The Mentawai Islands have become legendary in the surf community since their breaks were first discovered by surfers in the '80s and '90s. Located about 50 miles off the coast of West Sumatra, the Mentawais are a far-flung location by just about any standard. There is no airport on the island, so visitors must take a three-hour boat ride from Padang across the Mentawai Strait. While a three-hour speedboat ride isn't everyone's ideal travel experience, the end justifies the means. In this case, the end is a sparsely-inhabited chain of islands surrounded by world-class surf breaks. Once out there, there's no better place to stay than the Kandui Villas, a luxury surf retreat that will cater to all your needs, who are currently offering a 25% discount for stays of less than 1 month and up to 50% for stays of a month or longer.
From Kandui:
Our internet is lightning fast now and perfect for anyone looking to work online remotely so it is a great escape for people wanting to live and surf and work online in paradise! There is almost no one around and the surf has been pumping with either very few people or no people in the water. The border is open...visas on arrival for tourists are still not available, but we can get visit visas for people which cost $400 per visa and enable them to stay in Indonesia for up to 180 days. Also If they happened to want to stay longer than 180 days in Indonesia then we can get them another 180 day visa without them needing to leave the country. Please can contact us directly via email or for a faster response they can hit us up on whats app, ichat, telegram or signal on my telephone number +628126636841.
RELATED: Nathan Florence and Co. Surf Jaws At Its Best
TGR Co-Founder Steve Jones visted Kandui Villas this past Fall, and shares that, “Andy Irons and some of the Billabong crew would come to Jackson Hole every year for a snowboard trip. Hearing Andy talk about Kandui as one of his favorite places and then his friends talking about it years later while we were making Andy Irons: Kissed By God, it was high on my list."
Kandui Villas is self-described as "a place where a surf traveler could feel comfortable and confident enough to bring their significant other and families." In other words, the resort offers a flexible surf program, as well as activities other than surfing—unlike many other accommodations on the islands. Steve agreed with the resort's description: People consistently think of the Mentawais as pro-level surf only. However, there is a collection of unbelievable waves, with everything from the most high-performance, challenging wave of your life, to family-friendly waves that my kids were comfortable on."
A classic Mentawai barrel. Kandui Villas photo.
"We were never without activity unless we wanted to be,” Steve recalled. The resort has swimming pools, a spa, bar, restaurant, art gallery, yoga room, and offers a nanny service to keep the groms entertained while parents head to the waves. It's easy to assume that a surf resort would treat non-surfing activities as an afterthought, but that's not the case at Kandui Villas. "There were lots of options," Steve said. "The boatmen are super stoked and always up for an adventure.”
The next Kai Joneses? Wouldn't bet against it. Steve Jones photo.
“We took the kids fishing, exploring some of the other pristine atolls, and paddleboarding through the mangroves. To be in what is essentially a remote wilderness and have such high level hospitality is unreal. There is still a rawness to it, but still, we spent 11 days at the resort and the food was amazing and consistently different every day," says Steve.
The boys hard at work catching some dinner. Steve Jones photo.
“Our immediate island, Karamajat Island, is the most wave-rich surfing location on the planet,” said Jordan Heuer, the resort’s founder. “There are up to a dozen different surf breaks within a five to ten-minute boat ride from the Kandui Villas boat docks, and the neighboring islands have more than twenty other breaks. Not only are there more quality breaks here for every level of surfer than anywhere else, but this place also has the most consistent year-round surf conditions in the world.”
JJ tears it up on an appropriately-sized break. Steve Jones photo.
The aforementioned breaks include the world-famous Kandui Left, Rifles, Bank Vaults, Playground Left and Right, and several other well-known breaks. Even when the swell isn't all-time, the numerous options mean that it's virtually impossible to get completely skunked. And it's not an issue if you want to chill out before a day of surfing—the resort's fleet of boats enables a pleasantly flexible schedule. "We could hit any wave at any time of day," Steve recalled. "The whole vibe was just casual, cruisey, and fun, really just a perfect family surf vacation."
The happy family in their prime. Steve Jones photo.
For more information on Kandui Villas, or to book a stay, check out their website here, and use the promo code “TGRkandui” for a 10% discount. Sign up below to learn more about Kandui Villas and a potential TGR Experience there:
Subscribe
* indicates required
About The Author
stash member Teton Gravity Research
It all began with a dream and a little cash scraped together from fishing in Alaska... Since 1995, we've been an action sports media company committed to fueling progression through our ground-breaking films (37 and counting) and online content.
Carl Johnson
February 27th, 2020
Thank you for sharing the valuable information. Nice post. I enjoyed reading this post. I want to introduce for you about the game- gta san Andreas cheats ps4 . In this game, you can create a character and operate as same as in the real world. Click link! to participate games