Surf Travel Company

Playgrounds Surf Camp - Sumatra, Mentawai. Indonesia

INTRODUCTION

PLAYGROUNDS Surf Camp Mentawai Overall rating: 5 out of 5 based on 4 reviews.
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Playgrounds Surfcamp Mentawai is situated exactly in the middle of the Playgrounds area, the island has a total surface area of approximately 72 Hectare that is about one kilometer long and 500 meters wide. The whole island is surrounded by a pristine white sand beach, half of it is covered with palm trees and the other half by a massive rain forest with trees over 30 meters high and great diversity of natural life.

 

Three private bungalows that can comfortably accommodate up to 4 people in around 100 square meters room with an outside patio just perfect to chill under the shadow of these typical Mentawai style bungalows. The island is perfectly situated inside the Northern part of the Mentawaiis which enables us to get to all those perfect breaks in very little time.

 

The Resort has two speedboats for the different activities at each time. These boats are long hand-made mentawaian canoes designed by locals for the weather and conditions in the area.

 

After a good day of surf, you will spend most of your time in this area. Right on the beach you will enjoy some really tasty meals and chill out just in front of some amazing view of the beach and waves like Bank Vaults and Hideaways.

THE ACCOMMODATION

Playgrounds Surfcamp Mentawai

You will be right on the beach, straight in front of the main restaurant in the Playgrounds Surfcamp Mentawai!!

 

Bungalows

Bungalow 1: Large bungalow, sleeps up to 4 guests with a big bathroom.

 

Bungalow 2: Large bungalow, sleeps up to 4 guests with a big bathroom.

 

Bungalow 3: Large bungalow with 2 floors, the upper floor has a bedroom with a king bed. It is very private and has its own balcony with a chilling area. This is where we will place couples. There is a shared bathroom downstairs with two single beds.

 

Each bungalow is featured with:

  • Large rooms and a lot of space for maximum comfort.
  • A/C and ceiling fans designed for the perfect temperature.
  • Electrical outlets to plug all devices you may need (220 V). There are Indonesian plugs (same as European).
  • Bedding, Bath Towels and mosquitos nets are provided at your arrival.
  • Big spacious balcony with very comfortable sofas.
  • All Bathrooms provided with shower, doubled sink cabinet, toilet, mirrors and entrance door from both rooms.
  • Individual beds of 120 centimeters wide, the largest in the market for single mattress for a maximum comfort.
  • 1 big king size bed.
  • Big full furnished living room area inside the bungalow.

Common area

Refurbished last summer, the brand new Chill out Bungalow is perfect to watch movies or to stretch and do yoga in between surf.

  • A TV with Satellite.
  • Poker table.
  • Pool table.
  • Ping-Pong.
  • Fridges with FREE sodas (cokes, sprites…) and FREE juices (different flavors).
  • Free Wi-Fi 24 hours/day.

Meals

The Restaurant

After a good day of surf, you will spend most of your time in this area. Right on the beach you will enjoy some really tasty meals and chill out just in front of some amazing view of the beach and waves like Bank Vaults and Hideaways.

Breakfast (from 6 am – 10 am) Fresh fruits, omelets, milk, cereals and pancakes, toasts with jam and butter, coffee and hot tea.

 

Lunch (from 11 am – 2 pm) Fresh fruits as a snack before lunch is often available (mango, bananas, pineapples, watermelon, papayas…) then a delicious mix of western and/or Indonesian cuisine with meat, pasta, noodles, fish, beef, and vegetables on the side. All served with cold drinks, juices, and water.

 

Dinner (from 7 pm – 8.30pm) According to our Guests we prepare a delicious menu including main dishes, barbecue, hamburger, or pizza night. Desserts with pancakes, ice cream (vanilla, chocolate…) and fruits. Beers and spirits can be purchased at the bar. 

 

Barbecue area

If you are looking to share a couple of fresh beers or spirits (purchasable at the bar) with your surf buddies around the fire the barbecue area is simply perfect.  

THE ACTIVITIES

Surf

Every day is possible to find at least 3 feet offshore waves. The proximity of our resort to all these breaks and the short distance in between them makes it possible for us to explore several breaks in very little time.

 

Waves

There are more than 15 waves accessible to our resort. They range in diversity from small and easy to big and gnarly. The waves range from world-class lefts and rights such as Kandui and Rifles to other mellower breaks like 4 Bobs or Beng Bengs for all levels of surfers. Depending on the winds and swell directions we drive on our speedboats looking for the best conditions.

 

There are over 70 islands in the Mentawai archipelago, stretching from south to north, many lined up perfectly to catch the swells from the Indian Ocean. Most famous surf spots are Riffles, Hideaways, Nipussi, Burgerworld, Pitstops, Macaronis, Hollow Trees, Thunders, Rags Right, Bintang just to name but a few. A surfer’s paradise with the most perfect waves in the world, regardless of your surf skills and all in a pristine tropical environment.

