Located west of Sumatra in Indonesia, are the Mentawais islands, a paradisiacal archipelago.
These islands are known worldwide for their perfect waves , white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. In one of them, you can find the exclusive accommodation "Botik Resort", a hotel dedicated to sustainable tourism.
These islands are known worldwide for their perfect waves , white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. In one of them, you can find the exclusive accommodation "Botik Resort", a hotel dedicated to sustainable tourism.
After several days in the city of Padang looking for waterfalls, visiting mosques and eating miegoreng in street stalls, we headed to our destination. We jumped on the ferry that would take us to the port of Siberut Island.
After a few hours of cruising and just after docking, we took the boat that would bring us to the private island where the Botik Resort is located.
There, among coconut palm trees, crystal clear water and white sand, you can find Iñigo and Debi. They are a couple of sea-loving travelers who, after years of living in different parts of the world, saw in Mentawais a place to settle down for a while. Debi and Inigo run this exclusive hotel that Mario, its founder, built several years ago.
The hotel consists of only 3 cabins hidden among the palm trees and tastefully made with natural materials and wood from the island itself. Only a maximum of 12 people can stay here, in order to preserve the peace and tranquility of the place, making it a place of pure luxury.
In addition, in the main cabin, there is the dining room and meeting point to share experiences. Debí and Íñigo have a wonderful team of local workers that make the experience in this place so unique.Besides from them, only a small community of local people lives on this island.
The hotel consists of only 3 cabins hidden among the palm trees and tastefully made with natural materials and wood from the island itself. Only a maximum of 12 people can stay here, in order to preserve the peace and tranquility of the place, making it a place of pure luxury.
In addition, in the main cabin, there is the dining room and meeting point to share experiences. Debí and Íñigo have a wonderful team of local workers that make the experience in this place so unique.Besides from them, only a small community of local people lives on this island.
Debí is in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly, the reservations, the meals, the management of the workers. Íñigo, a professional photographer and cameraman, enjoys filming everything that has to do with surfing and marine life, spending a lot of time taking pictures of the clients in the water and catching the fish that we dine on as ceviche.
Our days on the island revolved around surfing, fishing and diving. Other than that, there's not much else to do besides lying in a hammock, reading a book or strolling along the seashore around the deserted island.
Every morning, after breakfast, guests jump into the wooden boats to sail through the crystal clear waters and search for perfect waves. Although the hotel has equipped boats, there are times when you are lucky enough to sail in the small, narrow, wooden Mentawais-style canoe.
You surf to your heart's content and then spend time fishing in the colorful coral reefs of the archipelago. The Botik Resort is surrounded by dozens of islands with only palm trees and other accommodations camouflaged by the local flora.
Every morning, after breakfast, guests jump into the wooden boats to sail through the crystal clear waters and search for perfect waves. Although the hotel has equipped boats, there are times when you are lucky enough to sail in the small, narrow, wooden Mentawais-style canoe.
You surf to your heart's content and then spend time fishing in the colorful coral reefs of the archipelago. The Botik Resort is surrounded by dozens of islands with only palm trees and other accommodations camouflaged by the local flora.
picture from Iñigo grasser
Haney , jack and i sail through the islands
pic from i.grasset
natxo and on a surfing day
However, the Mentawais are not just perfect waves and crystal clear waters, they are home to one of the most unique and interesting tribes in the world, the Butui Tribe.
In this area of Siberut Island, isolated and in the rainforest, lives Aman Ibu and his family. In addition to them, 40 other families of the same tribe live in this area. The only way to reach their home is by sailing through the jungle for several hours in one of the traditional narrow wooden canoes.
The Mentawais are a hunter-gatherer tribe, one of the few communities on the planet that continue to live in a totally sustainable way. They are also animists, believing that all plants and animals have souls.
In this area of Siberut Island, isolated and in the rainforest, lives Aman Ibu and his family. In addition to them, 40 other families of the same tribe live in this area. The only way to reach their home is by sailing through the jungle for several hours in one of the traditional narrow wooden canoes.
The Mentawais are a hunter-gatherer tribe, one of the few communities on the planet that continue to live in a totally sustainable way. They are also animists, believing that all plants and animals have souls.
Natxo and I in the canoe, sailing through the mangroves
Myself filming the landscape while driving upon through the jungle
After hours of driving through beautiful country roads in a small pick-up truck and navigating between islands, mangroves and jungle, we reached the muddy road that led us to Aman Ibu's house. Here he, his wife and two of their children live together.
Aman Ibu is one of the Sikerei (shamans) of the community, spiritual leaders and in charge of transmitting the legacy and culture to other generations. Aman Ibu dresses very simply, wearing only his kabid (loincloth), necklaces and tattoos. For them, tattoos are very important and each one has a meaning, related to hunting and fishing. These tattoos are made with natural ingredients such as sugar cane and a Sikerei is in charge of this work. His wife, also tattooed, wears a skirt made of banana leaves and a floral shirt. She also has her teeth filed. It is very common for women to file their teeth as a symbol of beauty.
In the middle of a wooded terrain full of trees is the Uma, or family house.
A construction of wood and thatched roof, made with the typical Mentawais architecture. Pigs and chickens roam freely throughout the lower part of the house. To access the upper structure, they have placed a carved log as a ladder.
As for the layout of the house, the space is totally diaphanous and minimalist. The only furniture is a wooden chair and a table with benches at the entrance of the house. This is used more for chatting and sharing, not so much for eating. In Mentawais, as in all of Indonesia, people eat on the floor, with their hands, and share from the same plate.
There is no electricity and the wood stove is located in the middle of the living room, starring the space, as the day to day life revolves around food. Above the stove is a fireplace surrounded by monkey skulls hanging as protection. There is a small room at the end of the house where the Sikerei and his wife sleep on bamboo mats. In a small double roof, there is the only bed in the house which is accessed by a ladder and where his two children sleep. The floor is made of wooden planks.
The day, although very quiet, is spent hunting and preparing food. Being animists, it is common for the Mentawais to celebrate rituals where they sacrifice animals and offer their souls to the gods.
It is the men who go out to hunt, especially monkeys and pigs. For this they use their spears, smeared with poison extracted from plants in the area. We were lucky enough to go out and try to catch a monkey, however, we had no luck but we witnessed how they made a kabid (loincloth) from scratch and only using the bark of a tree.
On the other hand, women are in charge of fishing. They fish in the rivers with the help of reels and thin bamboo rods placed on their backs like a backpack. One of the last days, I went out with them to fish upstream and they taught me this ancient tradition. We managed to catch some fish that we ate later with rice. However, during the last few years, fishing has decreased and it is not so common to see women doing this work.
mentawais women and me fishing in the river
i.grasset photo
As for sagu, this is the name given to the tree from which the main food of this community comes from. The Mentawais extract the flour from the sagu, crumble it and use it in various ways in almost all their meals. It is the women who crumble the sagu, make rolls, wrap it in banana leaves and grill it. Sagu is also used to feed the animals on their land, such as pigs and chickens.
However, although the Mentawais are one of the most unique and sustainable tribes on the planet, their culture and traditions are in danger of disappearing.
However, although the Mentawais are one of the most unique and sustainable tribes on the planet, their culture and traditions are in danger of disappearing.
In short, the Mentawais are a paradise that offers many surprises for those who are looking for something different and focus on a more sustainable tourism, a remote place to connect with nature and the culture of the region.
