★★★★★ 5.0 on TripAdvisor · 15 reviews

Mentawai-owned & guided

Stay with a Mentawai family in the forest of Siberut.

Three, four or five days living in the Uma with your host familiy. No electricity, no phone signal, and a Mentawai guide with you from Padang onwards.

See Tours & Prices

From £215 per person · 3 to 5 days

SEE WHAT FOUR DAYS THERE LOOKS LIKE

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Owned and guided by Mentawai people

5.0 on TripAdvisor from 15 reviews

Itinerary and packing list before you pay

Fixed price, nothing to pay on the island

What this actually is

What the tour is really like.

You sleep in the Uma

On a mat on the floor of the family house, alongside everyone else.

You join the day’s work

Sago harvest, fishing, hunting, and gathering plants used as medicine.

You are offline for days

No power and no signal. Light after dark comes from the fire.

Nothing is staged for visitors — you join whatever the family is doing that day.

History & origin

A culture kept intact by isolation.

The Mentawai descend from a Proto-Malay group that has lived on these islands since around 2000 BC. Cut off from mainland Sumatra, they kept their language, their Sabulungan beliefs and their forest way of life — trees, rocks and animals all hold a spirit.

2000 BC

First Proto-Malay arrivals on the islands

1621

Dutch explorers reach Mentawai

1792

John Crisp, the first documented colonizer

VILLAGES WE TRAVEL TO

Rorougot

Maopu

Matotonan

Attabai

Butui

Read the full story

Why book with us, not an agent in Padang

We are Mentawai, and these are our own families.

We live in Muara Siberut. The families who host you are from our own community, and we guide every tour ourselves.

Guided by Mentawai people

Your guide speaks Mentawai, so nothing has to pass through a translator.

You get the plan in advance

Packing list, ferry schedule and a day-by-day itinerary by email before you travel.

One fixed price

Transfers, guide, meals and the stay are all in the price you are quoted.

Small groups only

Two to six guests, hosted by one family for the whole tour.

TOUR PACKAGES

Three lengths, all organised from Padang.

Price per person drops as the group grows.

Ferry schedule: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

MOST AFFORDABLE

3 days · 2 nights

Visit the Mentawai Tribe

5.0

Operator rating

Small group

✓

Fits a long weekend, no leave needed

✓

1.5 hour jungle trek to the Uma

✓

Sago processing and poison-arrow making

From

£215

/ person

Visit Tour

MOST BOOKED

4 days · 3 nights

Ethical immersion with the tribe

5.0

Operator rating

Small group

✓

A full extra day inside the jungle

✓

Hunting walk and medicine plants with the Sikerei

✓

Best balance of time and price

From

£230

/ person

Visit Tour

DEEPEST IMMERSION

5 days · 4 nights

Jungle experience with the tribe

5.0

Operator rating

Small group

✓

Reach the most remote Uma upriver

✓

Healing ritual and full hunting day

✓

Demanding trek, for confident walkers

From

£270

/ person

Visit Tour

Prices shown are per person for a group of four to five. Smaller groups and solo travellers pay more — the 3D2N tour is £230 for two to three guests and £350 solo, children aged 5–12 £170. Longer 6D5N and 8D7N trips are also available — see all five packages

THE JOURNEY

Getting from Padang to the Uma

It takes one full travel day each way. Your guide is with you for all of it. Boat times and operators are on the fast ferry page.

Padang

We collect you from your hotel or the harbour.

Ferry · 3–6 hours

Fast boat from Muaro Padang at 7am. Ticket included.

Road transfer

Car or motorbike from Maileppet harbour to the transit village.

Canoe

Upriver by dugout canoe. 2.5 hours on the way back.

Trek · 1.5 hours

On foot to the Uma. Porters carry the logistics.

THE FINE PRINT

What the price covers.

INCLUDED

Ferry tickets both ways

Road, canoe and porter transfers

English-speaking Mentawai guide

All meals and drinks during the tour

Uma accommodation and family contribution

Local government and Siberut National Park permits

Mosquito net, mattress and rubber boots (37–43)

NOT INCLUDED

Flights and hotel in Padang

Travel insurance

Personal expenses

Souvenirs

Tips for the local team

WHAT TO BRING

Fast-drying trousers and light shirt

Rain poncho, hat, sunblock

Head torch, power bank, spare batteries

Sleeping bag or blanket

Cash — there is no ATM on Siberut

Get the full packing list

SERVICE & FACILITIES

Five things we handle for you

From the first message to the boat back, the same team arranges eveything.

Experienced local guides

Mentawai guides who know the culture, the forest and the families personally.

Authentic accommodation

You stay inside a traditional Uma, not a guesthouse built for tourists.

Real local life experience

Daily routines, traditions and food alongside the family hosting you.

Reaching the Mentawai tribe

Ferry, road, canoe and porters organised so you reach the remote Uma safely.

Travel consultation

We help you pick the length and dates that fit your trip before you commit.

TBH

GUEST

Reviews from past guest.

★★★★★

“Being welcomed by a local tribe and living with them made me feel part of something deeply real and unique. … We hiked into the jungle, made traditional clothes, collected worms and also we had the luck of witnessing a shamanic healing ritual for a child.”

Alessia G

Solo · April 2026

★★★★★

“Describing him as a guide would be an understatement. Xave is part of the family, and with care and sensitivity, without you even realizing it, he makes you part of it as well!”

Camilla B

Couple · January 2026

★★★★★

“There is no electricity, no running water, and zero connectivity. … You will be sleeping on the floor in a shared room with the family. … The jungle is muddy, but the hosts provide rubber boots.”