HOW TO get mentawai experience The first step of your journey will be to arrive in Padang which is the capital city of West Sumatra Province (Sumaterra Barat) and the gate to the Mentawai’s archipelago. From Padang you will take a passenger’s ferry to the island of Siberut, the biggest island in the Mentawais. Specifically you have to arrive to Muara Siberut, which is the port located at the South-West corner of the island. There are few companies doing this journey.
You can take a fast ferry that will take you there in 3 to 6 hrs depending on the day (check schedule below) or you can take the government cargo and passenger’s ferry that will take you there in 12 hrs or more depending on the load and the amount of people traveling. From Muara Siberut harbor to motor bike to muntai village Padang airport only receives international flights from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. If you are outside Indonesia you can check the connecting flights offered by Airasia, a Malaysian carrier which has the best prices in South East Asia.
If you are in another area of Indonesia you must likely have to flight through Jakarta to reach Padang as direct flights from other cities in Indonesia are very limited or scarce. For airfares on national flights in Indonesia check: Garuda Air and Lion Air. Padang airport code is: PDG. A 30-day Indonesian visa is available on arrival to practically everyone for a fee of around $35.00 USD. FERRIES SCHEDULE: FAST FERRY SCHEDULE (MENTAWAI FAST): Padang to Mentawai Islands: Tuesdays and Saturdays: (1 stop in north Siberut) the fast ferry departures at 7: 00 a.m. from Padang and arrives at Maura Siberut harbor at 1:00 p.m. The journey takes about 6 hours as the boat made a stop in North Siberut before getting to Muara Siberut in the South of the island. Thursdays: (no stop) the ferry departures at 7: 00 a.m. from Padang and arrives at Maura Siberut harbor at 10:00 a.m. The journey takes about 3 hours as it comes directly from Padang. Mentawai Islands to Padang: Tuesdays and Saturdays: the ferry departures at 3:00 p.m. from Maura Siberut in the Mentawai Islands and arrives at Padang’s harbor at 6:00 p.m. Thursdays: the ferry departures from Maura Siberut- Mentawai Islands at 1:00 p.m. and arrives at Padang’s harbor around 4:00 p.m.