Season

The Mentawai Islands enjoys one of the most consistent swells to be found anywhere, thanks to its location facing the Indian Ocean with no barrier to stop the ground swells from the southern latitudes. The best season is the dry season, from late April to early November, when the big storms in the roaring forties, howling fifties, and screaming sixties generate a huge swell that travels unimpeded all the way to the shores of the tropical Mentawai.

Surf Spots

All of these waves are within a 10-minute speedboat ride.

Kandui left One of the best left handers in the world. Perfect on high tide, over 6 feet and with a slight off shore winds. Absolutely amazing from 8 to 12 feet, with its over 200 meters that turns into and endless huge barrel sections from beginning to end. Here you have all the chances to come out of the best and most intense barrel of your life. It needs a considerable big west swell and south easterly winds.

 

Kandui insides Inside of the bay, about 300 meters down the line, there is another point that breaks when Kandui is over 6 feet, and even though is a little shorter, it can be almost as intense and perfect as its big brother. It is better on high tide, otherwise it can be too close to the reef. It also needs a west swell.

 

A Frames It is one of the most consistent lefts of the Mentawais. Located in front of the idyllic island of Pananggalat, makes this place a real pleasure just to be in the water. Normally it has two sections. A very consistent outside, breaking almost every day. It can be a lot of fun and this wave gets better as it gets bigger. Sometimes it can go all the way to the inside bowl, that offers a very fun barrel section, which works better on a big south swell at low tide.

 

4 Bobs A short but fun right hander. Perfect with northertly winds and mid tides. Good for all levels of surfers. Best from 3 to 6 feet. Can be dangerous on low tide getting very shallow on a sharp coral reef.

 

Rifles One of the longest and most perfect right handers in the world. When big south swells and northerly winds, it is definitely the wave to surf. More than 300 meters of pure perfection that can offer more than 4 barrel sections. An easy take off that puts you right in a perfect and endless wall where all you do is run and let its big barrel sections cover you up. Best at 5 to 8 feet, mid to high tide. It’s one of the reasons to visit the Mentawais, a real world class wave.

 

Little Nias In the middle of the playground, this wave breaks left and right. Perfect for begginers. Good in all tides, usually breaks from 2 to 4 feet.

 

Pistols About 200 meters further from the Riffles take off zone, this powerful wave puts you straight from the take off into a very fun barrel section. Breaks at all tides in deep water. Perfect in a south swell and northerly. Only 4 minutes from our resort there is the beautiful island of Mainuk with its impressive and powerful wave, Hideaways.

 

Hideaways One of the best and most consistent lefts in the Mentawais. It breaks over one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the area. Can be dangerous but a perfect pipeline on low tide. At 6 feet to 8 feet and off shore it is unbelievably perfect. An easy take off puts you straight into a very powerful barrel section. Without doubt one of the best waves of the area.

 

Botik rights Very consistent but hard to surf because it is too fast and too shallow. Anywhere from 2 to 18 feet. From outside looks like pure perfection with northerly winds but in reality it is way too gnarly.

 

Botik lefts A wave with several options, depending on the day can be very fun with a few barrel sections. Has to be on high tide and south winds. With all the breaks situated on the island of Nyang Nyang, the furthest one is approximately 15 minutes away on our speed boats.

 

Bank vaults An absolutely amazing right hander that breaks in deep water. It is the big wave of the area. Breaks in all tides but at low it can be unforgiving. Handles up to 15 feet. Great take off with a big barrel section at the end. A classic Hawaiian style deep water wave.

 

E bay One of the best left handers in Mentawais. Perfect, round and powerful, it has it all. Under 5 feet, easy perfection with 2 nice barrel sections. When it is 6 feet and over it is just as perfect but it becomes very powerful and gnarly. Good at all tides but more hollow at low tide. Winds don’t affect this wave due to its unique location.

 

Beng beng Close to E bay, about 2 minutes by speed boat, this playful left hander is perfect when the rest of the waves are small. From 3 to 6 feet, it is perfect for all levels of surfers. Quite often uncrowded and surrounded by natural beauty

 

Pitstops One of the most photographed waves in the Mentawais for its perfect location, this wave has an easy take off that takes you to a short but very playful wall. The beach is one of the most spectacular in the area in terms of tropical scenery. Easy paddle from E bay. It s best at 3 to 5 feet, works on all tides. Located on the northern part of the island of Sipora and only an hour away from Botik, this area offers incredible waves.

 

Telescopes On a west swell and southeasterly winds it can be one of the longest and most perfect lefts in Indonesia. More than 300 meters of perfect wall that makes this place a very sought after wave. It works on all tides.

 

Scarecrows It’s a very fun and consistent left hander that holds big swells and a good option when the swell is small. It is best at 6 feet, with long deep water walls of perfection.

 

Icelands It’s the big wave of the area. From 8 feet it is a very impressive take off and even though it is short, it can offer gigantic barrels. It is very close to Telescopes and a good option when the swell is small. Optimal at low tide.

Speedboat

The Resort has two speedboats for the different activities at each time. These boats are long hand-made mentawaian canoes designed by locals for the weather and conditions in the area.

