Sikuai Island 4 Vacation

PERNAHKAH anda membayangkan satu tempat menakjubkan seperti surga? Hamparan pasir putih, deretan pepohonan kelapa yang tertata rapi, suasana sejuk, birunya laut, indahnya warna warni ikan dan terumbu karang, hijaunya pepohonan, lezatnya makanan serta asyiknya candaan aneka satwa? Semua keajaiban itu ada dalam satu paket khusus surga dunia di Pulau Sikuai.

Sikuai, satu dari 19 pulau yang termasuk dalam wilayah administratif Kota Padang, Sumatera Barat (Sumbar), tepatnya di Kecamatan Bungus Teluk Kabung seluas 38,6 Kilometer persegi atau sekitar 40 hektar.

Sikuai kini dikembangkan menjadi satu objek wisata bahari unggulan di Kota Padang. Pada pulau ini wisatawan bisa melakukan sejumlah aktivitas marina seperti snorkeling, diving, memancing, atau hanya berenang di atas jernihnya laut Pulau Sikuai sambil menikmati indahnya warna-warni biota laut termasuk terumbu karang.

Kawasan pulau itu perpaduan keindahan laut beserta isinya serta damainya pulau dengan hutan yang masih tertata alami tanpa sentuhan tangan-tangan jahil yang merusak.

Wisatawan domestik asal Kota Padang, Afrianita yang berkunjung ke Pulau Sikuai, merasa nikmat berenang di tenangnya air laut Pulau Sikuai. Hanya dengan menyelam pada kedalaman beberapa meter saja, pengunjung telah bisa menikmati keindahan warna warni terumbu karang. Anda seperti berada pada akuarium raksasa dengan ragam keindahan biota laut dengan warna yang menarik. "Tidak perlu menyelam terlalu dalam, saya sudah bisa melihat ikan warna-warni, terumbu karang dan aneka biota laut lainnya," katanya dengan nada sumringah.

Puas berenang dan menyelam, pengunjung bisa menikmati aktivitas berjalan-jalan di sepanjang pantai berpasir putih bersih sambil mengumpulkan aneka jenis karang mati yang terdapat di kawasan tersebut. Pasir pantai tersebut sangat halus, padat dan bersih dari aneka jenis sampah sehingga sangat menyenangkan berjalan atau berlarian di atasnya.

Bagi para pengumpul karang, tentu aktivitas ini bisa menimbulkan keasyikan tersendiri karena banyak jenis karang unik dengan warna beragam bisa diperoleh untuk dibawa pulang. "Saya mengumpulkan kerang dan pasirnya untuk dibawa pulang dirangkai menjadi hiasan dinding," kata wisatawan asal Bukittinggi Sri mengaku berkunjung ke pulau impian itu bersama teman-temannya.

Setelah kelelahan mengumpulkan aneka jenis karang dan pasir tersebut, wisatawan bisa menikmati keindahan laut pantai sambil tiduran ditemani semilir angin pantai. Suasana itu terasa sangat damai, karena tidak ada suara bising. Yang ada hanya semilir hembusan angin, gesekan daun kelapa dan deburan ombak menemani tidur siang di pinggir pantai berhawa sejuk itu.

Sore menjelang, puas melakukan aktivitas di pantai, kini saatnya untuk menikmati keindahan daratan Pulai Sikuai, dengan bersepeda atau berjalan kaki menjelajah keliling pulau yang banyak ditumbuhi banyak pepohonan nyiur ini. Berkeliling Pulau Sikuai menyenangkan dan suasananya sangat alami karena begitu banyak pepohonan hijau menghiasi kiri kanan jalannya.

Hanya membutuhkan waktu sekitar 45 menit, pengunjung bisa menyelusuri sekeliling pulau sambil menyaksikan anek jenis hewan khas Sikuai, seperti biawak, monyek, serta ratusan jenis burung dengan warna yang beragam.

Pesona Pulau Sikuai terasa semakin menawan, tentu saja dengan menikmati indahnya warna merah keemasan matahari yang akan tenggelam. Sudut pandang ini terdapat pada satu bukit kecil terdapat di tengah-tengah pulau. Pada bukit itu terdapat beberapa tempat duduk yang dijadikan tempat bersantai sambil menunggu matahari tenggelam dan gelap datang menjelang. Suasana tersebut adalah satu moment yang ditunggu-tunggu para wisatawan yang datang berkunjung pada satu pulau terindah di Sumatera Barat itu.

