Sago & Survival Skills

  • 5 Days - 4 nights
  • Siberut Island, Mentawai

Overview

Join the Sago & Survival Skills experience—an immersive 5-day journey into the heart of Siberut’s rainforest, where you’ll live among the Mentawai tribe and learn essential jungle survival techniques. Discover how the Mentawai people harvest and process sago, build shelters from forest materials, make fire without matches, and use plants for food and medicine. More than just a cultural visit, this is hands-on learning guided by indigenous knowledge keepers who thrive in the wild without modern tools.

Tour Info
  • Place Covered: Siberut Island - Mentawai
  • Duration: 5 Days, 4 Nights
  • Start Point: Padang Harbor (Fast Ferry Terminal)
  • End Point: Padang Harbor
Tour Highlights
  • Learn how to find, harvest, and process sago—the Mentawai's staple food
  • Practice forest survival skills: fire-making, shelter-building, and jungle cooking
  • Stay in uma (traditional Mentawai longhouses) with local families
  • Explore traditional tools and techniques passed down through generations
  • Disconnect from modern life and reconnect with nature and resilience
More About the Sago & Survival Skills Tour
  • Basic physical fitness and openness to live simply required
  • Be prepared for basic conditions—no electricity, no Wi-Fi
  • Includes river travel, motorbike rides, and forest trekking
  • Ideal for eco-minded travelers, students, and adventure seekers
  • Ferry ticket from Padang to Siberut not included
  • Pricing depends on group size and season—contact us for details

Itinerary

  • Depart from Padang by fast ferry to Muara Siberut.
  • Meet your Mentawai guide and load supplies.
  • Travel by motorized canoe upriver toward the forest area.
  • Begin short jungle hike to reach the traditional Uma (house).
  • Overnight stay in Uma and welcome dinner with Mentawai family.
  • Learn the traditional way of cutting and processing the sago palm.
  • Extract sago starch and prepare sago-based meals with your hosts.
  • Introduction to forest tools and cooking with bamboo and leaves.
  • Evening cultural stories around a small fire inside the Uma.
  • Trek into deeper jungle to identify edible plants and forest resources.
  • Practice survival techniques: water filtering, fire making, trap setting.
  • Hands-on experience with basic jungle navigation and trail marking.
  • Return to Uma for rest and overnight stay.
  • Learn to make basic crafts from bamboo, rattan, and forest fibers.
  • Optional: assist with daily chores or take part in a mini-hunt with locals.
  • Spend the afternoon in reflection, journaling, or forest walk.
  • Farewell dinner and cultural exchange with Mentawai family.
  • Hike back to the river and board motorized canoe to Muara Siberut.
  • Catch the fast ferry back to Padang.
  • End of tour. Optional transfer to hotel or airport upon arrival.

Inclusions & Exclusions

Inclusions
  • 4 nights stay in traditional Mentawai Uma (longhouse)
  • Daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) during the program
  • Guided hands-on survival skills sessions with the Mentawai tribe
  • Sago harvesting and traditional food processing experience
  • Cultural exchange and basic jungle knowledge workshop
  • Mentawai guide and local translator
  • Transportation in Siberut Island (motor canoe & motorbike)
  • Tribal access fees and necessary permits
Exclusions
  • Padang–Mentawai round-trip ferry tickets (Mentawai Fast)
  • Travel insurance and personal expenses
  • Porter for individual backpacks (available with extra cost)
  • Meals and drinks during Padang transit
  • Accommodation in Padang before and after the trip

Tour Policy

Confirmation Policy:

Guests will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours after booking.

If selected dates are unavailable, we will offer an alternative date or full refund based on guest preference.

Booking will only be considered confirmed after full payment is received.

Cancellation Policy:
  • More than 30 days before departure: Full refund (excluding bank transfer or admin fee)
  • 15 - 30 days before departure: 50% refund
  • 7 - 14 days before departure: 25% refund
  • Less than 7 days before departure: No refund
  • Non-refundable components: Mentawai Fast ferry tickets and permits are non-refundable once issued

All prices are in Indonesian Rupiah and may change without prior notice.
Any fees related to payment gateway or transfer will be borne by the customer.

Refund Policy:

Eligible refunds will be processed within 7-10 business days after cancellation confirmation.

Refunds will be made through the same payment method used at the time of booking.