Melaleuca - one of the best-value boats in the Mentawai Islands

G'day friends,

after we received raving testimonials from our clients that went to Mentawai Islands on board Melaleuca, we decided we could perhaps tell you something more about the boat, post some images and show you that you can go on a 11-night surf charter boat in the Ments for under AU$2000 (late-season 2011 charters for as low as AU$1583 for a large group bookings - as of 30 May 2011) without compromising on quality!

MV Melaleuca is a new boat - built just in 2007. While it is not the fastest vessel in the area (speedboat Peluru takes the victory there), it is spacious, clean, safe and very comfortable. We have been on it and loved it!

The total capacity is 12 surfing-hungry, excited people (but can depart will less - please ask us for specific details) in two 3-bed cabins and three 2-bed cabins. 

The boat's best part, however, is not the space, great value for money, chance to surf world-class waves and not even the main salon, equipped with comfortable couches, a bar, a flat screen TV, DVD player and stereo - it is the crew! Regardless of whether we sent a group of young blokes in their 20s or surfing "veterans" in their 50 or 60s, they all raved about the guys - the surf guide Terry, the chefs , the captain K. Saragih ...

Your surf guide is Terry Beathe who is an expert on Mentawai Islands and will get you to uncrowded quality breaks during your trip. He's done 22 winters in Indonesia and with a lot of guiding work on boats and land during this time. His total experience spans over 38 years working in the surfing industry: glassing, shaping, life-guard duties and, of course, guiding. His qualifications include Certificate I in Maritime Duties, Senior First Aid Certificate, Licence Still-water Lifeguard, Licence Padi Diver and he also speaks Indonesian. At present, he is studying for his Master 5 Captain's Certificate.

They all know the area very well and will get you to the most suitable surf breaks depending on the swell, wind conditions and your surfing ability. The food is never the same - variety that is amazing considering you are on a boat. 

Availability schedule and more info on the boat: *as of May 30th, 2011

Click HERE for more information.

• The above prices are based on exclusive charter bookings - minimum of 10 persons required.
• Regular individual prices for 2012 season are: US$2,200/peak and US$1,999/off-peak season per person (Early Bird special - the price wil go up on June 2nd, 2011) with minimum of 6 persons required for the boat to depart.
• Regular individual prices for 2011 season are: US$1,900 per person (off-peak).
• Price is per person in AUD and subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.
• Please click "Enquire Here" to email us or call us on 1300 00WAVE to speak with one of our friendly consultants.

What is included in your surf trip with The Melaleuca?

• 10 days/11 nights (unless otherwise specified) air-conditioned accommodation in one of two 3-bed cabins and three 2-bed cabins.
• All transfers to/from Padang Airport to/from port.
• 3 hearty meals a day, plus snacks and beverages.
• 3 beers per person per day.
• Mentawai zone permits.
• Use of onboard equipment.

What do previous guests say?

"Dear Jamie, Thank you for organizing our recent surf charter on the Melaleuca. I just thought I would let you know that I was one of the group of 8 that was on the boat for this surf charter. The boat and the crew were excellent. We had surf every day that we were on the boat and the food that was prepared by the crew was of very high quality. Also the surf guide Terry, I am not sure of his second name, was excellent and fitted in with our group. I would certainly recommend the boat and the crew that we had including the surf guide to any person contemplating a surf charter to the Mentawai Islands. Thanks once again"

 

Bruce

"Melaleuca crew were bloody awesome."

Charles

"Thanks to the guys at The Perfect Wave for organising an excellent trip. Jamie Gray did a great job with the organising of the trip and in particular answering of all our "stupid" questions that we threw at him. The trip went smoothly without any dramas whatsoever. Terry, the guide on the Melaleuca again proved he is an expert in the Mentawais by getting us into good and relatively uncrowded waves throughout the whole trip. All the boys had a great time and the majority of us will most likely be back soon." 

Jason

"All 8 of us on the trip gave it a 10 out of 10. Must also say our surf guide Terry was awesome and helped make the trip of a lifetime. We would not want to do another trip unless we could have Terry as our guide and Jamie as our consultant. The food was fantastic, every day different. We could not ask for more. GREAT SURF EVERY DAY - most days having 3 surfs." 

John

"We were 8 kiwi guys 50 to 63 years of age who had never had a boat trip,so our decision to travel to the mentawai islands was a toss up for our first trip! Wow so stoked we went there, Our whole adventure from go to wo was awesome! Waves Boat n food! haha! Great crew n surf guide, We all gave this trip 10 out of 10 and me personally i could have had another 3-5 days without any worry! Cheers" 

Mike

"The trip was fantastic we had great waves and the boat was very comfortable and the crew great, the major factor was the surf guide Terry Beathe who slotted right in and made for a great trip, all in all trip of a life time!" 

