Mentawai Island: the Ultimate Diversity of the Hidden Paradise

January 5, 2009 by  
Filed under Place of Interest

Located in the middle of Indian Ocean, 150 km and takes 9 hours trip from Padang, West Sumatra-Mentawai glowing with all the nature spirits and make it an extraordinary escaping spot from a hectic life. Mentawai is the natural habitat for 16 endemic species, and some of them categorized as endangered species e.g. Simakobu monkey (simias concolor-eat leaf as primary food).

The present life of Mentawai people categorized as the legacy from Neolithic era and they have a strong believe in nature spirit, for their life strongly affected by nature. They believe that nature is the center of life. All the genuine attributes make Mentawai a perfect place to gain cultural experiences, here you will notice a very fascinating and indigenous culture, like traditional cloths, art, music and the way of life. The entire culture attributes strongly reflects their respect to nature.

Tattoo is one of the most important symbol for Mentawai people, its reflect maturity, manhood and status. The art of this body painting inherit from their ancestor. The tattoos ink naturally made from leaf.
Among the surfers, Mentawai is the best place to fill their demand for challenges and natures beauty. The beaches offer one of the highest wave in the world, 3 to 4 meters, totally challenge your gut. Once you grounded your self in this hidden Paradise Island, next you will paddle out to the worlds best surf. Dont call your self Surfer if you havent ride Mentawais waves said most of the surfer to expressed their surfing experiences in Mentawai

There are four ultimate diving spot here in Mentawai ,Siberut, Sipora, Pagai Utara (north Pagai) and Pagai Selatan (south Pagai). You can find great waves here year round, but the best waves are during dry season, March to October. Make sure you have the gut to explore all the glassy waves, because the best way to entitled your surfing experiences remarkable is through finding your own.

mentawai Mentawai Island: the Ultimate Diversity of the Hidden Paradise

Getting There

  • Take flight from Sukarno Hatta air port, Jakarta to Tabing air port, Padang-west Sumatra (flight served every day)
  • Trip from Teluk Bayur port, Padang to Mentawai island by Ferry

Where to Stay
Lot of visitors said, that the best housing to stay is the local people house. Offer you a distinctive way of living in a unique architecture and experience interacting with local people. Other wise you could stay in a budget hotel in Siberut

Moving Around
To access all the beauties offered, you can use boat owned by local people. You can find the boat a long the beach and the rate depend on your bargaining power
Boost your taste with exotic and fresh sea foods that you can found in the local restaurants run by local people. If you are lucky enough, you can pick and cook your own sea food, but make sure you know the secret recipe/spices from Mentawais people. For those who are not sea food lover, you can find regular meals for your dining.

Souvenir Tips
Local hand made souvenirs like traditional hats, traditional bag and accessories will be genuine souvenirs for your relatives and friends. You can buy it in a souvenirs shop or buy it from local people directly.

Other Things to See or Do
Beach Activities

  • sight seeing
  • Diving
  • Snorkeling

Cultural Activities

  • Learn how to perform the Traditional dances (war dance and gratitude to nature)
  • Traditional ceremonies
  • Mentawai is one of the best place to conduct an Ethnographic study since its one of the oldest tribe in Indonesia

Ecotourism Activities
As the habitat for rare primate, the natural rain forest of Mentawai will be the perfect place for research or other educational purpose. Here, you can conduct research about

  • Snub-nosed monkey/Simakobu (Simias concolor) monkey family eat leaf as primary food
  • Joja or Lutung Mentawai (Presbytis potenziani) easily identified for the long tail, white face and black hair head
  • Bokkoi atau Beruk Mentawai (Macaca pagensis)
  • Kloss Gibbon/Bilou or Siamang Kerdil (Hylobates klossii) famous for the beautiful voice, different compared to general monkey

Travel Tips

  • Nature and culture come to be understood and respected
  • Bring your own surf board with you, because its may hard to find surf board shop in Mentawai
  • You may arrange your travel using the local travel agent in Indonesia
  • Great wave can be find year round, but best wave is during dry season March to October
  • Bring your personal medicine
  • You may arrange your visit by contact the travel agent and airline services in Indonesia

