20+ breaks, ~30 min apart
Rifles, Bank Vaults, Kandui Left, Hideaways, E-Bay, Pitstops, Nipussi, Beng Bengs, 4 Bobs, Burgerworld, Shadow Right, Dog Reef and more — all close together. You move to whatever's firing that day.
01°S · 099°E — MENTAWAI ISLANDS, INDONESIA
TWENTY-PLUS WORLD-CLASS WAVES, PACKED INTO ONE ZONE.
This is the crew's case for putting our Mentawai trip in the Playgrounds — the densest, most rippable corner of the islands — and how six of us score it for under $3,000 a head. Read up, poke around the options, and grill the AI at the bottom.
01
Why Playgrounds
Playgrounds sits in the northern Mentawais — a tight cluster of islands (Nyang Nyang, Karangmajat, Siberut and their neighbours) that holds the highest concentration of quality waves in the whole archipelago. Twenty-plus named breaks inside a thirty-minute boat ride, from mellow rippable walls to heavy slabs. It's why the pros post up here, and it's exactly what a crew wants when we care about variety, not a single wave.
Playful to heavy, one bay system
Fun, rippable walls and air sections (Pitstops, Beng Bengs, 4 Bobs) sit right next to serious barrels (Kandui Left, Bank Vaults, Hideaways, Shadow Right). Something for every wind, swell and mood — with plenty of juice for a crew of chargers.
April–October is the engine room
Peak dry-season groundswell marches up out of the Indian Ocean. May and June are prime. In this zone something is almost always breaking somewhere.
Built for a 4–6 crew
Short hops between waves plus an option for every condition means we're never stuck on an off day. And it's the cheapest world-class zone to base a land camp.
THE BREAKS
Click any wave for full stats, ratings, and conditions.
02
Land camp or boat?
This is the big fork. Both score waves; they trade off differently. Here's the honest version.
LAND CAMP
Best fit for our briefPROS
- Base right in Playgrounds — the best zone, all trip.
- Surf the wave out front on your own schedule.
- Cheaper per night — most camps are well under budget.
- Multiple boats per camp — groups can split up and go to different waves simultaneously.
- A real home base, flexible dates (weekly Tue/Sat check-ins).
- You're based in one zone all trip — but it's the best one.
- Further-flung waves are a boat ride, not a paddle.
BOAT CHARTER
Great, but not Playgrounds-focusedPROS
- Roams all four Mentawai zones and chases the best conditions anywhere.
- Wake up already parked at the wave.
- Social, and some incredible boats come in under budget.
- Seasickness is real — liveaboards in the Mentawai channel can be rough, especially transit days. Non-negotiable to consider if anyone in the crew is prone.
- The captain picks the spots — we can lobby, and on a private charter we direct it, but we're not Playgrounds-locked.
- Fixed set departure dates.
03
The options
Real, current pricing pulled from the operators and specialist booking sites. All figures are per person for the accommodation/charter portion (flights are separate) and are “from” high-season rates — we'll confirm the exact May 2027 number when we enquire.
SELF-DIRECTED — HIGH ●●● / MED ●●○ / LOW ●○○
HIGH = dedicated boats the crew can direct at will — surf the wave out front or boat to any break, no shared schedule. MED = wave out front to paddle any time + shared daily boats for the rest of the zone. LOW = no wave out front; reliant on scheduled daily boat trips.
All land camps include 3 meals/day + 2 shared daily boat trips + a surf guide.
The gold standard for self-direction — 3 speedboats + 4 dinghies, 'surf when you want'. Well over budget, but the benchmark for the luxury tier, and being an exclusive 12-uma island it is genuinely book-out-able by a group.
INCLUDES
- 3 meals/day + 24-7 snacks
- Unlimited on-call boat/dinghy access (30+ breaks)
- Fast WiFi up to 150Mbps (Starlink/fibre)
- Airport-hotel-ferry transfers
- Mentawai surfer tax (2,000,000 rp) INCLUDED
- 25x18m infinity pool, gym, yoga, game room
EXTRA / NOT INCLUDED
- +21% tax (11% govt + 10% service) on rates
- Flights, Padang⇄resort transport
- Alcohol, massage, gift shop
- Photo/video (extra)
- Surf lesson $250 pp
DEPOSIT
35% non-refundable; 65% due 60 days out; whole-island (18 pax) deposit $9,000
RUN BY / COMFORT / CAPACITY
US (orig. Kandui founders, est. 2007) · A/C · up to ~30 (12 umas)
NOTES
2027 LIVE & BOOKABLE ONLINE: 10nt $4,000 / 11nt $4,400 base uma rate; single-surfer package $5,000/$5,500 + 21% tax (~$6,650 all-in for 11nt). Check-ins Tue/Sat. Couple(1+1) $8,000/$8,800; 4-in-uma $16,000/$17,600.
