Exotic Beauty

Mentawai nan Exotic Beauty

Mentawai surfing  foam bed is stored in the uma or custom homes in the Mentawai Butui, District of South Siberut, Mentawai Islands regency, West Sumatra. The existence of manufactured goods was very striking in comparison with other uma content, such as animal skulls and cooking utensils are all made the Mentawai people.
"The bed was for the tourists. They also bought it, also other items such as bags, "said Aman Jazali, sikerei who inhabit the traditional house. Sikerei is a ceremonial leader.
According Jazali, almost every week there are foreign tourists, usually from America and Europe-a 1-2 nights stay at the uma. There are two attraction there: his own experience of tribal life and enjoy the exotic Mentawai Butui Nan River flows crystal clear and surrounded by white sand and rocks in front of uma.

Exotic style Butui are still added beauty of the journey to achieve it, namely pompong-up wooden boat with outboard engine, for about 4 hours of Muara Siberut, South Siberut district capital, to the Village Madobag. From Madobag, about 1.5 hours walking through the woods to get to the uma.
While Muara Siberut can be reached by motor boat for 10-12 hours from Padang, West Sumatra.
Exotic Mentawai
The presence of these foreign tourists make Jazali earn a decent income for each group used to give him money before leaving. Moreover, it also allows him to speak a little Indonesian, English, and arithmetic.
"While staying here, tour guides and foreign tourists were often taught me and also the family," said Jazali who never received his school. While her three children now in school studying forests managed a monk because formal schools are far away from umanya.
The presence of foreign tourists also made a number of places in the Mentawai overgrown luxury resort, especially in coastal areas that have good waves for surfing. In the tourist resorts to enjoy the exotic Mentawai moneyed consisting of 213 islands as well as for surfing.
Waves in the Mentawai islands surf-by various organizations is the third best-universal after Hawaii and Tahiti.
Mentawai Surf
In Mentawai, surf is usually done in Nyangnyang Island, Coral Majat, Masilok, Botik, and Mainuk. The peak tourist visits there in July and August. It was the height of the waves in the Mentawai reaches 7 meters.
"The island is beautiful. I'll come here again, "said Andrea, tourists from Italy, about the Mentawai visited for one week.
Biosphere reserves
In addition to beautiful, Mentawai also play an important role for conservation. Since 1981, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) set in the Mentawai island of Siberut as a biosphere reserve so that its existence must be protected and kept away from exploitation.
Exoticism Siberut plus the four Mentawai primates endemic, ie Simakobu or pig-tailed monkey (Simias concolor), Bilou or dwarf gibbon (Hylobates klosii), joja or Mentawai langur (Presbytis potenziani), and the Mentawai monkey (Macaca pagensis).
To investigate this wealth of Mentawai primates, Primate Center University of Gottingen, Germany, in cooperation with the Bogor Agricultural Institute founded the Siberut Conservation Project.
Overlooked
However, the various advantages it is as yet able to make the country to look more seriously Mentawai. Public facilities such as health and education in the region's rich are still largely neglected. Electricity and roads is very limited.
"Tourism has never come here. If there are tourists who come, so be it, we handle ourselves, "said Secretary of the Village Madobag Sabaggalek Matheu.
Mentawai islandAkibatnya further, residents not only do not have clear guidelines for managing the area. A number of assets in the area also began to run a stranger, like a luxury resort in a number of surfing location. "Land of the resort is still owned by the Mentawai. However, because they do not know and do not have the capital to manage them, and then leased to foreigners, "Matheu said.
Matheu also told, there were Canadian tourists who offered to give the waterfall capital of Kulu Kubuk arranging of the region. "Tourists had been offered $ 25 million as capital, and its management remains handed to us. However, residents who have land are still not allowed, "Matheu said.
Countries need to set up this natural wealth should not fall into foreign hands, including the ability to equip local communities to manage their areas. If not, Mentawai pretty natural wealth is highly likely given its management into foreign hands. If so, what the meaning of the state's presence in the Mentawai Indonesia?