Organized
in tight cooperation with certain Mentawai clans,our treks
offer the opportunity to share the daily life of a Mentawai
village deep in the equatorial forest. The participants
to our groups will learn how to manufacture a bow and arrow,
how poison is used in arrows, how to find wild honey, make
delicious bread from processed sawdust, catch fish in the
river and many other things, amid laughter and the warmth
of friendship.
Shamanist
ceremonies
Our guests will discover a shamanist society still living
in perfect symbiosis with Nature.
Shamanism is a quest for harmony in the relationships between
human beings and Nature, the clans, men and women and between
individuals. It is a profound wisdom born out of the constraints
of survival and is also an effective natural medecine practiced
by witch doctors: the shamans.
Numerous taboos – actions that are forbidden because
they threaten harmony – , especially those concerning
hunting, wisely balance the use of the environment. Long
and complex rituals regulate the hunting expeditions, thus
limiting the damage among the monkey and wild hog populations.
Other shamanist taboos regulate the relationships inside
or between the clans.
The travelers may get lucky and be invited to a healing
ceremony or to the ritual preparation for a hunt that are
part of the daily life of the Mentawai. During these ceremonies
the sikerei (shamans) call on the spirits to re-establish
harmony where it is missing.
According to the Mentawai, illnesses and accidents are nothing
but the symptoms of a troubled mind. Perhaps the global
pollution and destruction of nature brought on by Western
cultures are the very symptoms of our troubled souls?
Our guests may find a clue to the answer to this question
by participating in these ceremonies. This authentic experience
is a rare privilege. It goes far beyond tourism: we are
speaking of a discovery, of a deeply human experience and,
why not, of establishing lasting friendships between the
Mentawaians and their guests.
Traveling
with us
Physical
condition
Our basic program doesn’t require any special training
but a good basic physical condition is essential. The treks
are suitable to every hiker. The major part of the trip
is carried out on pirogues and porters take care of the
luggage.
We can organize on request much more challenging expeditions.
Siloinak
Island resort
When arriving or leaving the Mentawai Archipelago our guests
are welcomed in our traditional bungalow resort built on
a deserted island, private property of Mentawai Adventure.
Everything combines to make their stay a heavenly experience
:excellent comfort, top food quality, coconut palm fringed
beaches, an emerald shaded water lagoon and a magnificent
aquatic wildlife.
Comfort
We make life in the equatorial forest comfortable. During
the trek our guests sleep in tents set up on wooden platforms
and protected by a palm roof. These structures ensure security,
comfort and maximal ventilation.
The meals are served at a table and we provide relatively
thick camping mattresses. Of course, we have made provisions
for lavatories.
Food
Mentawai Adventure takes great care of the quality
of food and special attention to aesthetics, from details
like the dishes and cutlery with which food is served, to
the sites chosen for each picnic. Our journeys share the
soul of the Mentawai people: we too honor beauty and harmony
with nature.
Safety
Due to its geographical situation Siloinak Island is totally
protected from a possible tsunami coming from the Indian
Ocean. The waves would break on the islands of Nyang- Nyang
and Siberut and would not reach Siloinak, which is known
as the safest harbor in the area. Fishermen boats shelter
there during storms.
Our trekking circuits, 200 meters in altitude, are too far
away from the coasts to be threatened by any tsunami.
There are very few objective dangers on Siberut Island.
There are almost no snakes in the Atabai area.They are rare
and very eluding during the trek towards “Forest Camp”
(our 17-day program, not visited during our 10-day program).
There are very few mosquitoes or flies in Siloinak and along
the trek.
Different
kinds of Treks
Expeditions
We can organize expeditions, allowing travelers to visit
the most inaccessible areas of Siberut Island and experience
authentic tropical exploration. Such trips include days
of hard walking through the forest, paddling in unstable
pirogues, followed by some well-deserved days of rest in
the idyllic environment of our Siloinak resort.
Are you looking for more ? Difficulty knows no limit in
the journeys we can organize.
Different
kinds of trekking groups
Regular
departure dates
Our standard treks take place every two weeks, from mid
December to late September.
These groups are made up of travelers of different nationalities
coming from different tour operators. We never cancel these
departures whatever the number of travelers. The price is
also guaranteed whatever the number of participants.
