Mentawai, Indonesia: Overview

ISLANDS editor Eddy Patricelli recently wrote about his trip to Mentawai in the April/May 2010 issue, available now in the ISLANDS Store. Here's an excerpt about this group of islands in Indonesia:

We're headed for the Kandui Resort, one of few places travelers can stay in the 70-island Indonesian archipelago of Mentawai (MEN-tah-why). The islands sit about 60 miles off Sumatra, but they might as well be farther. The isles are home to their own people, language, history, even shamans. Some claim this archipelago has the world's most preserved culture — and the best surfing. No matter the wind, no matter the current, these islands are uniquely arranged on the edge of the ocean to always have perfect waves. All that is why it has been my life's dream to come here. My wife's due date gave me a deadline. She blessed this as my swan-song surf trip. But now, I'm not exactly sure what it is.

See Eddy's map of Mentawai and more in the ISLANDS Best Travel Guide: Mentawai.