Bagi yang hobi makan, di pulau ini juga tersedia satu unit restoran yang menyajikan aneka hidangan khas pantai yang tentu saja akan menambah nafsu makan. Pengunjung bisa memesan aneka jenis makanan dan minuman dengan harga terjangkau.

Khusus istirahat di malam hari, juga tersedia, 52 unit bungalow yang terlihat apik dengan desain khusus, yang tentu saja membuat istirahat menjadi lebih nyaman.

Paket 100 ribu

Jika anda membayangkan menikmati semua keindahan tersebut dengan biaya mahal, tentu saja salah. Manajemen Pulau Sikuai kini menawarkan harga khusus bagi pengunjung yang ingin menikmati surga itu hanya dengan dana Rp100 ribu.

Selama satu hari menikmati keindahan pulau termasuk akomodasinya wisatawan hanya dipungut bayaran Rp100 ribu saja. Pengunjung dari Kota Padang, berangkat dengan kapal cepat ke Pulau Sikuai.

Hanya butuh waktu 20 sampai 40 menit menyusuri laut yang tenang dan indah, sebelum akhirnya tiba di pulau impian itu. Jika membayangkan perjalanan akan membosankan, lagi-lagi anda salah.

Sepanjang perjalanan itu juga menjadi satu daya tarik tersendiri. Kita bisa menikmati keindahan laut, sambil melihat aktivitas nelayan tradisional yang sesekali berpapasan dengan kapal cepat pembawa penumpang itu.

Setiba di Pulau Sikuai dan turun dari kapal, pengunjung disambut segarnya air kelapa muda, seakan mengucapkan selamat datang kepada para tamu, dan setelah itu keajaiban demi keajaiban alam dimulai.

Soal ancaman tsunami, tidak perlu takut karena di pulau telah dipasang alat pendeteksi gempa dan tsunami, oleh LIPI, bekerjasama dengan California Institute of Technology.

Jadi tunggu apalagi, jika ke Sumatera Barat, jangan sampai tidak singgah ke Pulau ini, karena semua keindahan surga dunia itu menunggu anda disini.

Luph Surfing Go 2 Mentawai

Since the early 1990's surfers from around the globe have been visiting the Mentawai islands to experience untouched rainforest and superb waves. More than a dozen "worldclass" reefbreaks exists making it one the most surf infested regions in the world. Most spots host mechanical perfection and vary in intensity for all level of surfer, making it an ideal surf vacation location.

Indonesia is such a great place for surf. It has got the classic waves, the crystal clear warm water and the balmy days. What more could anyone want. The Mentawai islands are a relatively new surfing location, having only been surfed since the early 90's. Although the main island has loads of spots probably the best way to surf the Mentawai islands is by boat.

Our good friend the South Indian Ocean produces the swells that have the islands pumping from March through to November at 6-12ft, and the cyclone swells keep the surf rolling in throughout the remainder of the year. You go to Mentawai, you get surf! The calm winds ensure that the swells that do arrive are always of a high standard.

Top Mentawai waves include Bankvaults, Lance's Left and Lance's Right, Macaronis, and for the less experienced there is Gilligan's.

Just take a moment to look at the Mentawai Surfing Conditions summary table below - looks good eh!

ALFABET MINANGKABAU (Adat Basandi Syara' Syara' Basandi Kitabullah)......

THE MINANGKABAU PEOPLE

The Land
The people of Minangkabau is the Malay who reside current West Sumatra Province with the capital city of Padang. A city with around 300.000 residents located on the west coast of West Sumatra, facing Indian ocean Other big city in West Sumatra is Bukit Tinggi located on highland with nice temperature which is considered the capital city of Minangkabau land. Historical researches revealed that the first kingdom on the country was located around 60 kms away from Bukit Tinggi city, a place called Pagaruyung. Here was found stone inscription in old Malay language and old Javanese writing. The inscription mentioned that king Adityawarman was ruling the country who was assigned by the kingdom of Pajajaran from West Java in 14th century. During the time West Java was under the control of the Great Kingdom of Majapahit.

