We told you there was a lot to cover. Here are a few more questions we hear quite frequently from our guests.
12. How much money do I need to take? Once you get on the boat all you have to focus on is getting as many good waves as possible. Most of our guests bring extra money for the following reasons: A. Traveling Money: $500US, or an ATM card, just in case. B. Souvenir money: $50US C. VISA money: $25US D. Money for tipping the crew: suggested tip is 10% of the cost of your charter, but it is a tip, so this is entirely up to you. E. Miscellaneous . . . emergency, etc.
Once you arrive in Padang the best way to exchange money at the highest possible exchange rate is to simply take it out of a bank's ATM machine once you are already in Indonesia. Please make sure to notify your credit card company that you will be travelling to Indonesia, otherwise they may close your account when you try to withdrawl $ from an ATM machine in Indonesia. If you do decide to exchange money please make sure you have immaculate, non-wrinkled bills - even then they might not get taken by the $ changers, and if they do take them, they will give you a lower exchange rate. Travelers Checks are useles, unless you have lot's of extra time to go sit in a bank for hours on end.
14. Can I recharge my video camera etc.. on the boat? All of our boats use 240V electricity, so please check on your charger, to make sure your charger is compatible with 240 v. You should be able to charge whatever you need but it doesn't hurt to bring a converter set just in case.
15. Do you have fishing and/or diving gear onboard? We have some fishing equipment on board, but if you are a keen fisherman bring some of your own lures and maybe your own casting rod.
If you'd like to snorkel please bring your own equipment for sanitary reasons.
If you must bring a spear gun there is a risk of it being confiscated by customs. I suggest you break it into it's components and separate them in your baggage, and you should be all good. In case of confiscation, we can get it back from the police for you for approximately $50 - $100, but no guarantees.
16. Can I be contacted while I'm on the boat? All of our boats are equipped with a Satellite phone to make calls home. Satelite phone calls on SKM vessels, cost $5 for the 1st minute and $3 for every additional minute. If a family member needs to reach you while you are out on the boat, then they may call you on the boat at no charge to you on the boat.. These trips are in a very remote area and 1st world communications are not readily available, but we also get cell phone reception at select location around the Mentawai Islands Chain. Amazing for being in the middle of no where!
17. Can I check my e-mails while on board? At the moment we do not have e-mail capabilities on board, but you may use the internet at Kandui Resort when the boat is around Play Grounds area, and at Macas Resort, when you are surfing at Macaronis. Internet usage prices vary from one resort to the next, but are reasonbly priced,and affordable regardless. We get daily surf reports, and weather condition reports via email, by making a telephone call to our head office every day, so we alwasy know whats up, and coming our way next.
18. What is your policy on illegal substances? Please don't bring any! Our operation is drug free. We have already been searched by Indonesian authorities upon the basis of an unfounded allegation. If drugs had of been found in passengers cabins or baggage we could have lost the vessel and faced imprisonment, along with the passenger. It's just not worth it!
19. Can you give me an idea of how many other people I'll be surfing with? This question really depends on where you want to surf, educated decision making on the part of the surf guide, and of course, a bit of good luck. It is possible to get away from the main spots and surf in solitude - everything really depends on the conditions for that day and the consensus among the group. We can almost always get empty surf, if you are willing to surf spots off the beaten trail or name spots when they are on shore, then all of a sudden the conditions may go off-shore, and you have empty perfection. SKM's boat take pride in being the first boat at the break every morning, at least 90% of the time, or more, and scoring perfect empty surf in solitude, right under every other boats noses.
20. Can I celebrate a special occasion onboard? Hopefully with enough advanced notice we can accomodate any and all requests.
21. What happens if my flight is delayed or my boards don't make it? Fortunately we rarely encounter problems with our guests boards. In the rare instance that your boards do not make it we still send the trip out on schedule and make arrangements with one of our boats or another boat to rendezvous with you and drop off your boards. In some cases, you will be required to pay the price it costs us to get your boards delivered to you, but you can always make a claim with your travel insurance company to get refunded. In case your boards take several days to arrive,you may always rent Surf Tech boards from are sick arsenal of new Tuff lites and TL2's, from our Kandui Resort, Surf Tech rental center while you wait for your boards to arrive.
If your flight is delayed we react accordingly but since most of our groups are whole group charters if one person is delayed, the whole group is delayed and it makes everything that much easier to cope with. Whatever time you arrive in Padang we'll be there to pick you up at the airport fend off the porters, and take you to the boat.
22. What happens when I arrive in Padang? This is one question we hear most frequently. Perhaps the best way to answer it is to show you step by step what happens between the time you touch down in Padang and when you reach the boat. Click here for the full rundown.
Surf Charter Information
Saraina Koat Mentawai
Komp. Polamas Blok L 3
Andalas, Padang
E-mail: info@mentawaiislands.co.id (contact name: Jordan Heuer)
Head office contact number: (+62) 812 66 36841 (+62) 812 66 40941
Local Indonesian Contact Number: (+62)751 841946 (contact name: Rudi Khelces )
FAX # (+62)751 841946
USA contact number: +1 805 222 4150 (contact name: Lori heuer)
Skype Name: Aii_Jordan (contact name: Jordan Heuer) Jordan says:"Leave us a message on any of our phone lines, or drop us an email with your contact number, and we will call you back with Skype, so you don't have to pay a large phone bill."
Rez Charters
E-mail: trezzo76@yahoo.com (contact name: Tom Rezvan)
contact number: (+1) 714 822 5643
Turquoise Voyages
E-mail: jc@turquoise-voyages.fr (contact name: Jean christophe)
contact number: + 33 491 13 94 82
skype name : lebouman
© 2011 PT. Saraina Koat Mentawai | All Rights Reserved
USA +1 805 222 4150 Office Indonesia (+62) 751 841946 Indonesia Mobile (+62)81266 36841 or (+62)812 66 40941 info@mentawaiislands.co.id
Skype id: aii_jordan
