Pesona Mentawai Festival 2018 (Mentawai Charm Festival) is set to be held from Nov. 1 to 4 in Muntei village, South Siberut district, Mentawai Islands regency, West Sumatra, showcasing the region’s unique culture and cuisines.
Opened on Thursday, the festival kicked off with a Mentawai traditional clothing parade, followed by Urai Paruak, which is a singing and dancing performance by Mentawai’s shamans called Sikerei, and a mass dance routine by students from Siberut Island.
Cultural attractions such as Mentawai tattoo drawing, kabit (Sikerei’s attire) making, traditional bowhunting, and a turuk langgai dancing competition will also be presented.
“The most unique attraction in this event is the crafting of ogok mania, a type of headband worn by the wives of Sikerei,” said Desti Seminora, the head of the Mentawai Tourism and Sports Agency on Tuesday as quoted by tempo.co.
Tourists visiting the festival can expect to taste Mentawai cuisine sold at food stalls as well as marvel at a cooking show.
To reach the venue, visitors can take the Mentawai Fast ferry from Muaro Padang port at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for a 3.5 hour trip to South Siberut. The boat for the return trip to Padang departs at 3:00 p.m.
After arriving at Mailepet Port, travelers can head to the festival’s venue in Muntei village by using an ojek (motorcycle taxi), a 1-kilometer journey. Homestays are available in Muara Siberut’s capital city district and Mailepet village for visitors planning to stay the night.
Source&image: TheJakartaPost
Add a comment