To reach the country one can fly directly to Padang from any big cities in Indonesia. Fly from Jakarta need only 2 hours, and from Medan the capital city of North Sumatra is only 1 hour. Yet one who wish to travel with visit to some great places along the land of North and West Sumatra will take car from Medan to Padang, a distance of 800 kms and can be completed within 7 days with overnight stop at some places such as Mountain resort of Berastagi, 2 night at Lake Toba and Samosir Island the land of Batak Tribe, the city of Padang Sidempuan the border between the land of Batak and Minangkabau, then continue to Bukit Tinggi and Padang by crossing the equator line at the town of Bonjol, between Bukit Tinggi and Padang. One thing that is well known from West Sumatra is the cuisine called "Masakan Padang"

Kinship Tradition
The only ethnic of Indonesia using mother line or mother genealogy as the main lineage of family heir in Indonesia. In relation to the family genealogy and heritages the Minangkabau has typical tradition called matrilineal or matriarchart system. Children are considered belong to the mother and her sister(s), not belong to father and his sister(s) or brother(s). A father seems to be out of the family, out of his wife and his children. He has no right to claim the heritage(s) of the family and acts as the guard only for the whole heritages and heirlooms of the family to be safe, or just like a security for a company. The concept of a family in Minangkabau society is different from the rest of Indonesian ethnic group, the core family ( father, mother and their children ) is not a family, but is only part of a of a family. The understanding of a family in Minangkabau society is a unit consist of mother's sister(s), mother's brother(s), son(s) and daughter(s) of mother's sister(s). While father and his son(s) are belong to other family that is father's sister(s). The core family has no right to the whole management of family heritages and heirlooms and in the society structure of obligation and rights. Yet the growth and education of the children sons or daughters is the full responsibility of father and mother apart. A father or son is not the heir of a family, but it is the daughter(s) of mother and her sister(s) of mother. Husband has the duty to guard the family heritages, managing, and distributing to the heirs safely, not for the sake of himself. Wife or wife's sister(s) will not allow him to rent or sell the heritages. Heritages in the Minangkabau language is called "Pusako", compared to Indonesian "Pusaka" which has almost the same meaning. Pusako is divided into 2 groups, the high pusako including land of rice field or dry land, estate or plantations, while low pusako is heirlooms, or gift. All these heritages are owned by the line of mother from generation to generation. All these heritages will go to mother's daughter(s), and in case the heir is absent, then based on consensus will be taken the girl from mother's line to be the family heir. That is the main reason that a man from Minangkabau prefers to leave their land and go to other country

Core Family
A unit of family in Minangkabau society as mentioned above is consist of big family which is called pariuk or perut, kampueng or suku, depending on the area, weather they are on lowland or on the mountain area. But it shows the smallest unit of a family, reflected in the architecture of their house called " Rumah Gadang" Kampueng or Suku was formed by Datuk Parpatih Nan Sebatang based on his visit to China. The way the Chinese identify their family by using family names amazed him and inspired him to manage the people of Minangkabau with this system. At the beginning it is said only 3 groups were exist those were the group of Suku Koto, Suku Piliang, Suku Bodi, and Suku Caniago. As the number and area of West Sumatra was to wide, each of these Suku again divided into smaller units. At some places a Suku had far bigger number of residents, while the Suku of their neighbors had much fewer members. Since the marriage is regulated between Suku, so it was not enough for one Suku that had bigger members to merry the Suku with fewer member. Based on this condition, again the bigger Suku was divided into smaller unit of Sukus called Paruik or Perut. Here Perut became the smaller unit of administration. A Suku or Perut is headed by 4 elders: The Penghulu, the Malim, the Manti and the Dubalang.

Who was Datuk Parpatih? Researches so far disclose that from the turn of Christian era the latest of 14th century West Sumatra was under the control of Hindu and Buddhist kingdom. Sriwijaya kingdom believed to have ruled Sumatra from the beginning of Christian era up to 10th century, then taken over by the great kingdom of Majapahit. The terminology " Parpatih" makes no doubt that it is " Patih ", the prime minister of the minister of Hindu king, weather Sriwijaya or Majapahit who trusted to rule the country. The relation between the country with China as mentioned above gives the indication that the person was a Hindu or Buddhist, not Islam. Other interesting question is why only West Sumatra that use the tradition of Matriarchart, while the rest of Indonesian ethnic using patriarchart? This is still un-answered until today.