Brent

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Client testimonials - May 2011

G'day friends,

We have received some great feedback on some of our offered resorts and boats recently and we thought we'd share it! They are all recent - no more than 2 weeks old:

Caroline Islands Surf Tours:

"We stayed at the Kosrae Surf Camp over the Christmas 2010/New Year 2011 period. Troy was the only surfer staying at the resort until the end of our trip. He was spoilt with the best waves he's ever had in his life. Absolutely loved this place. Fantastic surf, accommodation and tour guides - Matt and Meg, did everything to make sure that we experienced the island and had fun. On our way home we also got to stay a night in Guam, which is a really cool place too. Would highly recommend booking a trip to Kosrae, Caroline Islands through the Perfect Wave!" 

Troy and Michelle

Melaleuca (Mentawai Islands surf charter boat):

"Dear Jamie, Thank you for organizing our recent surf charter on the Melaleuca. I just thought I would let you know that I was one of the group of 8 that was on the boat for this surf charter. The boat and the crew were excellent. We had surf every day that we were on the boat and the food that was prepared by the crew was of very high quality. Also the surf guide Terry, I am not sure of his second name, was excellent and fitted in with our group. I would certainly recommend the boat and the crew that we had including the surf guide to any person contemplating a surf charter to the Mentawai Islands. Thanks once again"

Bruce

 

"Melaleuca crew were bloody awesome."

Charles

"Thanks to the guys at The Perfect Wave for organising an excellent trip. Jamie Gray did a great job with the organising of the trip and in particular answering of all our "stupid" questions that we threw at him. The trip went smoothly without any dramas whatsoever. Terry, the guide on the Melaleuca again proved he is an expert in the Mentawais by getting us into good and relatively uncrowded waves throughout the whole trip. All the boys had a great time and the majority of us will most likely be back soon." 

Jason

"All 8 of us on the trip gave it a 10 out of 10. Must also say our surf guide Terry was awesome and helped make the trip of a lifetime. We would not want to do another trip unless we could have Terry as our guide and Jamie as our consultant. The food was fantastic, every day different. We could not ask for more. GREAT SURF EVERY DAY - most days having 3 surfs." 

John

"We were 8 kiwi guys 50 to 63 years of age who had never had a boat trip,so our decision to travel to the mentawai islands was a toss up for our first trip! Wow so stoked we went there, Our whole adventure from go to wo was awesome! Waves Boat n food! haha! Great crew n surf guide, We all gave this trip 10 out of 10 and me personally i could have had another 3-5 days without any worry! Cheers"

Mike

"The trip was fantastic we had great waves and the boat was very comfortable and the crew great, the major factor was the surf guide Terry Beathe who slotted right in and made for a great trip, all in all trip of a life time!"

Brent

Holiday Inn Kandooma (Maldives):

"Hi Marie, We came back yesterday from Kandooma and I wanted to thank you for the time you spend organising with us our honeymoon. We had an amazing trip. The resort is really beautiful, the rooms are great. We also have the chance to have waves everyday and Kandooma right is really an amazing wave with never more than 5-6 people n the water."

Romain

"It was a great trip the weather was great the surf got better by the day and was fantastic at the end. The resort was exellent and so are the staff. Made some friends for life. Thanks Jamie and Charlie and thanks very much Gina. Cheers"

Steve 

"Hi there! Yes can' t believe we've been back a week! Mate it was fantastic!, surf not great but picked up at end of week and where our villa was it was just a stumble across the sand. All good, food was great we thought - had not expected it to be so good, but I was suprised how reasonable it was for price - and try as I might I could not drink my way through the premium package :-)! but it was lovely. The deck was great to chill out on and the kids had a great time and did not want to leave. Have passed your details on to a load of people so hopefully there are some coming your way. Thanks again for all your help. The attention to detail, especially when am trying to figure out what will suit the kids was great. Cheers "

Jo 

Tengirri (Mentawai Islands surf charter boat):

"Hi Rhonda, Just wanted to thank you for setting us up with Phil & his crew on Tengirri. Phil documented our trip with his camera & video which was nothing short of the professional. The boat was very comfortable with all the luxurys you would ever need for a good trip in the Mentawais. Phil had us at the best surf with the minimum amount of guys in the water all the time. He was always keeping us up to speed with where we were going next and what to expect. Oscar the Captain is a Master 5 captain that comes from the Mentawais. Phil certainly has a the best Captain in the islands. Donald the cook blew us away with his cooking. Surfed my heart out and came back to Perth 1kg heavier. Inn & Benny the crew were always waiting close by to get us whatever we needed. After looking at the other top end boats I was happy to see that we were on the best boat out there for up to eight guys. Thanks again for getting us onto such a good boat."

