🌺 Mentawai Islands Guide: Wild Beauty, Ancient Spirit & How to Get There

Tucked away off the coast of Sumatra, the Mentawai Islands feel like another world—untamed, soulful, and full of ocean magic. It’s a place where time slows down, barefoot living makes sense, and nature still leads the way. These islands have been a deep well of inspiration for us at Makaop, where each shell holds a story from this raw and beautiful corner of the world.

🌴 Where Are the Mentawai Islands?

The Mentawais are a dreamy chain of islands drifting in the Indian Ocean, about 150 km west of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia. Think palm-fringed shores, turquoise reefs, lush jungle, and quiet villages. The main islands are Siberut, Sipura, and the Pagais.

It’s remote, yes—but that’s part of the magic.

✨ The Spirit of Mentawai: Culture & Connection

The Mentawai people have lived in tune with nature for thousands of years. Their way of life is deeply spiritual—centered around the forest, animals, and ancestral wisdom. Deep in the Siberut jungle you might still meet few elders with full-body tribal tattoos (Makaop designs are inspired by these beautiful drawings), wearing handwoven loincloths, living in wooden jungle homes called uma, hunting and cooking on fire.

It’s not just fascinating—it’s humbling. A reminder of how simple, intentional living can be the richest kind of life.

“But like in so many places around the world, Mentawai’s ancient culture is slowly fading—pushed aside by modern surf resorts, camps, boutique hotels, and, more tragically, by massive deforestation caused by foreign logging companies, many of them Chinese-owned. The land that once sustained generations is now being sold, cleared, and commodified. What’s lost isn’t just forest, but identity, balance, and sacred connection to the natural world.” Since the pandemic, gentrification has taken hold across Indonesia, and even this once-untouched paradise feels the shift. And with it, the mindset of the Mentawai people is also changing. Where life was once deeply rooted in nature, community, and tradition, the pressures of modern development and fast tourism have introduced a new path—one that often means selling land or giving up ancestral ways for the promise of quick income. It’s a complex reality, where survival meets modern influence, and where cultural richness risks being traded for short-term gain. But Mentawai was never meant to be like this. What makes these islands so magical is their rawness, their silence, their deep connection to nature. You come here to sleep in a wooden uma, to wake with the tide, to forget time. There was a time when Westerners came not to build or profit, but to simply be—to learn, to listen, to live in rhythm with the ocean and the forest. They came to become part of the land, not to reshape it.

“So when you travel to Mentawai, come as a guest—one who is mindful of the environment, respectful of the local people, and open to learning from the land. And if you come as an investor or builder, please carry the spirit of Mentawai with you. Remember its roots, its sacred wildness, and its deep cultural heritage. Create something that gives back, not just something that profits. This place was never meant to be tamed—it was meant to be honored.”

🛶 How to Get to Mentawai (Your Little Adventure)

1. Fly to Padang (Minangkabau Airport – code PDG). Make sure you book early morning flights, many flights through Jakarta get delayed and you don't want to miss the ferry next day! If you fly internationally, best way is KL-PDG or now new flights from Singapore.

2. Take car from airport to the city. (Better to have your transfer booked in advance, you don't want to pay expensive taxi and porters from the airport, ask your accommodation in Mentawai to organize it for you).

3. Recommended places to stay over night: Santika $$$, Mercure $$$, D'Oxville $$, Sentosa Lodge $ (ask for the Lighthouse room), Yani Home Stay $.

4. Recommended places to eat: Padangsche Spaarbank $$$, Kiosk $$, Apollo $$, Warkop Nipah $, Warung Cokro $.

5. From there, hop on the Mentawai Fast Ferry to Tuapejat or Siberut.⏳ Book your ticket in advance, ferry gets full. The boat ride takes around 3 to 4 hours. Bring snacks, hoodie, and patience. In case of bad weather get ready the ferry will get cancelled and you will have to wait 2 more nights in Padang to hop on the next one. Always check latest schedule on their instagram.

   
   

💸 What It Costs (Roughly)

Mentawai travel isn’t dirt cheap, but it’s 100% worth it. Here’s a loose idea:

• Ferry: around $25 USD one way + boardbag 15-20 USD

• Stay:

  – Simple beach bungalows or homestays: $40–100/night (often doesn't include meals and boat transfers)

  – Surf resorts or private villas: $200–400+/night (usually all inclusive with airport transfers) Come stay on our private island with left hander out front: Togat Nusa Retreat.

• Surf tax 2 mil IDR = approx 123 USD

• Local eats in the village: $2–5/meal (think rice, fresh fish, coconuts)

  
  

🌿 Weather Vibes & Best Time to Go

It’s tropical all year—think warm days, salty hair, and the occasional tropical downpour.

• Best months: March to October (dry season, sunny and dreamy)

• Rainy season: November to February (still beautiful, just wetter and greener)

• Surf season: April to October is peak swell season (But this is changing due to the climate change and surf season is very unpredictible, the most consistent months are May-June)

  
  

Don’t worry too much about weather—the island always has something to offer, rain or shine. It is always pretty!

🌊 Why We Made Mentawai Our Home

The Mentawai Islands aren't just a destination—they’re a feeling. Wild. Slow. Real.

In Mentawai, you can truly be yourself. There’s no noise, no rush, no need to perform—just you and the elements. You meet your rawest, truest self here. The ocean teaches you presence. The jungle reminds you how to listen. The simplicity of life shows you what really matters. Here, you’re free—to slow down, to reconnect, to just be.

Every shell we use at Makaop was once part of this world—tumbled by waves, kissed by reef, collected with care. Wearing our pieces means carrying a little piece of this magic with you—wherever you are.

If you are coming to Mentawai, find us at Scarecrows, send us message, we might have some pieces waiting for you.

Terry, 9.7.2025