 

All boats are equipped with :

  • 2 X 40 HP Yamaha engines
  • Anker
  • Icebox for drinks and snacks
  • Surfboard racks
  • Radio
  • Emergency lights

Other Activies

Fishing

Fishing is great all year long around here, these tropical waters are packed with fish of various species, making these shores paradise for professional or amateur fishermen. Over the past years we have been out looking for good spots and we have found amazing fishing areas near reefs and in deep ocean. You can find many different species, gigant trevallies, barracuda, tuna, wahoo, spanish mackerel, yellow fin, coronation trout, mahi mahi, swordfish, and sailfish. 

Yoga

This litle island is undoubtedly one of the best places in the world to treat your mind, body and soul. Relaxation, there’s nothing better than a chance to stretch and breathe.  The lush tropical palms, soft sandy beach and crystal clear ocean water make for some stunning location to practice yoga.

Snorkeling

Coral reefs provide incredible snorkeling lots of light and easy conditions for any level. So, the whole family can get out and enjoy the surroundings.

Kayak and Paddle

Explore our surroundings from another perspective. Stand up paddleboard or kayaking, as well as being fantastic fun is a great way to explore around the island and take in all the joys that the ocean has to offer!

 

LOCATION & GETTING HERE

Location

Playgrounds Surfcamp Mentawai is situated exactly in the middle of the Playgrounds area, the island has a total surface area of approximately 72 Hectare that is about one kilometer long and 500 meters wide. The whole island is surrounded by a pristine white sand beach, half of it is covered with palm trees and the other half by a massive rain forest with trees over 30 meters high and great diversity of natural life.

 

The island is perfectly situated inside the Northern part of the Mentawaiis which enables us to get to all those perfect breaks in very little time, Kandui left in 5 minutes, Hideaways in 3 minutes, Bank Vaults in 8 minutes. Aside from these waves, all the rest are in a maximum radius of 15 minutes from our island and they are all exposed to different winds and swell directions.

Getting Here

1.Take an international flight to Jakarta (CGK) or Kuala Lumpur (KUL), followed by a domestic flight to Padang (PDG), the capital of West Sumatra.

2.Our team will meet you at Padang Airport and take you to your hotel in Padang, where you’ll stay overnight.

3.We will then pick you up at 6am for our speedboat departure at 7am. (You need to stay overnight in Padang because there are no flights that arrive in the early morning before 7am).

4.The speedboat journey to the resort will take 3 hours (weather permitting), so you’ll arrive around 10am.

 

What to bring with you

Before you start a trip with us you may start thinking about what to bring with you and we list you some tips right below.  

  • Surfboards. At least 3, but it also depends on how hard you want to charge.
  • Wax. 2 or 3 packs should be enough.
  • Leashes. Make sure you bring at least a strong one, then a couple of normal thin ones.
  • Towel. We provide you with a towel at the beginning of the trip but you can also bring an extra one.
  • Waterproof sunscreen is highly recommended. We are right on the equator.
  • Mosquito Repellent. We have at the resort but you are welcome to bring your own.
  • Fishing and spearfishing equipment. If you are really into it, you can have a great time here with us.
  • Raincoat could be useful for rainy days.
  • We provide with a lot of different snacks, but you are welcome to bring some of your favorites.
  • Cash for beers and liquor (3 USD/beer, 6 USD for liquored drinks) and for surfing photographs (from 10 USD per shot to 250 USD for the whole collection of trip, depending on how many pictures you take).
  • Original passport and photocopy of your passport (this is mandatory).
  • Travel insurance is a must and you have to bring us a photocopy of your insurance policy.
  • We have a good variety of books but you can bring a few if you wish to read while relaxing.

 

Medical matters

We suggest you bring :

  • Malaria pills. This is your choice, there is Malaria in the Mentawais but Malaria is a disease that passes from one person (that has Malaria) to another and we are the only ones on the island so the chances of getting it are very small.
  • Anti allergies.
  • Antibiotics for reef cuts

 

We insist that we require travel insurance for your stay.

 

PRICES & PACKAGES

Playground surf Camp All Inclusive Pack

10 nights trip 2095 USD per person 

11 nights trip 2275 USD per person 

 

Inclusions

√ 10/11 nights of accommodation in our comfy shared bungalows, each sleeping up to 4 guests.

√ Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, made fresh with sustainable homegrown produce and local ingredients

√ Unlimited water, tea and coffee available at any time

√ Roundtrip private transfers from Padang airport to Padang hotel or boat harbour

√ Private transfer boat from Padang to the surf camp

√ Daily surfing via one of our boats with an experienced surf guide

√ Use of all resort facilities including the Bar, Restaurant, Entertainment and Games rooms

 

Not Included

  • Add on a professional photography package at US$250 per person (optional)
  • Your accommodation in Padang upon arrival.
  • Surf tax of US$75 which is valid for 15 days. This is charged by the Mentawai Government.
  • Travel insurance (mandatory according to our policy).
  • Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
  • Wifi connection during your stay. The only drawback of being amongst the best waves in the world is that it’s super hard for us to set up internet access! We charge separately for this due to the terms defined by our internet provider.

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