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As myth busters, we’ve got good and bad news about Nias. The ‘wave’ is superb and has deservedly kept this far-flung island on the international surfing circuit. The ancient megalithic monuments and traditional architecture are also incredible for cultural tourists.
Before launching into a laundry list of hassles, let’s put things in perspective. Nias is almost the size of Bali but gets a whole lot less attention from the government.
Development, economic opportunity and basic nutrition are sorely lacking. The tourist economy started drying up several years ago, and then the island got socked by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which killed 122 people and destroyed rice crops. Three months later, the 28 March earthquake levelled the capital city and killed an estimated 400 to 500 people. Recovery efforts and aid have been slow and scattershot and temporary tents are still visible across the island.
It would take the patience of Job to embrace wealthy visitors without expectations.
History
Local legend tells it that Niassans are the descendants of six gods who came to earth and settled in the central highlands. Anthropologists link them to just about everyone: the Bataks of Sumatra, the Naga of Assam in India, the aborigines of Taiwan and various Dayak groups in Kalimantan.
Nias history is the stuff of campfire tales in which an exotic people practiced headhunting and human sacrifice long after the rest of the world started fainting at the sight of blood.
Traditionally, Niassan villages were presided over by a village chief, heading a council of elders. Beneath the aristocratic upper caste were the common people, and below them the slaves, who were often traded. Until the first years of the 19th century Nias’ only connection with the outside world was through the slave trade.
Sometimes villages would band together to form federations, which often fought each other. Prior to the Dutch conquest, and the arrival of the missionaries, inter-village warfare was fast and furious, spurred on by the desire for revenge, slaves or human heads. Heads were needed for stately burials, wedding dowries and the construction of new villages.
When they weren’t warring, they were farming, a tradition that continues today.
They cultivated yams, rice, maize and taro, despite the thick jungle, and raised pigs as a source of food and a symbol of wealth and prestige; the more pigs you had, the higher your status in the village. Gold and copper work, as well as woodcarving, were important industries.
The indigenous religion was thought to have been a combination of animism and ancestor worship, with some Hindu influences. Today the dominant religions on Nias are Christianity and Islam - overlaid with traditional beliefs.
The island did not come under full Dutch control until 1914. Today’s population of about 639,000 is spread through more than 650 villages, most inaccessible by road.
Orientation & Information
For a place known to the outside world, Nias is surprisingly underdeveloped and the earthquake undid any minor steps forward. Don’t expect rapid transport across the island, internet connection or reliable mobile phone coverage.
Gunung Sitoli, the island’s biggest town, and Binaka, the only airport, are both in the north. The famous surf break is in the south at Pantai Sorake, accessible via the port town of Teluk Dalam. Some might refer to the surfing area as Teluk Lagundri, which is the bay that the waves barrel into.
Dangers & Annoyances
Chloroquine-resistant malaria has been reported on Nias, so be sure you take appropriate precautions.
GUNUNG SITOLI
Gunung Sitoli, on the northeastern coast of Nias, is the island’s main town. It was badly destroyed by the 28 March 2005 earthquake and rebuilding has stalled at piling up rubble.
Orientation & Information
The port is about 2km north of the centre of town, and the bus terminal about 1.5km south, beyond the bridge. Businesses are clustered around the parade ground in the centre of town.
Bank Sumut (Jl Hatta) MasterCard-accessible ATM. BRI bank (Bank Rakyat Indonesia; Jl Imam Bonjol; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri) ATM available.
Post office (cnr Jl Gomo & Hatta) Opposite the parade ground.
Public hospital (Jl Cipto M Kusomo) For dealing with minor emergencies.
Sights
Museum Pusaka Nias (Jl Yos Sudarso 134A; need admission; h8am-noon & 1-5pm Tue-Sat, 2-5pm Sun) has a good collection of woodcarvings, stone sculptures and ceremonial objects. The garden has an interesting display of local plants and herbs and some models of traditional Niassan architecture.
Sleeping & Eating
Accommodation options in Gunung Sitoli have not been rebuilt since the earthquake. If you need to stay on the north coast to catch a departing flight, try these options outside the town centre:
Wisma Soliga. Located 4km south of town, this is a friendly, well-managed place with clean and spacious rooms.
Miga Beach Bungalows. Nearby, Miga sits right on a small beach with comfortable rooms.
To get to either hotel take an opelet from the bus terminal. These hotels are 14km from the airport.
There are lots of small restaurants along the main streets in Gunung Sitoli. Bintang Terang (Jl Sirao 10) has good seafood fried noodles.
TELUK DALAM
The average European would practically tower over this squat port town, which is as loud and chaotic as much larger cities. You’ll need to pass through Teluk Dalam for transit connections to the beach or to pick up provisions.
The post office (Jl Ahmad Yani) and Telkom wartel (Jl Ahmad Yani) are both near the harbour. There are lots of Indonesian banks, but none exchanges foreign currency. A money changer is across the street from the BRI bank.
