Aloita Resort

Aloita Resort is a family-run beachfront resort on Simakakang Island, a short speedboat ride from Tua Pejat on the north of Sipora in the Mentawai Islands. It has ten beachfront villas with one, two or three bedrooms, a beachfront restaurant, beach bar, spa and a yoga shala with complimentary morning classes, and takes a maximum of 18 surfers at a time, so it suits couples and families with non-surfers as well as surf trips.

The home break, Tikus, is a forgiving reef left about 800 metres from the resort, used for lessons, improvers and relaxed longboard sessions, with free boat drop-offs and pick-ups through the day. Beginners and improvers learn with the resort's surf school in groups of no more than four, with internationally certified instructors, theory on land, a soft-top board, rash guard and booties included; private lessons, water photography and video review are available as extras. Intermediate surfers can book one-to-one or two-person coaching with video feedback.

Experienced surfers buy the Surf Pass for two guided boat sessions a day to the surrounding Mentawai breaks, published at USD 79 per surfer per day when booked ahead (USD 100 otherwise), with towels, wax, drinks and snacks on board. The resort keeps more than 30 rental boards, including shortboards, funboards and longboards. The Mentawai surf tax of IDR 2,000,000 per surfer (valid 15 days) is paid on top and collected by the resort. Lesson and room prices are quoted on enquiry.

Getting there means flying to Padang, spending a night there, taking the roughly 3.5-hour fast ferry to Tua Pejat and then a 15-minute speedboat to the island; the resort sells a transfer package covering airport pick-ups, ferry tickets, porters and the speedboat. May to September brings the most consistent and largest swells, October and November are quieter shoulder months, and January to March usually has smaller surf. Enquiries go through info@aloitaresort.com or the booking form on its website.