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Padang, The Paradise City

December 1, 2008 by  
Filed under Culture

If you go to the island of Sumatra, I recommend to the city of Padang. The city has very beautiful scenery and interesting. Because this city has a feel of completeness, the beach and the mountains. The city is surrounded by mountains in the north and east of town, and on the western coast.

bungus beach 300x181 Padang, The Paradise CityPadang is very easy to be visited, because the fleet of land, sea and air is very smooth available. From Jakarta by using the bus, and is about 32 hours, while the aircraft about 2 hours. Padang city is very difficult to be forgetted. I love information, which attract around Padang city. If your hobby is to the beach, the Padang is the right option in this city.

There are many coastal locations:

Padang beach. Name coastal Padang because this location is located in the middle of the city of Padang, namely Beirut highway market, we can go to the location of the walk takes about 5 minutes.
Nirvana Beach Park. Located on the edge of Padang city approximately takes 40 minutes by car. Features of this beach is the natural ecosystems that are in the vicinity of the beach such as sea shells, crabs, oysters, etc.

A bunch of sand beach is located 25 km from the city of Padang. It is this beach coconut tree at the edge of the beach. And many other coastal beaches, such as sweet water (coastal master kundang), etc. marcelinhopqd coast. rumah gadang 300x224 Padang, The Paradise CityBesides the beautiful beaches,hills and mountains, the city is very neat, clean and orderly enough. Also known also as a city famous for education in the island of Sumatra. The quality of education in this city is not lost with the island of Java. Here lies the University of Andalas, which is located on a hill. From this place we can see the views of the city of Padang and the beach from a height. There is also Bung Hatta University, which is located in jl. Ulak Karang, located in the west coast city of Padang even displaced beach sand and is very beautiful with coconut trees, which flow beautifully.The other university is Universitas Negeri Padang, locate at the center of Padang.

Fleet in the city available numbers, mini-buses, taxis also. Even my taxi rate in this city is the most orderly in Indonesia. Because we are very comfortable and secure, with the price of the rules. Padang is also one gate to the first tourist attractions in West Sumatra. As Bukit Tinggi, Solok, Padangpanjang, Mentawai and others.

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The Indonesian Embassy in France Will Promote Nature of Padang

December 1, 2008 by  
Filed under News

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in France will promote a broad variety of beautiful tourist attraction in the city of Padang State and the area of Europe.

Thus, foreign tourist visits the country to the greater region. Determination of RI presented at the ambassadorial Peraneis through DR. Elmar Bouma School Director The Director of External Affairs at the DFA-INDONESIA aeara night in the domain of Minang, the official residence of the mayor Crossing the road A. Melton Yani, week nights (9/12).

Present at the reception dinner that Mayor Melton Drs. H. Fauzi Bahar, M. Si, Muspida Padang and the head offices. A group from France who attended, among others, phinou Bimes Vice Mayor of Niort Field Communication, Tourism and international cooperation, Liliane Acard (KADIN Paris), Nita Iskandar (KADIN Indonesia Bilateral France), Eric Dusstot (Pernsahaan Railway France), Eric Chatelier (Association Peraneis Indonesia), the Garaoui (Employers development and environmental hotel villa). Pierre Alain mignon (Chairman of Kadin Indonesia Bilateral France), Christophe Glass (Tauzia Hotel Management), Elmar Bouma (Employers). Over in the group is led ambassadorial RI to France and the principality of Andorra Arizal Effendi, SH, MA with the staff in December Alwi, Bramantja Dewabrata, Patrick Hasjim, and Narwastuyati Petronela Mbeo.

Padang has a natural beauty and objects that tourism is not lost and the other regions in the country, even manea country. However, during this promotion and wisatanya still not so little reverb. For those with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Peraneis Rice is expected to bring fresh wind, said Padang Mayor Fauzi Bahar.