The country of Minangkabau is the area now called West Sumatera with their capital is Padang city, located on the beach facing Indian Ocean. The area is divided into 3 administrative government at the level of 2 under the province. The unit customary organization of the people similar to a unit of a village which is called Nagari. Nagari is the total unit that bound their members on customs and life. It is estimated that the number of population is around 4.000.000. The people of Minangkabau used to leave their country and live at other areas of Indonesia, even in Malaysia. If you see a restaurant named "Ruman Makan Padang" it is a Minangkabau restaurant, and sometimes in short called "Rumah Makan Minang". Many experts say that matrilineal system of their society that force Minangkabau men to leave their land. Minangkabau people speak Malay with some silght different, which can be grouped as dialect /a/ tends to use /a/ as the first vowel, and dialect /o/ tends to use /o/ as the first vowel.
The original house of Minangkabau is a high house, built on poles with roofs shaped as horn, almost similar with that of Torajan in south Sulawesi. Thie house is called "Rumah Gadang"
Basic economic activities are farming, trade, and small part also introduce handicraft such as weaving and silver works. Most of the trades activities have been handled by Minangkabau people themselves, and very few outsiders that can participate in this economic activities. Within the Nagari organization system it is introduced 2 basic systems. Firstly is Body-Caniago, a democratic system, and Koto-Piliang system, an autocratic system. Today these 2 systems have become more and more disappeared due to the application of national system. Almost all people of Minangkabau is Moslem. In the past many rituals that had relation with religion now already discarded or simply forgotten. Some people are still believe in invisible being or holy spirits that could effect human life. The famous tourist's object in West Sumatera are the Canyon ( Sihanok Canyon ), just on the west border of Bukit Tinggi city, Japanese Militery Defense Cave on the west corner of Bukit Tinggi city, Rumah Gadang at Pagaruyug, Songket weaving at Pande Sikat village, and natural sceneries for lakes and mountains and Anai waterfall.

Do you know why the roofs of houses in West Sumatra have the shape of buffalo horns? Here is the story. Once upon a time there was a kingdom in West Sumatra. The people worked as farmers. Their lives were full of happiness. The land was fertile and the weather was always beautiful. The people also had a wise king. He always protected the people. However, soon their happy lives would be disturbed. Majapahit, a kingdom from
Java would attack them. The people were so scared. They were so restless. They went to the king to talk about it. The king tried to calm them down."Don't worry, my fellow country men. I know Majapahit have many soldiers. They are also great in war. If we fight them, maybe we lose. But I have an idea how to beat them, 'said the king. Then he continued. ÒWe can challenge them to a buffalo fight. If their buffalo dies, we win. But if our buffalo dies, they win." "We have to make sure our buffalo will win, Your Majesty. How?" asked one of the people. The king smiled. He continued, ÒWe just need to find a strong baby buffalo." The king then
ordered his people to give him the strongest baby buffalo. After that, the strong baby buffalo was separated from his mother. They did not give any food to the baby buffalo for several days. The baby buffalo was very hungry! The baby buffalo cried and cried. He asked for food. Then the king took two sharp knives and attached them strongly to the baby buffalo's horn. Now it was time for the buffalo battle. Everyone gathered on the field. The Majapahit soldier released a big and wild buffalo out of his cage. Everyone was surprised with the size of the buffalo. Later, the West Sumatran released their baby buffalo. The Majapahit soldiers were laughing. "Ha ha ha. It's so small. How can you win?" They did not know that the hungry baby buffalo had two sharp knives on the horn. The baby buffalo ran fast towards the big buffalo and went straight under the big buffalo's stomach to find the teat. The knives at the baby buffalo's horns cut through the big buffalo's stomach. The big buffalo fell down to the ground and died. "Yes! We win, we win, we win!" The people of West Sumatra cheered. Then, the king changed the name of the kingdom into Minangkabau. It means the buffalo won. That is why the roofs of the houses in West Sumatra are similar to the form of buffalo horns and the traditional headdress of the women of West Sumatra is also like buffalo horns