Try to charter with a group of surfers all at the same level of ability. Avoid paddling out en masse when other boat guests are already out. A bit of patience will help the ambience as will avoiding the thought that “we were here first, this is our wave!” Sharing what is obviously a huge resource by surfing some of the less crowded waves will often be more rewarding than hassling for bombs at Lance’s and Maccas every day.

Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.