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This island is about an hour and a half by motorboat from Siberut. It is a pleasant little place and can be walked across in about 30 minutes. There are a couple of tiny villages of people who live mainly off fishing and coconuts. If you see them at the top of a 20 metre tall palm tree, hanging on by just their feet and one arm while they use the other arm to hack the coconuts off with a machete, stay well away as if one hits you on the head it will probably do some serious damage! If you enter conversation with the coconut harvester you are more than likely to be offered some of his delicios fruit.
The main reason most people come to Nyang Nyang is for the world class surf breaks such as E-bay and Nepussy. Their are a handful of wooden huts on the beach next to one of these breaks which hardcore surfers pay 50,000 per night to stay in and wait for waves.
If you come here bring your own food and fresh water, or at least a filter and purifiers, as there are no shops and no source of fresh water on the island.
Written Apr 15, 2008
Nowhere in Siberut is more than 400m above sea level, so trekking here is relatively easy. However, the low altitude also means that it's very hot and humid, and on top of this you have to do a vast amount of wading through mud, rivers and swamps. Still, it's enjoyable and interesting to spend time with the local Mentawai clans.
Written Apr 15, 2008
This is where the boat from Padang, Sumatra, will land you. It's small, more of a village than a town, has no cars and has what I found to be a friendly, laid back atmosphere. Having said that, it's not somewhere you'd want to spend more time than you had to. Here you can find a guide and someone to take you trekking in the jungle. Go down to the docks and ask around. Guides will want to go the first day by motorised canoe with you, and although this is not strictly necessary they may be hard to persuade otherwise. The fuel for the canoe makes the trip expensive if you are traveling alone, but is much more manageable if you are in a group. A group of 5 or 6 people can expect to pay $100 - $150 for a 10 day trip.
Written Apr 15, 2008
Boats leave Padang, West Sumatra, to Siberut, about 2 or 3 times a week. The journey takes 10 hours and is overnight. One boat costs 45,000 for a space on deck, or 65,000 for a bed in a room. Another costs 85,000 for a space on deck or 100,000 for a bed in a room. Book your tickets at the port in Padang, Sumatra. There is also a hotel in Padang which can your reserve your tickets - I forget the name, but it mentions it in the lonely planet.
Don't rely on these boats - they are often cancelled because of bad weather and you may have to wait for up to a week after your planned departure date, especially in June or July when the seas are roughest.
Written Apr 15, 2008
One of the main elements in the Mentawai diet. This white, sugary tasting substance is made by an incredibly long and laborious process which takes several days. First the sago tree must be cut down, then hacked open, then the pith removed. Then the pith must be crushed to release the starch then washed and strained to separate the starch from the rest of the mixture. The Mentawais use an enormous wooden contraption to do this, pictured below. Then it must be collected and baked.
Written Apr 15, 2008
The Uma is the name of the long house in which Mentawai people live in the jungle. It is huge, and several families stay in one Uma.
Written Apr 15, 2008
This is the traditional clothing of the Mentawai people. It is made by cutting the bark from a tree and beating it until it becomes soft.
Updated Apr 15, 2008
The Skeri, or medecine man, is still very much trusted in Mentawai culture, and some young children and teenagers are still trained to become one. They know how to make many different medecines and poisons from what they can find in the jungle.
Written Apr 15, 2008
Helpfulness
The Mentawai have a strong believe in naturespirits, for these people depends completely on their natural environment (at least still a few clans). Everything they need is supplied by natural resources and any trouble is a sign that the spirits are angry.
Whether it is a little stream, a durian tree, a small hill, every spirit has his own moods and demands, that influences their daily life to a high extend.
The Mentawai keep f.e. the skulls of any animal killed, such as monkeys or pigs, in the house to respect their souls and give them "presents" now and then. Like the bird on the picture.
Updated Jun 21, 2004
Don;t come here with a Minangkabau guide from mainland Sumatra, or hire one when you get to Siberut. The Mentawai people hate them bringing foreignors to the territory and making money while giving very little back to the people themselves. Coming with a Minang guide is only likely to give you a worse experience. Guides are EXTREMELY easy to find in Maurusiberut; you can literally find one at the docks and be off on your trek within hours of arriving from Padang.
Lots of Minangkabau, in Padang, Bukkitingi and Siberut, will pretend to be Mentawai to encourage you to take them as your guide. Just wait until you get to Siberut and ask around.
Updated Apr 15, 2008
On the island of Siberut, 9 hours off Sumateras eastcoast from Padang, there's still a small population of people who maintain their primitive jungle lifestyle. We stayed at 4 umas(clanhouses) during...
Siberut is one of the Mentawai Islands, around 100 miles from the coast of West Sumatra. They have been separated from mainland Sumatra for 500,000 years so have unique ecosystems. The people are...
Build your own Pulau Siberut page
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