The D’Bora
Welcome to Mentawaidaze and the website of KM D’Bora.
The D’Bora is an 80 foot timber vessel running affordable quality surf charters in the Mentawai Islands. Long time Mentawai charter operators Chris Scurrah and Tom Plummer have teamed with respected Padang chandlery owner Charlie Josal to create this unique vessel with all the modern amenities, but a decidedly local Indonesian architecture and flair. With over 25 years combined experience in the Mentawais, they’ve pooled the best possible crew with onboard Western surf guide and will traverse the length and breadth of the Mentawai Islands to get you your fill of waves, and then some.
Vessel specifications
Length: 80 ft
Crusing speed: 8 knots
Engine: Nissan RE8 300 hp
Generator: 20 KvA x 2
Radio: Icom HF and VHF
Radar: Furuno 24 mile
GPS: Garmin
Sounder: Garmin
25 person SOLAS liferaft
Flares
Lifejackets
Fire Extinguishers
TV, DVD and stereo with Ipod jack
16 berths in two private double cabins and dorm
Two bathrooms
Large top deck hanging and meal area with tunes
Fibreglass tender with 40 hp Yamaha
Rigid Hull Inflatable with 15hp Yamaha
Mentawaidaze / D'Bora Surf Charters Jl Bandar Olo 8, Padang, West Sumatra Telephone: +6281374126124 (Chut), +628126628487 (Charlie) Email : info@mentawaidaze.com
Rates and Schedule
US$$2300/pax/12 nite charter
Mentawaidaze 2010 Schedule
- March 13 - 25
- March 28 - April 8
- April 15 - 26
- April 27 - May 9
- May 10 - 22
- May 23 - June 4
- June 5 - 17
- June 19 - July 1
- July 2 -16
- July 17 - 29
- July 30 - Augustus 11
- Augustus 14 - 26
- Augustus 28 - September 9
- Septermber 11 - 23
- Semptember 25 - October 7
- October 9 - 21
- October 23 - November 4
- November 6 - 18
Mentawaidaze 2011 Schedule
Book your 2011 charter now and pay 2010 rates
- January 22 - February 3
- February 5 - 17
- February 19 - March 3
- March 5 - 17
- March 19 - 31
- April 2 - 14
- April 16 - 28
- April 30 - May 12
- May 14 - 26
- May 28 - June 9
- June 11 - 23
- June 25 - July 7
- July 9 -21
- July 23 - August 4
- August 6 - 18
- August 18 - 28
- September 3 - 15
- September 17 - 29
- October 1 - 13
- October 15 - 27
- October 29 - November 10
- November 12 - 24
- November 26 - December 8
Charter Info
KM D’Bora runs 11day/12 nite charters unless otherwise stated. The vessel will depart with a minimum of 6 guests. Special rates are available in the low season.
Charter package includes: Air conditioned accommodations in either private cabin or dorm, 3 hearty meals/day and snacks in between, 3 free beers/day, juice, sodas, hot drinks and drinking water, round trip airport transfers, use of snorkeling and fishing equipment, zone permits and local donations, mentawai government US$3/person/day tax
Charter package does not include: Air tickets, insurance (strongly advised including medi-vac), excess baggage, surfboard or other airline charges, costs incurred by late surfboard arrivals, meals before/after charter, extra nites in Padang city.
How to book
In the first instance contact us to check that your charter dates are available. You will then need to secure your dates with a deposit of 25% of the total charter cost.
Payments can be made by International Transfer to D’Bora company account. Balance is due 45 days before departure date or in circumstances where payment via International Transfer is difficult, final payment can be arranged in Padang before D’Bora departure. Final payment can be made by Visa or Mastercard (3% fee) or in USD (new notes)/EURO/AUD currencies only.
Once you have secured your charter date get in touch with your travel agent to purchase flights to Padang. Purchasing tickets online is possible if that is your preferred approach. Read our ‘Getting to/from Padang section for more info.
Mentawaidaze / D'Bora Surf Charters Jl Bandar Olo 8, Padang, West Sumatra Telephone: +6281374126124 (Chut), +628126628487 (Charlie) Email : info@mentawaidaze.com
Terms & Conditions
• 25% deposit is needed to secure the booking with the balance due 45 days prior to the departure date. Unsecured bookings will not be held if requested by other clients. In the event of a cancellation by the booking party, the deposit is non refundable however the charter can be moved to another date within the season subject to availability. A failure to pay the balance as specified will result in a loss of the booking and the deposit.
• If the booking is cancelled 45 days prior to vessel departure deposits will be refunded in full less 10% of the total booking value. Bookings cancelled less than 45 days prior to arrival are subject to complete forfeiture of deposit to compensate D’Bora (PT East West) for the time and effort involved in making a booking and to compensate the company for the loss of other potential bookings. Final payments are non-refundable but can be transferred to an alternative charter date depending on availability.
• Charges incurred for International Transfers will be borne by the guest from the country of remittance and by D’Bora (PT East West) in the Indonesian receiving bank. Exchange rates are calculated at bank rates on day of transfer.
• PT East West reserves the right to provide a substitute vessel should the booked vessel be unavailable for any reason. Final price charged will be as published for the substitute vessel. Substitution of a vessel qualifies passengers for a refund limited to the difference between the higher price paid and the rack rate for the substitute vessel only.