Rod 

MV Addiction (Mentawai Islands surf charter boat):

"Another great trip to the Metawais organised by Rhonda. Addiction is a great boat, friendly crew, with skipper Eric having expert local surf break knowledge. Perfect Waves every day!"

Lou

"Hi Rhonda We're all back in one piece after an outstanding trip on Addiction. Eric and the crew were fabulous, boat was perfect, surf was great. Only concern was we had to evacuate a surf guide from another boat back to Padang from Macca's (we were only fast boat there) on Sunday after he suffered a horrendous head injury - basically scalped himself on the reef on a heavy wave. He is now ok after surgery but it could have ended very badly. All in all a fabulous trip. Thank you to you Rhonda and the team for making it all happen. I'm sure we will be back. Expect to hear from 2013 Tour Leader Mattie down the track. Best regards"

Doug

Ah, Maldives!

G'day friends,

enjoy this cool video from the March 29 - April 9 20011 trip to the Maldives.

For more information on Surfing in Maldives, check out THIS BLOG.

The Naga Laut

The Naga Laut is one of the best-value boats in Mentawai Islands - the surfers' Mecca. It started its journey in the late 1999 and has been continually improved, while the crew has been providing consistently good service ever since. With a strong Aussie dollar, you can jump on board and have a surf trip of your lifetime for as low as AU$2,226 (*as of 6/MAY/2011 - prices subject to exchange rates change).

You are taken care of from the moment you land in Padang. They will transport you to the boat from the airport, take you to the best surf breaks in the area and provide quality meals all the way. The boat is specifically built for surf trips and it has all modern equipment - full air-conditioning, new satellite phone iridium, TV, DVD, VCD, fridge, freezer, fishing and snorkeling gear and safety gear.

The capacity is 10 surfers in 5 twin-share individual cabins with air-conditioning and there is also a large living area where you will enjoy Indonesian, Italian and Chinese cuisine with your beers (and 4 per day/person are complimentary). Tea, coffee, bottled water and snacks are always on hand.

The Perfect Wave is running several exclusive charter in the peak season aboard this vessel and there are still some prime-time spots available. Exclusive special: Book for 9 guys and the 10th person travels for FREE.

Availability schedule and more info on the boat:

Please see it HERE.

What is included in your surf trip with The Naga Laut?

• 10 days/11 nights onboard Naga Laut (unless otherwise specified).
• All transfers to/from Padang Airport to/from port.
• Air-conditioned single berth on board Naga Laut.
• All meals, drinking water, hot drinks.
• Sodas, juice & 4 beers per day.
• All necessary zone permits.
• Use of basic fishing and snorkelling equipment, speargun & shore excursions.
• US$3/day Mentawai Government Tax.

What do previous guests say?


Simon (May 2010):

Hey Jamie, Just wanted to let you know that I had a good trip but didn’t really get any good swell. We had 3 days in the middle of the trip but the other days were generally small but still fun. The crew of the Naga Laut were excellent and really looked after us. Every crew member did there best to make it a good trip for us. Could you please let Seb know what a great crew he has on the Naga Laut. Thank you again for organising the trip. 

Mike (June 2009):

The trip was absolutely fantastic. I have been on four trips to Indo in the last five years and this was the best trip by far and I will definitely be back. I didn't get the biggest waves of my life nor the biggest barrels but the end product was unreal. The crew are helpful with a cautious captain organising our travel around the Mentawais. The boat was well above my expectations. I do have a motto "low expectations gives you a high success rate". The surf is safe as the waves break into deep water including Rifles, Maccas and HTs on a higher tide. On the second day I was lucky enough to surf 5 different breaks in one day that incorporated almost 9 hrs of surf time. What more do you want in a day.......Several bintangs and four huge meals .......and of course fruit in between with a Pooh man Nomination!!!!!!! (Pooh man - too long a story for this email) Not to forget some light humorous conversation after dark…. 

