Mentawai Islands, One of Excellent Surfing Destination

Mentawai Island is one of the most fascinating and thrilling island in south sea. The island is the favorite destination for the people who love surfing. The perfect waves, warm water and the incredible atmosphere make this place the paradise of surfers. People from all over the world do not mind to come to this part of main Sumatra Island.

Mentawai island is surrounded by the corral reefs. Deep-water flows up onto these coral reefs that protect the continental shelf. Siberut, Sipura, North Pagai (Pagai Utara) and South Pagai (Pagai Selatan) are the four main islands, which make up the chain of Mentawai Islands. Siberut Island (4030 km²) is the largest island among these four Mentawai Islands. The position of these islands makes them an outstanding location for surfing.

Mentawai Islands contain one of the most enthralling and best-preserved indigenous cultures of the world, but, due to the unrestricted tidal wave of Indonesia’s modernization this culture is dangerously close to being extinguished.

Mentawai Islands rain forest accommodates numerous endemic species, including four endemic primates, such as Mentawai leaf-monkey (Presbytis potenziani), Mentawai Macaque (Macaca pagensis), snub-nosed monkey (Simias concolor), and Mentawai Kloss Gibbon (Hylobates klossii).

The Mentawai Islands is located in the Indian Ocean, about 150 km west of West Sumatra Province, Republic of Indonesia.

Komodo Island – Habitat of Ancient Dragon

Komodo National Park was established to conserve the unique Komodo Dragon and protect its entire biodiversity, both terrestrial and marine. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin. As well as being habitat of the largest known lizard, the world famous Komodo Dragon, Komodo National Park provides refuge for many other notable terrestrial species such as the orange-footed scrub fowl, an endemic rat, Sunda deer (Cervus timorensis), wild buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), wild boar (Sus scrofa), the macaque monkey (Macaca fascicularis), and wild horse (Equus qaballus).

Moreover, the Park includes one of the richest marine environments including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, seamounts, and semi-enclosed bays. It consists of forams, cnidaria (includes over 260 species of reef building coral), sponges (70 species), ascidians, marine worms, mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, cartilaginous and bony fishes (over 1,000 species), sea turtles, and marine mammals (dolphins, whales, and dugongs). Some notable species with high commercial value include sea cucumbers (Holothuria), Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), and groupers.

The under water live and its ecosystems have been well known as the best diving site in the world. The water of Komodo National Park is very ideal place for many kinds of sea activites. It's just like the missing paradise for the underwater world lover. It has many excellent dive spots. It's vibrant color and exotic life will enchant divers and snorkelers.

Komodo National Park includes three major islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller islands creating a total surface area (marine and land) of 1817 km squares (603 km squares of it land). Most of the Park is dry, rugged and hilly, a combination of ancient volcanic eruptions and more recent tectonic uplift of sedimentary seabeds. The irregular coastline is indented with rocky headlands and sandy bays, many framed by soaring volcanic cliffs. Komodo island alone is 35km long and 15km wide, and is mountainous on a north to south axis, with an average altitude of 500-600m. The highest peak is Satalibo (735m) in the north. Most of the island is lontar palm savannah with remnates of rainforest and bamboo forest at higher elevations.

Komodo National Park lies on Lesser Sunda Islands (at a distance of 200 nautical miles to the east of Bali), Province of East Nusa Tenggara , Republic of Indonesia.