PANTAI SORAKE & TELUK LAGUNDRI
A fish-hook piece of land creates the perfect horseshoe bay of Lagundri and the surf break at Sorake, which is said to be the best right-hander in the world. The main surfing season is June to October, and in July and August waves can be more than 4m high. Folks refer to this area interchangeably as Sorake or Lagundri.
The Boxing Day tsunami destroyed many of the family-run guesthouses and restaurants on the beach. The businesses that could afford to rebuild are all located on Pantai Sorake, which is considered to be more protected from future disasters.
Dangers & Annoyances
Times are tough here - not that hardship is an annoyance, but it creates disparity between a tourist’s expectations for a holiday and the locals’ economic concerns. Many generous people who have had the means and relationship with Nias have sponsored the rebuilding of local houses and bungalows destroyed by the tsunami, ostensibly in exchange for free accommodation, but more importantly as true rassroots giving. By circumventing bloated aid organizations, many people can see tangible results from their disaster donations. The downside to this is that some locals view every new arrival here as a possible donor and the sales pitch can come from your losmen or from a stranger you meet on the beach, blurring the line between charity and con game. Unless you have a relationship with a family, it is not advisable to expect that your donation will be spent as promised.
Before the tsunami, many visitors left the island cursing about petty theft and incessant scams. In 2002, beach businesses had formed an association that had managed to curtail some of the bad behavior: local kids are no longer torturing turtles so that tourists will pay a ransom.
Renting surf gear on the island is still a source of unexpected headaches. Be sure you pay a fair price; if it is too cheap, you’ll pay for it at the end with inflated damage costs. There is still the usual gang of guys who hang out on the beach looking for the next greenhorn. Remember that trustworthy people are usually too busy during the day to meet and greet the tourists. It may sound alarmist, but single women should be cautious in accepting invitations to drink with the locals.
In general, you’ll enjoy Nias a lot more if you choose your losmen carefully and keep a low profile.
SURFING NIAS
Sorake’s famous right consistently unrolls between June and October. Access to the wave is a quick paddle from the Keyhole, a break in the coral reef that lies between the beach and the bay.
The March 2005 earthquake lifted the Sorake reef up by about 1m, a shift that has improved the wave, so they say.
Folks also claim that the off -season waves are good for beginners, a term frequently misinterpreted by nonsurfers. If you’ve never surfed before, you’re better off learning in a place that is easier to get to and on a break with a sandy beach.
Most surfers arrive with their own gear, but you can rent equipment from Key Hole Surf Camp, in front of the Keyhole.
There are also other breaks within the bay under certain conditions and a few rides elsewhere on the island.
SWIMMING
A wide sandy beach starts just north of JJ Losmen and rounds the horseshoe bay all the way to the southeastern tip. A rind of dead coral separates Pantai Sorake from the water and swimming possibilities.
Sleeping & Eating
The western part of the bay, known as Pantai Sorake, is the primary location for lodging since the tsunami destroyed much of the construction elsewhere on the bay. Most surfers stay on the northern end so they can watch the waves. Accommodation is in basic beach bungalows run by local families and usually costs between 25,000Rp and 50,000Rp. Choose your losmen carefully as some families are extremely sweet and others will act hurt if you spend your money elsewhere or have their children begging for pens.
It is expected that you eat your meals, especially dinner, at your losmen, and inquiries of where you’ve eaten can range from curiosity to accusation. In general, the more expensive the lodging, the less likely your hosts will care where you spend your money. Food is quite expensive on the island, with dinner prices averaging between 35,000Rp to 50,000Rp for a plate of fish or chicken.
The following guesthouses run south to north:
Morris Losmen and Eddy’s Losmen are next door to each other, a few minutes walk from the waves. Lisa’s, Lili’s and Peeruba Losmen are clumped together on a sunny patch of sand just on the edge of the action.
Key Hole Surf Camp, right in the thick of things, charges a little more, giving you freedom to eat where you please.
Next in line is Toho Surf, which has nice beachfront balconies. JJ Losmen is the last in the row, with freshly varnished wooden rooms.
The only development on this side of the bay is Horas Damas, an open-air restaurant with a view of the deep blue.
TRADITIONAL VILLAGES
For hundreds of years, Nias residents built elaborate villages around cobblestoned streets lined with rows of shiplike wooden houses. The traditional homes were balanced on tall wooden pylons and topped by a steep, thatched roof. Some say the boat motif was inspired by Dutch spice ships. Constructed from local teak and held together with hand-hewn wooden pegs, the houses are adorned with symbolic wooden carvings. The technology of traditional architecture proved quite absorbent and these structures fared better in the 2005 earthquake than modern concrete buildings.
Reflecting the island’s defensive strategies, villages were typically built on high ground reached by dozens of stone steps. A stone wall for protection usually encircled the village. Stone was also used to carve bathing pools, staircases, benches, chairs and memorials.