Susie (July 2008)

To Jamie and Rhonda at the Perfect Wave, Just thought I'd let you know, Stephen had a fantastic time on the surf trip. Thankyou to you both for your efforts with such a rush job. Stephen said everything ran smoothly. He raved about the waves, the boat, he said the staff on the boat were fantastic, friendly and helpful and couldn't do enough for you. Said the food was like restaurant food, and plenty of it. He honestly couldn’t fault anything. He had an absolute ball. Loved every minute of it. Didn’t end up using one of his flights (from Padang to Jakarta) as the captain of the boat managed to get him on the flight from Padang to KL, which worked out better for him as he was with all the boys. Once again, thankyou so much for everything. You definitely do your jobs very well and I know for sure Stephen would recommend you guys to anyone he hears of wanting a great surf trip. 

Joel (January 2008):

Waves could have been better as i have been to the Ments before and but we surfed everyday and there was a couple of days that were really good. The boat and the crew were awesome, with captain and crew doing everything a guest would want from them and more. The food was wicked and the beers always cold. Yanto the guide was onto it everyday with a plan and also took some great photos of us in the surf. I will defiantly book the Naga again. Thanks to The Perfect Wave to as from the moment we first talked to Jamie to the call when we got back, you were great to deal with and very professional. All our travel was painless and no hiccups at all. Thanks again to everyone and look forward to next years trip with you guys.

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Life's good!:

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Salon:

Top deck:

Tender:

Mentawai barrell:

Uncrowded waves in remote locations with The Perfect Wave - Part 2

G'day friends,

Are getting sick of your local beach that’s becoming more crowded by the day? Wondering whether there still exist places with uncrowded waves that you can have just for yourself, without waiting in the lineup for too long? We did the homework for you and travelled around the world to discover new frontiers – places with absolutely nobody around, only yourself and your friends in the water.

There still are places where none of your friends went before so you will be the first. Spots with breaks being discovered as you read this blog and local people and culture still untouched by the western culture. Remote islands where you can surf, take awesome pictures, eat fresh local food and absolutely forget about your busy schedule for a week or two!

For this to happen, you will need to get off the beaten track and perhaps take on an extra flight or a boat trip to get there. In some other cases, there may be restrictions on the number of surfers to keep breaks uncrowded, but others may just be far enough away from the commercial areas and frequently travelled paths that only those with a sense of adventure bother going there. Many of these places also do not advertise heavily so they don’t get too crowded or just want to protect their local culture.

Whatever the reason of their remoteness is, these places are just slowly starting to appear on surfers’ maps and we at The Perfect Wave spent some time researching these new frontiers to offer you something new. We were definitely blown away!

In Part 1, we looked at uncrowded and remote places in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Micronesia – talk about the last frontier!

Caroline Islands is a widely scattered group of islands in the western Pacific Ocean, north-east of Australia. The surfing season runs from October to April when the waves are powerful and barrels are frequent. This destination is perfect for an experienced surfer as the breaks are predominately fast, intense, pretty heavy right-handers. Caroline Islands Surf Tours provide eco-friendly cottage-style accommodation in stunning surroundings, experienced surf guide, meals, all transports and guided tours around the islands. Absolutely no surfers around besides yourself!

Surf breaks

• P1- series of right-hand reef sections ranging from rippable walls to barrels. Faces offshore/side-offshore in the trade winds. Handles swell from 2-8 foot.
• Sidedish - Intense and extremely hollow reef break, providing a 2-4 second righthand barrel. Faces straight offshore in the trade winds. Breaks from 2-6 foot.
• Snoop Dogg’s - Fast, hollow left-hand reef break. Faces offshore/side-offshore into the trade winds. Fun and rippable when wind affected. Flawless 4-second barrel when offshore (comparable to Pipeline in Hawaii, but more perfect!). Handles from 1-6 foot.
• WC’s - Extremely heavy right-hand slab reef break ala Teahupoo, Ours, or The Box. Sideshore in the trade winds. Surfable by those who dare whenever the wind is good. Handles from 2-10 foot.
• Airports - Right-hand reef/point break with multiple sections. Picks up wraparound wind swell when there is no N groundswell. Extremely fast, heavy right-hander when ground swell is running.  Sideshore in the trade winds. Handles from 1-8 foot

 

Solomon Islands have the identical surfing season as the Carolines, but not all the breaks are as challenging so even the beginners (but not only!) can surf here. Surf Solomon Tours will guide you around the Maliata Island, not only the best surf breaks, but also provide a cultural insight about the country and its people. They have own chef that will cook for you the whole time, transport around the island for different breaks, fishing trips, snorkeling, markets, waterfalls… The surf breaks are pretty consistent in the high season and there are both left- and right-handers of various difficulties to surf. Joel Coleman from saltmotion photography has joined us on this fantastic trip and you can see his LIVE daily updates here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7...