• Due to the random nature of fuel price increases in Indonesia, PT East West reserves the right to administer a fuel surcharge in the event of sudden fuel price hikes. Any charge administered will be relative to official price rises from local fuel suppliers.
• Travel insurance with medi-vac component is mandatory and common sense. Mentawai is a long way from the nearest decent hospital. Please advise us of policy type.
Disclaimer
The owners and operators, agents or employees of KM D’Bora assume no responsibility for any cause of injury, loss or damage to person or property in connection to any service resulting directly from failure of any means of conveyance to arrive or depart as scheduled, strikes, theft, civil disturbances, lost and delayed luggage including surfboards, acts of God or extreme weather conditions.
The Captain reserves the right to remove any passengers from KM D’Bora that endangers the wellbeing and safety of the vessel, passengers, and crew at any time in accordance with maritime law. Board bags should be well labelled. We are not responsible for non or late arrival of boards.
Payment or part payment constitutes acceptance of these terms
Mentawaidaze / D'Bora Surf Charters Jl Bandar Olo 8, Padang, West Sumatra Telephone: +6281374126124 (Chut), +628126628487 (Charlie) Email : info@mentawaidaze.com
Travel to/from Padang City
Padang can be reached from Bali, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and
Singapore. Some airline websites you can check to work out the best route from where you live:
Air AsiaTiger Airways Garuda Airlines
When travelling to Indonesia, it is a strict requirement that your passport be valid for AT LEAST six months. You can apply for a two month tourist visa in your home country or pay US$25 for a 30 day visa upon arrival. Make sure to have US dollars handy on arrival at Padang airport as it will save you time and money rather than dealing with airport money changers. If you are planning to travel to stay longer than 30 days in Indonesia you can apply to your nearest Indonesia Consulate or Embassy for a 60 day visa.
Upon arrival at Padang Airport you will be met by an English speaking representative from D’Bora (look for the KM D’Bora sign) who will ensure a safe and hassle free journey to your hotel or the boat. When you arrive back in Padang at the end of the charter we organise your transfer from the boat to your hotel or to the airport. We will be happy to organise your stay at The Ambacang Hotel in the centre of Padang which is clean, safe, reasonably priced with pool and disco. It is only a short walk to restaurants and local shops.
If it is your first time to Indo things might seem a little crazy and chaotic. Just remember that Indonesia is still a developing country and the city of Padang more so. Padang is not Bali! Rest assured however, that we have been doing surf charters for a long time and that we will have D’Bora staff and crew guiding and assisting you from the time you step through customs and immigration until you get on the boat and the same again when you arrive back from your charter.
What to bring (or what not to!)
Clothes and gear: A well known rule of thumb when deciding what clothes and gear to pack for a journey is to pack your bag and then take half out. In the case of a Mentawai surf charter, we suggest you take out two thirds! The key is to travel light. You will be in the water for a good chunk of your trip and the time spent onboard will be in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt.
Boards: 3 boards will generally have you covered: your normal shorty, mid (say 6'6 – 6'8) and a gun (7'0) for just in case. Nothing worse than being undergunned when a few thick ones start coming through! If you feel the need to bring an extra it would be wise to double up on your shortboard. As Mentawai is blessed by super clean conditions most of the year you can get away with riding smaller boards on the bigger waves.
Trekking
Who are the guys with the cool tatts? Sikerei, the keepers of the Mentawai. The jungles of Siberut Island are home to a race of people that have been studied intensively by anthropologists for years due to their unique and enduring traditional culture. Though these people are slowly being syncretised into Western ways of life, in the heartland of the island you will still find Siberut natives who are living day to day lives as they have for hundreds of years.
D’Bora offers guided treks to Siberut Island to meet with and spend a night staying in the longhouses of the real Mentawai locals. An excursion to Siberut Island is not easy; it involves a 3 to 4 hour longboat ride up through the rivers that divide the island, then a trek through super humid jungle often times knee deep mud to access the villages. However once you arrive at your destination you may have the chance to witness some of the traditional rites of these people such as tattooing, teeth filing or even purification ceremonies overseen by brightly decorated shamen. Or maybe join in making loin cloth or processing sago palm harvested from the nearby jungle. You might get muddy, wet and be at times uncomfortable however by taking part in a jungle excursion you will gain a deeper understanding of the island chain than is possible from the air-con comfort of your charter boat.
D’Bora guides are the people who actually originate from the villages of Siberut. They speak the jungle dialect and are networked directly with the people who you will visit which ensures that you have a 'real' cultural experience. Contact us for more details if you are keen to do a jungle trek during your trip on D’Bora.
Mentawaidaze / D'Bora Surf Charters Jl Bandar Olo 8, Padang, West Sumatra Telephone: +6281374126124 (Chut), +628126628487 (Charlie) Email : info@mentawaidaze.com
Contact
Email: info@mentawaidaze.com
Skype:
Padang office address: Jl Bandar Olo 8, Padang, West Sumatra
Padang office telephone: +6281374126124 | +628126628487 (Charlie)
Onboard satfone number : +62 8821668524490