Jared's benchmark — he stayed here for 11 days in 2017 and knows it well. Best boat fleet + on-site photographers of any camp; dinghy runs dawn-to-dusk. ⚠️ 2027 heads-up: the three core May windows are SOLD OUT — first open date is May 29–Jun 8 at $4,350.
INCLUDES
- 3 meals/day + all non-alcoholic drinks
- Daily surf transfers + dinghy shuttling to local waves
- Fastest internet in the Ments (Starlink + fibre)
- Free afternoon Bintangs on the dock & boats
- A/C umas, hot water, Shaman ceremony
EXTRA / NOT INCLUDED
- Mentawai surf tax $150
- Mainland transfer $525 pp
- Photo $200 / Video $200 / Water $200 / all-3 $475
- Alcohol ($1 Bintang / $3.75 mixed)
- Santika Padang hotel $65
- Flights
DEPOSIT
$1,030 pp ($1,000 + $30 CC fee); final 120 days out (180 for groups >6); non-refundable
RUN BY / COMFORT / CAPACITY
US (mgr Ray Wilcoxen) · A/C · 16–19 guests/date (max ~18)
NOTES
2027 VERIFIED on operator site: peak Apr–Jun singles $4,350–4,650; shoulder (Jan–Feb) $3,150–3,450. ⚠️ MAY 2027 SOLD OUT (Apr 27–May 8, May 8–18, May 18–29 all 0 spots); May 29–Jun 8 = 11 spots at $4,350; Jun 8–19 = 12 spots at $4,650. Set 10–11 day trips.
Only resort with a user-friendly wave 35ft from the bungalow, and boat trips are UNLIMITED (not 2x/day) — a real self-direction plus at ~$2,035–2,420 for the stay. Max 10 = whole-camp friendly.
INCLUDES
- 3 meals/day + snacks
- Unlimited FREE speedboat trips to 25+ breaks
- Experienced surf guide
- Free high-speed WiFi
- SUP/snorkel, yoga when available
- Solar/rain-water eco resort
EXTRA / NOT INCLUDED
- Mentawai surf tax
- Padang transfers
- Photo (extra)
- Alcohol
DEPOSIT
Confirm on enquiry
RUN BY / COMFORT / CAPACITY
Australia · Fan-cooled · max 10 (3–4/bungalow)
NOTES
Fan-cooled bungalows overlooking Pitstops; $185–220/nt. 2027 dates not published — enquire.
Great mid-budget crew pick perched above Pitstops — the only elevated resort in the Ments. A/C, ~$1,925 for the stay, max 10 = book-out-able with 4–6.
INCLUDES
- 3 meals/day
- Guided fast-boat surf trips
- Surf guide
- Fleet of longboats; SUP/fishing/snorkel gear
- Hilltop sunset location
EXTRA / NOT INCLUDED
- Surf tax
- Transfers
- Photo (extra)
- Alcohol
DEPOSIT
Confirm on enquiry
RUN BY / COMFORT / CAPACITY
Australia · A/C · max 10
NOTES
Rooms (A/C), some shared bath. Just up the hill from MSR — twin options, easy to combine for a group. 2027 dates not published — enquire.
Top budget + self-direct pick. Three hand-built speedboats (carry 4/8/10), front of E-Bay, ~$1,815 for the stay. Guests surf out front whenever, or boat to the region's other 20 waves. Book it out with our crew and it's ours.
INCLUDES
- 3 meals/day
- 2 daily surfing boat trips
- Surf guide
- Paddle to E-Bay + 5-min walk to Pitstops
- Fishing & snorkelling gear
- Padang airport ⇄ camp transfers
EXTRA / NOT INCLUDED
- Photo packages (on request)
- Mentawai surf tax ~$80
- Padang hotel
- Board-bag ferry carriage
- Alcohol
DEPOSIT
Confirm on enquiry
RUN BY / COMFORT / CAPACITY
Italy · A/C · max 10–12
NOTES
Traditional 170 m² 4-bedroom guesthouse; A/C; shared bath; superb TripAdvisor record. 2027 dates not published — enquire.
The book-it-out play: with 5–6 of us we take the whole camp, so the boat runs on our schedule — self-direction at ~$1,210 for the stay.
