The Mentawai Islands lie off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. They
offer some of the most perfectly formed surfing waves in the world. Their
virtues have been praised in surfing magazines around the world.
Here are some first impressions published in SURFER Magazine:
"Just when you thought you'd seen it all, you realize you haven't. This was
my first trip to this area, and it shocked me. I've been going on surf trips
for 30 years and bar none this is the richest wave field I've ever been to.
You see photos of this place on the printed page and go, 'Yeah, wow!' But you
have to go there to appreciate the area, how remote it is, and how beautiful
and wild and how many damn surf spots there are. It's like a miracle...
"... Another thing that really struck me about this area is how pristine it
all was. Most of the islands were just schoolbook fantasy scenes--palm-lined,
white sand beaches with thick jungle beyond that. Sometimes there was a little
hut built on the end of a point. But for the most part, nature overwhelmed any
sign of man. There's something very satisfying about that."
In addition to surfing, the area offers beautiful island beach walks, and
memorable contacts with the local Mentawai people, who live close-to-nature in
small villages on the unspoiled island |