The groups consist of 12 travelers at most, accompanied
by an Indonesian, French or English tour leader, a Mentawai
guide, a cook and his assistant and the necessary number
of porters.
Exclusive
departure dates
We can also give exclusivity on a departure to a single
tour operator. These groups depart also every two weeks.
We guarantee the departure of these exclusive treks starting
at 2 guests. The prices evolve according to the number of
clients.
Trekking
season
The Mentawai Islands are located only 2 degrees south of
the Equator. Their tropical climate does not alter much
during the year. The average temperatures are between 26°
and 28° Celsius. It often rains at the end of the day,
and the rainfall’s monthly average only varies by
30 per cent during the whole year. The rainiest months are
October, November and early December.
We begin the trek season the third week of December, end
it late September and are closed from September 30 to December
15.
General
organization of our trips
Arrival
in Padang
A Mentawai
Adventure staff member will welcome you at the airport.
You will then be escorted to a comfortable hotel for a shower
and rest until the transfer to the harbor at around 7 pm.
The ferry to the Mentawai Islands leaves between 8 and 10
pm for a full night crossing.
If you arrive several days before the trek’s departure,
we will also assist you at the airport and transfer you
to the hotel. The accommodation costs (hotel and meals)
during the stay in Padang is not included in our price.
Transfer
to Siloinak Island
The
ferry offers basic cabins of four to six bunks. This is
however the most comfortable way to travel the 130 km (about
10 hours) to the Mentawai Archipelago. The ferry reaches
Siberut Island the second day of your journey, at 7 or 8
am.
From the Muara Siberut harbor, our speedboats take you to
Siloinak Island, about a 40-minute boat ride.
However, the departure timetable of the ferry allows for
some changes due to pending major cargo, motor maintenance
or weather conditions. In the event the ferry is grounded,
we will use our speedboats to make the crossover to Siloinak
Island. The trip should take from 4 to 5 hours. The speedboat’s
departure time will vary according to the weather and sea
conditions. We may leave Day 1 at around 11 am and reach
Siloinak at about 4 pm. We may also leave Day 2 at 5 am.
You will then spend the first night at the hotel, either
at Padang or at Bungus Beach (a 45 minute drive). In this
case, the cost of accommodation is included in our price.
Stay
at Siloinak Island
Siloinak
is a small palm covered island 3 kilometers south of Siberut.
The property of Mentawai Adventure, there are twenty
bungalows for two guests each and a restaurant.
This village was entirely built by the Mentawai people,
according to their traditional methods. No concrete or steel
roofs break the harmony and beauty of the environment.
The bungalows are spaced in a large flower garden, so as
to preserve everybody’s privacy and are widely open
to the sea. Hot water is available in the eight shared showers.
The architecture of the facilities responds to the same
aesthetic spirit that prevails on the entire island.
A professional cook with a wide experience in top Indonesian
hotels prepares the meals.
Transfer
to Atabai
The
third day, at dawn, you leave Siloinak by speedboat and
venture through a mangrove until reaching a river, where
you board light motor pirogues. The river's water draught
is quite limited. When the water level is very low, you
may be asked to get off and walk up the riverbed (less than
30 cm deep).
About noon, you arrive at the departure point of the trek,
where you will meet our porters. After a quick lunch, you
take a rather easy path for a 4-hour walk. There is only
one difficult passage: about 300 meters of a slippery uphill
path.
Living
in Atabai
To
not disturb the Mentawaians and for the comfort of our guests,
we have built a camp about 200 meters away from the uma,
the main house of the Mentawai clan that welcomes us. This
camp is made of platforms sheltered by palm leaf roofs,
where we set up large “igloo” tents. We provide
each hiker with a camping mattress. There are two people
per tent. Individual tents are available (and single bungalows
at Silonaik) for an extra cost.
Daily
activities at Atabai
Life at Atabai does not require strenuous physical effort.
We adopt the slow activity pace of the Mentawai people in
their daily activities. Visiting the surrounding forest
or the neighboring clans requires only 2 or 3-hour walks.
The mud, which is rather frequent, might be a slight problem.
A walking stick might be of use, and we recommend you wear
high rubber boots. Mentawai Adventure can rent
this kind of gear on arrival.
