Mentawai Islands
A chain of about a hundred islands some 150 kilometres off the west coast of Sumatra, the largest being Siberut. Surfers come for its reef breaks, and the Mentawai people are known for their full-body tattoos and longhouses in the forest.
- Where
- Tuapejat, West Sumatra, Indonesia
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- -2.1833, 99.6500
Get the Mentawai Islands stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Mentawai Islands. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your West Sumatra volume with your photos and a note.
Near Mentawai Islands
Mount Kerinci 187 km
The highest mountain in Sumatra and an active volcano, rising to 3,805 metres. Its slopes are covered by the forest of Kerinci Seblat National Park, home to the Sumatran tiger, with tea plantations spread around its foot.
Ombilin Coal Mine 208 km
The oldest coal mining site in Southeast Asia, in a narrow valley of the Bukit Barisan mountains near Sawahlunto. Coal was found here in the mid-19th century and mining began in 1876; the mine and its colonial town are now a World Heritage Site.
Lake Maninjau 216 km
A caldera lake 36 kilometres west of Bukittinggi, ringed by steep green walls. The road down to its shore twists through 44 numbered hairpin bends, the Kelok 44.
Pagaruyung Palace 219 km
The palace of the former Pagaruyung Kingdom near Batusangkar, built as a Minangkabau rumah gadang with sweeping horn-shaped roofs. It is unusually large for its kind and rises three storeys; the present building is a reconstruction.
Jam Gadang 224 km
A clock tower in the centre of Bukittinggi, by the main market of Pasar Ateh, with a large clock on each of its four faces. Built under Dutch rule, it now wears a horned Minangkabau roof, and its name simply means big clock.
Muara Takus 301 km
A Buddhist temple complex in Kampar, Riau, thought to belong to the Srivijaya empire and dated to the 11th and 12th centuries. It is one of the largest and best preserved ancient temple sites in Sumatra.
Nias 427 km
An island off the west coast of Sumatra, centre of an archipelago that includes the Batu and Hinako islands. It is famous for stone jumping, where young men leap over a tall stone pillar, and for the surf at Sorake Bay.
Muaro Jambi Temples 450 km
A Buddhist temple complex built by the Melayu Kingdom, its remains dating from the 7th to the 13th century. The site covers about 12 square kilometres along the Batang Hari River, with eight excavated sanctuaries and some 80 unrestored mounds.
More hidden gems in West Sumatra
Questions
Where is Mentawai Islands?
Mentawai Islands is in Tuapejat, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Mount Kerinci (187 km), Ombilin Coal Mine (208 km), Lake Maninjau (216 km).
How do I get the Mentawai Islands stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Mentawai Islands and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your West Sumatra volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Mentawai Islands before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your West Sumatra volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.