Arat Sabulungan
The belief that every object holds a spirit that must be cared for, or misfortune follows.
Our story
A way of life that has stood the test of time.
Travel with us into the heart of Mentawai, where every step brings you closer to nature and culture.
Who we are
Local guides, not an agency from outside.
We live in Muara Siberut and run these tours as a community. The families who host you are our own, and we take responsibility for you from the moment you arrive in Padang.
Mentawai owned
Every guide was born and raised on Siberut.
Money stays here
Host families, porters and boatmen are paid from the tour price.
Our mission
To preserve, protect and share the authentic Mentawai way of life, so that its culture, wisdom and identity carry on for generations to come.
Travelling with us, you are not just visiting a destination. You become part of a story.
History & origin
Four thousand years on the same islands.
The Mentawai descend from Austronesian and Proto-Malay people who reached these islands long before contact with the mainland. Isolation from Sumatra is what let their language, beliefs and daily rhythm survive intact.
2000 BC
A Proto-Malay people settle the Mentawai Islands, with migration continuing until around 500 BC.
1621
Dutch explorers reach the islands, ending centuries of isolation.
mid-1700s
A British attempt to grow pepper in South Pagai fails. Trade with Sumatran, Chinese and Malay communities already existed.
1792
John Crisp lands on the islands, the first documented colonizer.
- 64,000
- Mentawai people today
- 4
- Main islands: Siberut, Sipora, North and South Pagai
- 1
- Island we guide on: Siberut, where we live
- 5
- Villages we travel to: Rorougot, Maopu, Matotonan, Attabai, Buttui
Traditions
Three things you will see for yourself.
The Sikerei
Healer and spiritual leader, who keeps the balance between people and nature.
Tattoos
Every motif carries meaning: identity, and harmony between a person and the forest.
Come and see it in person.
Three to eight days with a host family in the forest of Siberut, from £215 per person.