Relationships
with the Mentawai people
It
is of the highest importance to us to preserve the dignity
and mutual respect of the travelers and the Mentawai people.
The Mentawai Adventure tour-leader will explain
this question very much in detail at the beginning of the
tour. You must be aware that your presence brings great
hope for the future of this people. Please do not shatter
this hope by any inappropriate attitude.
Gifts
The Mentawai social relationship is based on the offering
of gifts. Mentawai Adventure watches over this
ritual reciprocal trade. Should you wish to bring more presents,
please give them at the end of your stay, to prevent the
development of begging. As much as possible try to offer
useful gifts such as notebooks, pencils and pens for the
pupils of our school; safety pins, hairpins, jewels, perfumes,
scissors, beauty creams for the women; petrol lighters (Zippo
type), pocket or kitchen knives for the men; flashlights
and batteries, small locks, traditional glass beads, cheap
watches for both men and women. On request, our staff will
help you buy these gifts in Padang.
Begging
Never
encourage begging. According to the Mentawai culture, it
is very natural to share one’s food and that is why
we are distributing it according to very precise rules.
Nevertheless, it is disrespectful to beg. Unfortunately,
the movie-making teams and some travelers do not hesitate
to offer the clans a lot of presents, bribing people for
the desired photos or films. This kind of attitude is creating
unhealthy unbalances that can result in aggressiveness towards
travelers and between members inside the clans. Therefore,
be friendly and polite but refrain from giving gifts all
the time. When leaving, give a present only to the persons
with whom you had a privileged relationship or who helped
you in some way. Do not give your gifts unconsciously.
Civility
Here are some rules of conduct, which could notably improve
your stay:
- The Mentawai culture is one of taboos. Breaking these
taboos puts the entire clan in danger. The person who dares
break them is thus severely condemned. The guide is there
to make sure that you don’t infringe on any of those
taboos. Among others: do not kiss or caress anyone in public:
this will only disturb the families’ peace; never
bath naked in the river: you could offend the spirit of
an ancestor and provoke illnesses in the village or a deadly
accident. In this case you could be held responsible.
- Always say “Hello” and “Good Bye”
when you go in or out of a house (a uma or a sapo). Your
guide will teach you these words in Mentawai and show you
the proper conduct.
- Never give out cigarettes, unless you are yourself smoking.
Sharing is then a traditional custom. You should plan to
bring three times your average tobacco consumption.
Taking
photographs
The
very organization of our trips and the friendly cooperation
of the welcoming clan create great conditions for taking
photographs and videos. Nevertheless the Mentawai people
do not appreciate harassment of any kind. We will ask you
to keep your cameras in your bags when entering the clan
and to wait for the first photo session before taking them
out. Don’t worry, you will get much better shots than
the ones you may “steel” or buy for a gift.
Health
The
drinking and cooking water are boiled and disinfected; the
dishes regularly disinfected too. The general hygienic conditions
are satisfactory. There are almost no mosquitoes on Siloinak
island and very few in Atabai. There is malaria however,
especially at the port of Muara Siberut and in Sumatra.
You should protect yourself by taking an antimalarial treatment
working on quinine and chloroquine resistant stem cells.
Our tour-leaders have a field medical kit, however we ask
you to bring along a 7-day broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment.
We suggest giving any unused medication to our health care
structure or to the free religious clinic of Muara Siberut.
Annoyances
Theft is endemic at the airport of Padang as well as on
the ferry; both place require great vigilance. However it
is very rare in Atabai and virtually null on Siloinak Island.
Reliability
of our services
The
Mentawai Archipelago is still virgin territory for trekking
agencies because of the many organizational difficulties
- especially the lack of reliable transfers by ferry and
by pirogues, and the need for the Mentawai clans’
cooperation.
We have solved the first two problems by owning our own
transportation means. The full cooperation of the Mentawaians
comes naturally because the idea of Mentawai Adventure
originated from a request for help from a clan.
That is why today we are the only structure proposing scheduled
trek programs in the Mentawai Archipelago and are able to
offer a very high level of reliability. The founder of the
agency’s long experience in trekking and expeditions
is the guarantee that all the needs of a Western clientele
have been taken into account in our programs. |
