SBY 02 - 7 Days Life Transition of Indigenous Mentawai
Program Details & Highlights
Program Highlights
You’ll be taken away far from the tourist trail, into the heart of Siberut Island. Deep within their rainforest where indigenous people live close to nature, there will be NO Electricity and NO mobile phone access. These uncomplicated rainforest dwellers are struggling to maintain their traditional lifestyle against the paradoxes of modernization. This trek is only recommended if you are fit and prepared to accept very basic and often uncomfortable conditions. Meet, stay, explore and experience Mentawai Culture. A trekking combination of village and rainforest. Learn about sago processing, bark cloth processing, do other activities that will heighten your interest in and fascination with the Mentawai natural philosophy.
Program Details
Siberut, live the way indigenous Mentawaians live. A group of people who live close to nature in the heart of this island’s rain forest. Some of them still maintain their ancient way of living and some are in transition.
The indigenous Mentawaians are culturally patrilineal groups and social life is centered around the UMA, a communal long house lead by a clan chief. Animism is their belief.
All objects are supposed to have spirits. Their shamans are called “Sikerei” who can communicate with those spirits. Their respect for nature or environment reflects an elaborate beliefs system as their cultural characteristic.
This is a challenging trek to the heart of Siberut National Park to experience daily life with Mentawai families. You will stay as guests of a local “Sikerei” in the Uma. In this basic condition, you will gain a unique insight into the life of Mentawai who maintain a belief system based on living in total harmony with nature.
Day by Day SBY 02 - 7 Days Life Transition of Indigenous Mentawai
Day 1: Aloita - Arrival (Friday) in Minangkabau International Airport (D)
Welcome to Padang, West Sumatra, meet and greet. Directly transfer for check in at comfortable hotel in Padang. Have chance to rest and relax and wait as the rest of group arrives. After hotel dinner our guide will brief you on program orientation.
Day 2: Crossing Mentawai Strait (BLD) (Saturday)
Morning transfer to Muara Harbor (around 06:00 - 06:15 AM, depending distance from hotel) and boarding at 07:00 AM. Breakfast box provided. Crossing Mentawai Strait, transit to Sikabaluan (around 4 hours boating), loading more passengers about 1 hour and continue about 2 hours boating to Muara Siberut (depends on waves and other sea condition). Upon arrival, luggage clearance supported by our local team and public transport transfer to local house where our lunch is prepared. Our team will manage guest registration to local authority. Walking to small harbor, boating to the land of Indigenous Mentawaians by small wooden boat for about 2.5 hours (depending on river’s current and tide. Upon arrival at the Mentawai land, luggage clearance and our porter will be ready to carry our stuffs. Walking to “ Uma”, Mentawai communal house, passing the muddy, slippery single logs, sago tree plantation, forest trek with green lovely view, unique animals and plants in wild life. As we arrive at “Uma”, bed setting, dinner and staying at this local house.
Day 3-4: Experience Indigenous Mentawai Daily Life (BLD) (Sunday-Monday)
Here, with basic condition, you will gain a unique insight and experience into the lives of these people who maintain a belief system based on living in total harmony with nature. Explore the rainforest of Siberut National Park near the indigenous Mentawaian remote village. If you are lucky, we can see endemic primates “Bilou” (Hylobates klosii) or “Joja” (Presbytis potenziani). Experience their daily activities such as searching for Sago worm, making sago powder (Mentawaian staple food), fishing, making loin clothes, “Shaman” works or rites, making poison, handcrafting, hunting, and other cultural activity they do when we are there. Specifically for tattoo-making (oldest in the wold) it will be special.
Cultural performance will be a program on the last night. While staying in Mentawai land, meals will be provided by our local chef.
Day 5: Back to West Sumatra Mainland (BLD) (Tuesday)
After breakfast and farewell with local host, back to main village and transfer to local house. Chance to clean your stuffs and take shower. Lunch time and boating back to Padang at 3.00 PM. it will be around 3,5 hours and directly transfer to comfortable hotel in Padang. Dinner will be in the street food court and Padang Night Walk for about 1.5 hours.
Day 6: Back to West Sumatra Mainland (BLD) (Wednesday)
Breakfast, lazy morning, and enjoy hotel facilities. Before midday : Padang City tour; combination of cultural historical and modern atmosphere trip, Indian Ocean Sunset Break. Lunch will be at local restaurant and hotel farewell dinner with special Minangkabau cultural performances.
Day 7: Airport Transfer - Sampai Jumpa (B) (Thursday)
Free program at your own leisure until airport transfer or continue with the next program.
- 2.5% will be donated to support Green Tourism Institute to educate and advocate West Sumatra local community about “sustainable tourism”.
- Small Group Trip (Maximum 8 Pax)
- Don’t forget to prepare your backpack for 4 days trip in Mentawai while the main luggage will be kept safely in our hotel storage.
- In “Local Communal Residency”: you’ll face and deal with very basic condition.
- In communal sites our team will manage and advise about rubbish handling.
- In communal residency, you’ll get dorm bedding style, we usually provide single tent, mosquito net (bedding equipment).
- The trip’s purpose is to experience culture from a journey, with local people sharing their culture to maintain their good deeds as many outsiders are interested to see and internalize them. Besides, the visitor is encouraged to support and develop this part of the world as a destination for peace and mutual respect.
- This is an open trip, you will be with travelers around the world.
- Special private trip or out of the schedule please contact us.
- The routes are in remote area, away from the tourist trail and most activities directly deal with local people. Our guides will brief you about appropriate behavior, both cultural and environmental.
- In most routes, there will be no phone signal and electricity.
- Don’t worry about meals, we provide in our team a “chef” and supported with locals.
- Bring your own repellent/mosquito spray and private medicine.
- This trip is not recommended for someone with any respiratory problems.
- For any force majeure situation, operator will change the route/ activities to a similar one.
- Trip start and end at Padang (West Sumatra-Indonesia)
- If you want to continue with our program “17 Days, Coastal Land to Highland of Minangkabau Unique Culture”; you’ll be separated from the group at day 5 and directly transferred to Pariaman. You will also get price adjustment and discount for taking both program.
- Above price is a starting price based on 2 pax and twin share room (the more pax you directly confirm, there will be a significant price adjustment.
3 Nights at “Uma”, Mentawaian communal house (really at basic condition)
3 Nights B&B at Padang (4 star hotel)
*Single Supplement only for Hotel (+ € 66 / $ 74 )
Meals as stated in program detail (6X dinner, 5X lunch, 6X breakfast)
* Please inform us for any dietary or vegetarian requirement
- Tour Design.
- 6 Night Accommodation as in “Accommodation & Meals” Information.
- Meals as in “Accommodation & Meals” Information.
- Comfortable Tourist Transportation (adjusted to number of travelers) while you’re out of Mentawai Islands.
- Fast Ferry Transfer to and out of Mentawai Islands.
- Experience Local Transport in certain occasion
- Licensed English-Speaking Guide and Mentawai Speaking Local Guide.
- Tour Crews (Logistic, Local Chef, Videographer & Photographer)
- Trekking Equipment (First Aid, Sleeping Bag, Mattresses, Head Lamp, Trekking Stick and Mosquito Net).
- Donation to Green Tourism Institute and certification as Green Friend of Indonesia.
- All Entrance Fees, donations to local community and activities fee.
- Private Cultural Performances at Farewell Dinner
- CD Documentation
- International Flight Ticket
- All Personal Expense or Anything out of Inclusions
- Tipping (Please contact us for suggestion)
- Insurance