Ongoing cooperation that has been involved with this good we need to protect and develop continuously. Moreover, the embassy showed seriousness, such as bringing a number of businessmen and embassy staff who will take an active role in promoting tourism objects Padang, West Sumatera in general, clearly Fauzi.

Fauzi optimistic follow-up visits from the French businessmen will be there, the man tourism in this region must be more nimble and, if necessary, pick the ball .. Because the business opportunities in the tourism sector is wide open. Kemaslah well and must move fast, fate mayor.
Primadona industry is tourism, both for the developed countries, especially developing countries. Because of this sector that is packed with both able to bring in enough revenue brisk, good for business, community and government.

Mayor to convey thanks to the embassy, as it has opened a new link for this region to appear more skittish again in the future. Meanwhile, the Embassy staff in December Alwi said, Beirut has the potential to advance the tourism sector, because in a natural beauty that impresses enough, and combined with a very unique culture. This is the lure travelers. Its need to be packed with good and serious, he said.

original page by: Padang.go.id

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Malin Kundang “Curse” Stone on Air Manis Beach

July 29, 2008 by  
Filed under Place of Interest

air manis Malin Kundang Curse Stone on Air Manis Beach

This is about Air Manis beach located on Padangbaycity and Malin Kundang “curse stone”.

Malin Kundang is a famous Minangkabau and Malay folklore and the legendary story is said to be originated here in Padang where the remains of “Batu Malin Kundang” is located.

This folkfore is about a man named Malin Kundang who hails from a poor family. Just like any other Minang men, Malin Kundang decided to travel elsewhere to seek good fortune, leaving behind his old mother. His life changed when he married the daughter of a rich man in Siam. Soon after achieving success and gaining great fortune he sailed back homeward on his own ship to Padang together with his wife and crews.

Upon hearing of Malin Kundang’s return, his mother rushed to the beach to meet her long lost son. Unfortunately, Malin Kundang felt ashamed upon looking at his old and poor mother – he was a rich man with fine clothing and a beautiful wife while his mother was looking ragged and poor as she was. In his undisguised disgust he ignored his mother, refused to greet her and returned to his ship.

Humiliated and heartbroken by her arrogant son’s behavior, his mother fell to her knees in desperation and prayed to God asking that her son be punished for what he did. Soon a terrible storm rose up and Malin Kundang’s ship was wrecked upon the rocks. Realising his mistake and sin for ignoring his mother, the badly injured Malin Kundang tried to get ashore to seek forgiveness from his mother but as he crawled on his hands and knees he was suddenly turned into stone.

Until today, a stone that from a certain angle resembles the figure of a man on his hands and knees with his head seemingly buried in the rock can still be found here in Pantai Air Manis. It is said that Malin Kundang has been forced to stay on the beach forever, begging for forgiveness from his mother. Around this rocky figure barrels and ropes have been carved into the stone to represent the shipwreck washed up on the shore.

The tale of an ungratefull son makes the tranquil Pantai Air Manis a legendary location to visit that may offer some lesson in life.

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A Unique of Padang

July 18, 2008 by  
Filed under Culture

The cuisine of the Minangkabau people is commonly called Padang cuisine, due to it being the capital and largest city of the region. Padang restaurants are common throughout the country and are famous for their spicy food and their unique way of serving it. Padang food is usually cooked once per day, and all customers choose from those dishes, which are left out on display until no food is left. It is served in small portions of various dishes, but constituting, with rice, a complete meal.

In a Padang-style restaurant, the table will quickly be set with dozens of small dishes filled with highly-flavored foods such as curried fish, fried tempeh, stewed greens, chili eggplant, curried beef liver, fried chicken, and of course, sambals, the spicy sauces ubiquitous at Indonesian tables. Customers take – and pay for – only what they want from this array of dishes. Food safety is generally a concern, as customers take food out of communal dishes with their hands, dishes which will be served to subsequent customers.

The best known Padang dish is rendang, a spicy meat stew. Soto Padang (crispy beef in spicy soup) is local residents’ breakfast favorite, meanwhile Sate (beef satay in curry sauce served with ketupat) is a treat in the evening.

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