Mentawai Exotic Beauty

Some foam bed is stored in the uma or custom house in Butui Mentawai, District of South Siberut, Mentawai Islands regency, West Sumatra. The existence of manufactured goods were very striking compared with other uma content, such as animal skulls and cooking equipment are all made citizens of the Mentawai.
"The bed was for the tourists. They also bought, as well as other items such as bags, "said Aman Jazali, sikerei who inhabit these custom homes. Sikerei is a ceremonial leader.
According Jazali, almost every week there are only foreign tourists, usually from American and European-who stay 1-2 nights in the uma. There are two attractions there: own experience the exotic Mentawai tribal life and enjoy the clear, distant Butui River and surrounded by white sand and rocks in front of the uma.

Exotic style Butui are still added beauty of the journey to achieve it, namely taking pompong-wooden boat with outboard engine, for about 4 hours from Muara Siberut, the capital of the District of South Siberut, toward the village of Madobag. From Madobag, about 1.5 hours walking through the forest 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 foreign tourists make Jazali earn a decent income for each group usually gave the money before leaving. It also allows him to speak a little Indonesian, English, and arithmetic.
"We stay here, tour guide and tourist are often taught me and my family," said Jazali who never went to school. While her three children now learn in school forests managed by a monk because formal schools are far from Uma.
The presence of foreign tourists also make a number of places in the Mentawai overgrown with luxury resorts, especially in coastal areas that have good waves for surfing. In the resorts that moneyed tourists enjoy the exotic Mentawai which consists 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.

In Mentawai, surfing is usually done in Nyangnyang Island, Coral Majat, Masilok, Botik, and Mainuk. The peak tourist visit there in July and August. At that height of waves in the Mentawai reaches 7 meters.
"The island is beautiful. I'll come back here again, "said Andrea, tourists from Italy, about the Mentawai he visited for a week.
Biosphere reserves
In addition to beautiful, Mentawai also play an important role for conservation. Since 1981, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural (UNESCO) set Siberut in the Mentawai Islands as one of biosphere reserves so that its existence must be protected and kept away from exploitation.
Keeksotisan Siberut compounded by the four endemic Mentawai primates, namely simakobu or pig tail monkey (Simias concolor), bilou or dwarf siamang (Hylobates klosii), joja or Mentawai langur (Presbytis potenziani), and monkey Mentawai (Macaca pagensis).
To investigate the wealth of this Mentawai primates, Primate Center University of Gottingen, Germany, in cooperation with the Bogor Institute of Agriculture established the Siberut Conservation Project.
Neglected
However, the various advantages it is as yet able to make the country to see Mentawai more seriously. Public facilities such as health and education in areas that are generally rich still dormant. Electricity and roads is very limited.
"Tourism has never come here. If there are tourists who come, so be it, we handle alone, "said Secretary Madobag Matheu Sabaggalek Village.
Further result, people not only do not have clear guidelines for managing the area. A number of assets in the region also started to run a foreigner, such as luxury resorts in a number of locations surfing. "Land of the resort is still owned by citizens of the Mentawai. However, because they do not know and do not have the capital to manage it, and then rented out to foreigners, "Matheu said.
Matheu also told, there are already Canadian tourists who offered to provide capital Kulu Kubuk waterfall set in the region. "Tourists were already offering $ 25 million as capital, and its management remains handed over to us. However, residents who have land still not allowed, "Matheu said.
Countries need to manage natural resources do not let it fall into foreign hands, among others, provide the local community's ability to manage their region. If not, the natural wealth pretty Mentawai is most probably handed its management to foreign hands. If so, what the meaning of the presence of Indonesian nationals in the Mentawai?
(Agnes Rita Sulistyawaty and M Hernowo)
Source: Kompas.com