Exploring the exotic west Sumatra, Indonesia ☀️ Surfing, hikes, culture and MORE

Arrive at Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, West Sumatra. You will be met by all your trip mates and transferred to the Hotel. We will get the traditional seafood cooking on the beach restaurant for dinner.

After breakfast in Hotel, you will be transferred to the harbor and a fast ferry will bring you to Muara Siberut. The main island of Mentawai clans. Transportation has been provided by our local guide to transfer you to Muntei village. Overnight here before down the river towards Butui Village. We will visit some of the Mentawai Clans and feel their lives. The Mentawai live in the traditional dwelling called the uma which is a longhouse and is made by weaving bamboo strips together to make walls and thatching the roofs with grass, the floor is raised on stilts and is made of wood planks. The main clothing for men is a loin cloth and they are adorned with necklaces and flowers in their hair and ears. Women wear the same thing except they wear a piece of cloth wound around the waist. Women wear small sleeveless vests and they sharpen their teeth with a chisel for aesthetic reasons to make their teeth look like a shark's.Tattooing is done with a needle and wood which is hammered on the needle by a shaman called sikerei. Tattooing on the island was an identity and a personal or communal reflection of the people's relationship to nature, called “arat subulungan”, although there are motivational and design differences from region to region and among clans. During the pre-independence era, cultural influence of foreign colonials and other islanders had systematically displaced or obliterated indigenous customs and religions. In postcolonial times, the Indonesian government supported this process of deletion with a decree in 1954 that prohibited indigenous religions, effectively abolishing tattooing and other customs. The traditional knife of the Mentawai people is called Palitai, while their traditional shield is called Kurabit. Men hunt wild pigs, deer and primates. Women and children gather wild yams and other wild food. Small animals are hunted by women. The Mentawai people keep pigs, dogs, monkeys and sometimes chickens as pets.

Enjoying the Surfing Beach in Siberut Island after the activities with the Mentawai Tribal People. Whether you surf or not, this destination will be special for you. There is not have neighbors, resorts or people around. Just coconut trees and isolated beaches with untouched coral reefs.

Get back to Padang city with the speedboat then drive to Bukittinggi for about 2 hours. In the morning next day, we visit the traditional market to prepare for your Minangkabau Food Class. You will have lunch with your own food. Walking or cycling around the village with our guide to see the traditional people in the rice fields and how they live. Staying at one of the traditional local house of Minangkabau, you will feel like at home.

After breakfast we will start your tour to Harau Valley then continue to Minangkabau Palace in Pagaruyung. The Harau Valley is sometimes known as the Yosemite of Indonesia. Here, gibbons and macaques and a variety of wildlife still roam freely as this area in the Lima Puluh Kota district has actually been designated a nature conservation, covering some 669 acres. Its beautiful landscape, its peaceful serenity interrupted only by the calls of the macaques and the chirping of birds, make the Harau Valley the perfect holiday getaway. The steep rock walls here are not only a natural invitation to photographers, but they also attract rock climbers who consider climbing these steep walls a significant challenge. There are 300 spots from where to climb. Looking up, the clear blue sky above is the ultimate finish line as you grab the belay devices, carabiners, and necessary ropes to reach the heights of the Harau Valley. This valley is infrequently visited so that you may have the whole valley all to yourself. Relaxing is one of the best time-elapsing activities here. Order a cup of coffee and local delicacies and setlle down to write the last chapter of your travels and the extraordinary experiences you had in wonderful Indonesia. Take time for a short walk around the village and watch how people live. Some of the women here work in the rice fields while men plough the fields behind water buffalos, providing the perfect shot for you to take. Continue to Pagaruyung Palace in Batusangkar. Pagaruyung Palace (Minangkabau: Istano Basa Pagaruyuang) is the istana (royal palace) of the former Pagaruyung Kingdom, located in Tanjung Emas subdistrict near Batusangkar town, Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It was built in the traditional Minangkabau Rumah Gadang vernacular architectural style, but had a number of atypical elements including a three-story structure and a larger dimension in comparison to common rumah gadang.

We will visit Panorama Park in the morning to see the magnificent view of Sianok Canyon Bukittinggi. The tour proceeds to Taruko Village for a short coffee break located at the bottom of Sianok Canyon. After that we travel further to the famous silversmith village in Sumatra, Koto Gadang to see local people make traditional handmade silver with native Minangkabau unique designs. Continue heading to Puncak Lawang to see the amazing caldera view of Danau Maninjau Lake from the height of 1.200m absl accompanied with the lovely breeze with superb fresh air full of oxygen. Lunch break surely be on our way at any local restaurant.

We will explore some islands and do snorkeling, you can do surfing as well with easy wave, meet the local people and enjoying the fisherman village near the reasort. Dinner at the resort restaurant with BBQ style and cheers with all trip mates before ending the trip.