Mentawai Travel Advice

malaria will be just tablets, it does pay to go to a travel doctor if you look on the gov travel website it has the locations.

I stayed at a land camp last year and took the tablets with me but didn't take them, they do make you feel a bit ordinary/spacey for a couple days.

Take all the good stuff like betadine as well, I bought some of the plastic spray on stuff and that stuff was amazing for the little cuts on me hands and feet.

Cheers for that - Had a look around and there's a travel clinic here, so I'll book in and have a chat with them before I go.

I've been a few times, and if you are staying on a land camp i would definitely recommend the following:

Bring bug repellent, the GOOD stuff thats high in DEET.
For cuts and scrapes bring some waterproof band-aids, betadine or antiseptic cream, a can of that spray on bandage and some of that chinese red ointment (Tieh Ta Yao Gin) if you can get your hands on it
A light long sleeve shirt and long trousers are a good idea if you get attacked by mozzies here
I know people who bring their own mozzie nets as well, as the ones at some of the camps aren't always in the best condition.

See a travel doctor a couple of weeks before you go, make sure your Tetanus shot is up to date.
The doc will talk you through the pros & cons of Hep A and Cholera vaccines (both water-borne viruses)
You can also ask about Malaria meds and strong antibiotics like cephalexin.

Personally, I have purchased but have not taken malaria meds myself. They can be super expensive ($160 for a 12 day supply) and you have to start taking them before you leave, and continue for a couple of days after you return. Then there are the side affects - as mentioned above, some people feel spaced out for a few days, while for others, their skin can get really sensitive to the sun and burn easily - not what you want for a surfing holiday in the tropics.

I know it's hot but on lower tides a 1-2mm long sleeve wetsuit top. You wouldn't believe how man times it saved my back from getting slashed up.

Just came back epic time / waves recommend all of the above particularly covering up during the day while in the water the sun just cooks you I smeared my face with zinc every day next time I will be taking better rashies / wetsuits with full arms will look at the ones with hoods also.

I asked resident expats about malaria while there, all said it was around occasionally but none had caught it. I used mossy spray (bushmans) and covered up.
There are plenty of mossies some of the islands have pretty extensive inland swamps / mangroves.

Skywinty this wave is up your way where you will be staying you will almost certainly surf this.........one of the "secret waves" (photo of me by Grant Davies) we had it to our selves not a drop of water out of place fu(k it was good. Spent the day over the Playgrounds area to surf Rifles....it was sectioning, 50 guys out and all burning each other so we had to put up with the above :-)

I stayed over at Aloita, Telescopes area not the same amount of options as where you are but still really good.

Hey Skwinky I took my anti malarial tabs as some of my friends have been infected (not from the ments) and hit pretty hard and my doc told me they also help with coral cut infections.

Have a great trip - sooooo jealous

Bill