INCLUDES
- 3 meals/day
- 2 daily boat trips
- Surf guide
- Private bathrooms
EXTRA / NOT INCLUDED
- Surf tax
- Transfers
- Photo (extra)
- Alcohol
DEPOSIT
Confirm on enquiry
RUN BY / COMFORT / CAPACITY
Indonesian · Fan-cooled · small (5–6 = whole camp)
NOTES
Fan-cooled, private baths. Explicitly great for groups of 5–6 who want the place to themselves.
Jared's contact (former marketing client). CONFIRMED 2027 May/June departures with full availability at research time, under budget, and photos/videos reviewed together each night. Book it privately (up to 14) and we direct the plan.
INCLUDES
- Airport ⇄ boat transfers
- 3 meals/day + snacks
- A/C throughout + lounge
- 30 Bintang pp/trip
- Starlink WiFi
- 2 tenders (speedboat 9pax + dinghy 5pax)
- Kayaks, SUP, spearfishing gear
EXTRA / NOT INCLUDED
- Mentawai surf tax (IDR 2m ~$130)
- Photo/video $250–350 pp
- Alcohol beyond 30 beers
- Jet ski ($200/hr, $500/day, $2,500/trip)
- Flights
DEPOSIT
30% to secure; balance 60 days out; non-refundable but transferable
PHOTOGRAPHER / CAPACITY
On board — nightly photo/video review on TV · 7–11 guests
NOTES
CONFIRMED 2027: Apr 27–May 8, May 11–22, May 25–Jun 5, Jun 8–19, Jun 22–Jul 3 (fortnightly 11-night Ments trips). Max 11 shared / up to 14 private (whole-boat quote-only, ~$29.7k est.). Surfs all zones incl. Playgrounds. Contact maki@makiboat.com — ask for the returning-client rate.
Jared knows the owner. No fixed rates — every trip is a custom quote built around your wave wishlist, and the relationship gets us a real number and date priority. For a 4–6 private, Mahogany (newest/largest) is the natural pick.
INCLUDES
- Airport & boat transfers
- 3 meals/day + snacks
- 3 beers + 3 juices + 3 soft drinks pp/day
- 2 tenders per boat
- Photographer/videographer on board
EXTRA / NOT INCLUDED
- Photographer/media fee
- Mentawai/Macaronis fees (varies by quote)
- Alcohol beyond allowance
- Flights/hotels
DEPOSIT
~30% (confirm); balance 60 days out
PHOTOGRAPHER / CAPACITY
On every charter (extra, 'very reasonable') · group / private
NOTES
Longest-running independent operator; longer trips by design (12–14 nights typical). Customizes to skill + wave preferences — ideal for an expert crew chasing named waves. Contact danny@sumatransurfariis.com for a 4–6 person May 2027 quote.
PERFECT crew-size fit — min 4, max 6 (7 on request). Charter it privately and it's the roam option for exactly 4–6 without joining strangers. CONFIRMED 2027 departures listed for May and June.
INCLUDES
- Transfers
- 3 meals/day
- Surf guide
EXTRA / NOT INCLUDED
- Surf tax
- Photographer
- Alcohol
DEPOSIT
Confirm (25–50%)
PHOTOGRAPHER / CAPACITY
Ask · 4–6 guests
NOTES
All about uncrowded surf where big charters can't compete. Also quoted as AU$22,000 whole-boat ÷ heads for a true private of <6.
04
What we'd actually do
Cutting to it — here's the ranked call for a crew of 4–6 experts who want Playgrounds, self-direction, and to stay under $3K.
- 01
Primary — stay at a small Playgrounds land camp.
Top candidates: Beng Beng (front of E-bay, three speedboats, ~$165/night), Pitstop Hill or Mentawai Surf Retreat (front of Pitstops, ~$175–185/night), or Matungou (whole camp with 5–6, ~$110/night). That's roughly $1,200–2,000 pp for the stay — self-directed, Playgrounds-locked, and well under budget.
- 02
Benchmark — Kandui Resort (~$3,150–4,650 for the stay depending on season).
If we want the nicest boat fleet and on-site photographers. Jared stayed here for 11 days in 2017 and knows it well. Now at the top of or over the $3K budget depending on travel dates — and heads up: the core May 2027 windows are already SOLD OUT; first opening is May 29–Jun 8 at $4,350.
- 03
Roam option — private small-boat charter.
Maki (Jared's contact, from ~$2,699 pp) or a Sumatran Surfariis boat (Jared knows the owner — custom quote) if the crew would rather chase conditions across all four zones instead of basing in one.
- 04
Splurge (over budget) — Kandui Villas or Wave Park.
The fully self-directed luxury tier (private speedboat + dinghy fleets, “surf when you want”) if the budget flexes past $3K.