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Hello my loves, from Mentawai Islands Indonesia! I am back in the tropics after a really long journey and I am just feeling so good, so happy, so tan.
I’ve been spending most of my life the past few years in the tropics, so being back in this climate in Indonesia, one of my favorite countries, it just feels so grounding and I’m very, very happy to be here.
My skin is also loving me because in New York it’s quite dry in the wintertime and I literally have to like lather myself in lotion every single day.
Today’s episode is going to be about traveling to the Mentawai Islands, how I got here and giving you a taste of what this part of Indonesia is like.
Where Are The Mentawai Islands Located?
Mentawai Islands (pronounced “MENT-a-why”, not “men-TAW-ee”), also known as the Mentawais or Mentawai Islands Regency, is a chain of about a hundred islands in the West Sumatra province of Indonesia.
Mentawai Islands Quick Facts
- Official Language is Bahasa Indonesian. Useful phrases: selamat pagi = good morning, teri makasih = thank you, satu kelapa = one coconut (my most used phrase haha)!
- Official Currency is Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
- Religion in the Mentawai Islands is Christian, but the majority of Indonesia is Muslim
When To Go To Mentawai Islands
Shoulder Season (April-May/October-November): The best time of year to visit the Mentawai Islands is April-May or October-November.
This is known as the “shoulder season” where there aren’t as many charter boats, and the waves aren’t as crowded.
Rainy Season (December-March): Traveling to the Mentawais during rainy season isn’t ideal, as it downpours often for most of the day and many resorts are closed.
There are also less consistent waves during this time, so if you’re coming to surf, it might be flat.
Peak Season (June-September): The peak season is June-September, as this is when many people have holidays and are traveling.
The weather is so lovely during this time of year, but the waves get super crowded, especially with all the charter boats coming in. Usually when one shows up, at least 10 people get off to surf one spot.
But if this is the only time of year you’re able to visit, you’ll still have a great time!
How To Get To Mentawai Islands
Step 1 – Fly to Padang, Indonesia (PDG). Padang Minangkabau Airport is an international airport in West Sumatra. You can fly here from Bali, Jakarta, Medan, or Kuala Lumpur.
Step 2 – Fast Ferry from Padang to Tuapejat. As the ferry leaves early in the morning, you will probably have to stay overnight. We stay at Santika Hotel every time and I definitely recommend them for a comfortable stay with a buffet breakfast.
Step 3 – Organize Transfer To Your Accommodation. There are many islands in the Mentawai, and depending on where your final destination is, you may need to organize a private transfer to get there.
I definitely recommend purchasing an Indonesian eSIM beforehand so you can be connected throughout this whole journey and be able to communicate with your driver and accommodation.
I always use Holafly as they have unlimited data for a super affordable price. You can use WANDERLOVER at checkout for 5% off.
It took us almost four days to get here from New York! We first flew direct from New York to Singapore which took 19 hours.
We then had a connecting flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, spent a night at the airport hotel, and then flew to Padang in the morning. This was the day we entered Indonesia.
We stayed overnight in Padang, and then woke up super early to take the fast ferry to Tuapejat, which is the main harbor of the Mentawai Islands.
Afterwards, we needed to take another private speedboat to Villa Onu, where we are staying for the month!
Can You Bring Surfboards To The Mentawais?
Yes! My husband was able to bring his shortboard bag and I was able to bring my longboard on the car transfers, to the hotels, and on the ferries with no problem at all.
Surfing In Mentawai Islands
What I love about Indonesia is the world class waves, especially the Mentawai Islands. Because of its location, it has some of the world’s best, most consistent waves.
Many people opt to book a charter boat so you can surf all around the islands depending on swell and wind, but my husband and I preferred to stay on land.
We stayed at Villa Onu Mentawai for a month, which is right in front of Lance’s Right, also known as Hollow Tree’s.
It is a perfect right hand barrel that breaks on very shallow reef. Definitely not for beginners! However, there are many other waves within a short drive that are suitable for beginners and intermediate surfers.
My favorite wave for longboarding was a short 5 minute drive away by motorbike called The Point.
Is There Wifi In The Mentawai Islands?
The Mentawais are still super remote and they do not have the infrastructure to connect to fast wifi.
But luckily, as of 2024, many accommodations have introduced Starlink that provides powerful, consistent wifi at over 50 mbps upload and 25 mbps download.
It might be a bit difficult if you have to upload large files or host large calls, but it’s not impossible to work from here.
Where To Stay
We stayed at Villa Onu Mentawai and had the most incredible time. It is the perfect spot if you’re on your honeymoon or traveling with a family.
There’s breakfast, lunch and dinner included in the packages provided by a private in-house professional chef.
The quality, the plating, the presentation is so good and you can like request anything you want from like ribeye steaks to sashimi that’s freshly caught or like creme brulee and macarons. It’s actually insane what they are capable of.
You also have the option to go next doors to the restaurant for food and happy hours!
There is daily housekeeping, a private pool, in-house bar, fishing trips, massage area, and surf lessons if needed.
Plus maybe most importantly, Starlink!
Visas For Indonesia
Some of you have also been asking me how I stay in Indonesia for extended periods of time.
If you have an American or British passport, you can stay visa free for 30 days. You can also apply for a 60 day Visa online now.
In the past, we’ve also applied for business visas where we’re able to stay for six months.
Most people I know they either stay for 30 or 60 days and then if you want to go on a visa run, you’re able to go to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore for a week or two.
Conclusion
The plan right now is to stay for 60 days and we’ll see where we go after. We might come back, we might not.
But the beauty of this type of lifestyle is we’re okay with the unknown. We like seeing how much we like a place and then deciding from there instead of having to have our entire year planned out.
I’m going to be recording episodes from the Mentawai Islands for the next few weeks. Guys, if you want to check out Villa Onu Mentawai, you can email me or DM me on Instagram for a discount code if you want to stay.
I cannot recommend it enough and I really hope you are able to fly to this side of the world one day because it is absolute paradise. I will see you guys in the next episode and sending you so much love from the Mentawai Islands.
If you’ve enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This helps us spread The Wanderlover mission to those who need a dose of inspiration today.
What To Do Next
- Buy travel medical insurance so you are fully covered in case anything goes wrong.
- Buy an eSIM card so you are immediately connected as soon as you land!
- Book flights!
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Top 5 Digital Nomad Destinations (for Surfers)!