Surf Breaks - Maliata Island

• Toi - This is considered the premier wave by many who come to Solomons. It’s an outer right-hand reef set up about 2km from the nearest land, so it’s very sensitive to wind. In the right conditions, it’s a fast & powerful. It has barreling sections and works well on N-W to N-E swells. Catches all available swell and is often bigger than other breaks in the area.
• Gnali nuts - This is a consistent left on most swell directions and sizes. It’s best with light off-shore or no wind but can handle cross-shore conditions. The break has two distinct peaks that sometimes connect making for a long, powerful, walling wave. On bigger swells, it comes into its own. It’s a great walling wave on most tides. This wave suits all types of surfing (short board, fish and mals).
• Eidu - Is a long-peaking left which at its best goes through 4 distinct bowling and then reforming sections. At mid- to high tide, this is an easy-walling wave that can handle large swells. On small swells, it can get a bit fat and higher tides can stop it breaking all together. On a low tide, it’s a completely different wave with ledging take offs, fast, hollow walls and a very shallow reef. Needs glassy conditions to surf on low tide. When it’s big, this is a serious wave.
• Tai - This reef passage is a real swell magnet and there is pretty much always a wave to be had on the incoming tide here, even if it’s flat everywhere else. It breaks more like a beach break with shifting left and right peaks - but it is a reef and can be shallow on the inside. On a good day, there can be some fun, peaky and fast waves. It’s surfable up to 4 foot - bigger than that and it becomes too unpredictable as you have to be prepared to get caught inside on this wave. Best on small days at 2-4 foot. On the inside is a magic hollow left called Beacons that breaks when the swell is up and is offshore in conditions when many other waves are blown out.
• Charlie's right - A very consistent right-hander that breaks on incoming tides almost every day. It’s a short, fast wave with a number of walling sections and an easy barrel. Very fun when it’s small and even when the swells up it does not get as heavy here as some other nearby breaks.
• Ngali nuts rights - Across the passage from the main left hand break at Ngali Nuts is a right. It’s a bit fickle and hard to catch in the right conditions. But when it’s clean, this can be a fast wave that is fun on smaller days. Generally the left is looking better on bigger swells but there is a lot of potential to explore this wave further and get it at its best.
• Kwanala - Swell direction and wind have to be just right and when they are this right is one of the best waves in the area (N to N-E swells with glassy conditions). On lower tides, it can be a very hollow wave with the wall of the wave increasing as it runs down the reef. On smaller swells and at higher tide, it breaks wider on the reef and is a very fun, punchy wave. There is a lot of sea life around this break.
• Billy's - A magic left surfed for the first time in the 2008/09 season. Named after Billy Bain who went with his father Rob on a trip at the end of the season.
• Piccininies - A consistent right-hander, breaking close to a very scenic village. Expect the whole village to come out and join in! A fun wave.

For more information on our product in remote locations without crowds, where you might be the only tourists around, please check out this section of our website. For more questions, you can contact us on 1300 00WAVE or send us an e-mail! We have been there and done that, so we are able to give you personalized information on surf breaks and different operators in the area - we only sell the best!

The Solomon Islands...

The Solomon Islands is one of the last pristine, untouched places on the planet. Clear, warm water, excited locals that welcome you, fun waves for all levels of surfers and, simply, life without any sort of schedule, rush or stress.

UNCROWDED SURF, crystal clear water, colourful living reefs, excellent fishing, incredible scenery, tropical rainforest and tribal societies in one of the last surfing frontiers.

Be one of the lucky few to visit places isolated and untouched by modern tourism... leave the 21st century behind... walk on white sand beaches, stay in thatched huts fronting aqua-blue lagoons... stay with local families who are happy to share their way of life with you.

The surfing season runs during Aussie spring/summer (October to April) and there is lots to discover and enjoy besides surfing. 

Our partner operator in the area, Surf Solomon Tours will guide you around the Maliata Island, not only the best surf breaks, but also provide a cultural insight about the country and its people. They have own chef that will cook for you the whole time, transport around the island for different breaks, fishing trips, snorkeling, markets, waterfalls… The surf breaks are pretty consistent in the high season and there are both left- and right-handers of various difficulties to surf. 

Please click on this link to learn more about the Surf Breaks - Maliata Island

The last tour of the 2011 season was at the beginning of April and the guys were joined by Joel Coleman, a Sydney pro photographer whose daily shots are updated 5 days a week on his website www.saltmotion.com.

 

The guys had a fantastic time and although it was an end-of-season trip, the waves were still fun and the overall experience has just left the guys in awe of the country and its people.Enjoy the trip shots and if you would like to visit this beautiful place, give us a call. The 2011/2012 season schedule is HERE under Pricing/Schedule tab.