Within the island there is geographic diversity in the traditional house building. In northern Nias, homes are freestanding, oblong structures on stilts, while in the south they are built shoulder to shoulder on either side of a long, paved courtyard.
Emphasising the roof as the primary feature, southern Niassan houses are constructed using pylons and crossbeams slotted together without the use of bindings or nails.
Gomo & Around
The villages around Gomo, in the central highlands, contain some of the island’s best examples of stone carvings and menhirs (single standing stones), some thought to be 3000 years old. Such examples can be found in the village of Tundrumbaho, 5km from Gomo, Lahusa Idanotae, halfway between Gomo and Tundrumbaho, and at Tetegewo, 7km south of Gomo.
Unfortunately, Gomo is virtually inaccessible. Getting to Tundrumbaho involves a tough two-hour uphill slog through the steamy jungle. From Lagundri, negotiate with the losmen owners for someone to take you there and back by motorcycle, or catch a bus to Lahusa and then hitch a ride. Getting to Tetegewo is possible, but it’s a long trip - it’s probably only worthwhile if you’re interested in this type of architecture.
Hilinawalo Mazingo
One of only five such surviving buildings on the island, the Omo Hada (chieftain’s house) is situated in the prestigious ‘upstream’ direction of the remote village, garnering the first rays of morning light.
It still serves its traditional purpose as a meeting hall for seven neighboring villages and is currently undergoing restoration work by a local conservation group,North Sumatra Heritage, with funding from World Monuments Fund and corporate sponsors. In order to repair damages from age and climate, villagers have been trained in traditional carpentry skills, in turn preserving crafts that were nearing extinction.
The area is known as Eri Mazino and is 18km from Lagundri between Teluk Dalam and Lahusa district. You can take a public bus to Simpang Oge and then hire an ojek (motorcycle that takes passengers) from there or arrange transport directly from Lagundri. The last 8km of the trip is arduous due to poor road conditions.
Bawomataluo
This is the most famous, and the most accessible, of the southern villages. It is also the setting for lompat batu (stone jumping).
Bawomataluo (literally ‘sun hill’) is perched on a hill about 400m above sea level. The final approach is up 88 steep stone steps. Houses are arranged along two main stone-paved avenues that meet opposite the impressive chief’s house, thought to be the oldest and largest on Nias. Outside are stone tables where dead bodies were once left to decay.
Although Bawomataluo is still worth exploring, tourism is in full swing here, with lots of eager knick-knack sellers.
There are also cultural displays of war dances, traditionally performed by young, single males, and stone jumping. The latter was once a form of war training; the jumpers had to leap over a 1.8m-high stone wall traditionally topped with pointed sticks. These days the sticks are left off - and the motivation is financial.
From Bawomataluo, you can see the rooftops of nearby Orihili. A stone staircase and trail lead downhill to the village.
Bawomataluo is 15km from Teluk Dalam and is accessible by public bus.
Hilisimaetano
There are more than 100 traditional houses in this large village, 16km northwest of Teluk Dalam. Stone jumping and traditional dancing are performed here during special events. Hilisimaetano can be reached by public transport from Teluk Dalam.
Botohili & Hilimaeta
Botohili i s a small village on the hillside above the peninsula of Pantai Lagundri. It has two rows of traditional houses, with a number of new houses breaking up the skyline. The remains of the original entrance, stone chairs and paving can still be seen.
Hilimaeta is similar to Botohili and is also within easy walking distance of Lagundri.
The stone-jumping pylon can still be seen and there are a number of stone monuments, including a 2m-high stone penis. A long pathway of stone steps leads uphill to the village.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
SMAC (Jl Sudirman, Gunung Sitoli) has flights from Medan to Binaka airport, 17km south of Gunung Sitoli, several times a week. Flights usually leave in the morning. SMAC operates a minibus between Binaka airport and Gunung Sitoli. Ask a local travel agent if Merpati is operating flights from Binaka to Padang, a service that was in question at the time of writing.
Boat
There are boats every night except Sunday from Gunung Sitoli to Sibolga. In theory, all services leave at 8pm, but in practice they seldom set sail before 10pm. ASDP (Jl Yos Sudarso) has an office at the harbor in Gunung Sitoli.
Boats to Sibolga also leave from Teluk Dalam every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Boat tickets to Sibolga can be bought at PT Simeulue (Jl Saunigaho).
GETTING AROUND
Getting around Nias can be slow. In Gunung Sitoli, the bus terminal is 1.5km south of the centre of town; an opelet from the pier.
From Gunung Sitoli, there are minibuses to the southern market town of Teluk Dalam (3 hours), which has transport to Lagundri, 13km away. You can also arrange transport directly to Sorake. You will probably be charged extra to take a surfboard but always whittle the initial quote as low as a smile can get.
Services dry up in the afternoon, so aim to leave before noon.
To get to Sorake and/or Lagundri from Teluk Dalam, catch a local bus from the town center. Losmen will also hunt the town looking for new arrivals and usually charge 10,000Rp for motorbike transfer.
