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A group of people sitting on a porch under a wooden structure. 1
A person cutting a large leaf with a knife in a forest. 2
Three people by a river with rocks and greenery. 3
A group of people sitting and standing around a fire inside a wooden structure. 4
Two people in a forest, one holding a camera and the other a stick. 5

Mentawai Tribe 5-Day: Live with Sikerei Shamans, Siberut

By pulau asli tour
Free cancellation available
Price is Rp9.034.000 per adult

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 5d
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Selective hotel pickup
  • Multiple languages

Overview

  • Live in uma longhouse with a real Sikerei family — not a guesthouse
  • Hunt, fish & forage with tribe using traditional Mentawai methods
  • Learn arrow poison & bark cloth making directly from elders
  • Witness authentic Mentawai rituals as part of real community life
  • Guided by Andrian — 4th-gen Siberut native, 15 years on the island

Activity location

    • Padang Indonesia
    • Padang Indonesia, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

Meeting/Redemption Point

    • Padang Indonesia
    • Padang Indonesia, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

Check availability

Mentawai: 5 Day Experience Cultural Journey with Shamans

  • Activity duration is 5 days5d
    5d
  • English
Starting time: 7:00
Price details
Rp9.034.000 x 2 AdultsRp18.068.000
Total
Price is Rp18.068.000
Until Fri, 17 Jul
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What's included, what's not

  • Inclusions
    Government + tribal chief-level permits
  • Inclusions
    Guided cultural experience with Sikerei family
  • Inclusions
    Local guide (Andrian or trained Mentawai guide)
  • Inclusions
    Accommodation in uma longhouse (4 nights)
  • Inclusions
    All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
  • Inclusions
    All transport: Padang ↔ Muaro Padang ↔ Siberut
  • Inclusions
    Park permits & village permissions
  • Inclusions
    Hunting/fishing/resource gathering activities
  • Inclusions
    Storytelling & elder wisdom sessions
  • Exclusions
    Personal expenses
  • Exclusions
    Travel insurance
  • Exclusions
    Tips for guides or Mentawai translators

Know before you book

    • Not allowed: Baby buggies
    • Not suitable for: Children under 12 years, People over 70 years, People with insect allergies, People with mobility impairments

What you can expect

  • Step into the living culture of the Mentawai people — one of the world's oldest indigenous tribes — on Siberut Island, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1981, directly bordering Siberut National Park and home to four endemic primates found nowhere else on Earth. Over five days, you share daily life with a Sikerei family in their traditional uma longhouse deep in the Siberut forest. You eat with the tribe, work with the tribe, and sleep where they sleep. No hotels. No curated itineraries. No performances staged for visitors. This is not performance tourism. Your guide Andrian was born and raised on Siberut Island — a 3rd-generation Mentawai veteran with 15 years living on the island. He guides from lived experience, not a tourist script. He speaks Mentawai, not just Bahasa Indonesia. When he introduces you to the Sikerei family, he is introducing you to his community. The 5-day duration gives you the most realistic opportunity to observe Sikerei healing practices naturally — not on demand, but as part of the community's own daily rhythm.

    ── DAILY ACTIVITIES ──────────────────────────────────────
    Day 1 — Ferry from Padang + arrival at uma longhouse
    Day 2 — Sago processing, forest resource gathering, elder storytelling session
    Day 3 — Traditional hunting & fishing, bark cloth making with elders
    Day 4 — Arrow poison preparation, forest biodiversity walk, Sikerei ritual observation
    Day 5 — Morning in village, return ferry to Padang

    All activities explained and demonstrated by your hosts. You participate in real community work alongside the tribe.

    ── WHAT YOU LEARN ────────────────────────────────────────

    • Sago palm processing — the staple food of the Mentawai
    • Traditional hunting & fishing methods passed down for generations
    • Arrow poison preparation using forest plants
    • Bark cloth making (traditional Mentawai clothing)
    • Mentawai body marking heritage — one of the oldest tattoo traditions in the world (shared as cultural knowledge only; not offered as an activity on this tour)
    • Animist beliefs and the role of the Sikerei shaman in daily life

    ── LOGISTICS ─────────────────────────────────────────────
    Fast boat: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday from Muaro Padang
    Travel time: 3–6 hours to Siberut Island, depending on weather and sea conditions
    Min. 2 participants | Max. 8 per group
    All permits included (government + tribal chief level)

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    • Padang Indonesia
    • Padang Indonesia, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    • Padang Indonesia
    • Padang Indonesia, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia