Thomas
Hi my name is Thomas this is my review of my trip to the mentawai tribe with Ucok in 2023
Ucok is an amazing Guide to go to the Mentawai.
We spent 5 days in the jungle with Ucok.
He speaks perfectly Mentawai and was able to translate everything,
talks about the culture and the history of the Mentawai people that he really knows well and he is a true skilled survivor!
He is always happy, smiling, willing to share his experience to help us feel comfortable in the jungle and understand the complexity of the Tribe culture and customs.
He has a huge experience of the Mentawai tribes, is really close to the Shaman and his family so you can really experience things to him the way of living of the shaman.
More than a guide, he became a friend and I can honestly highly recommend Ucok if you plan to book an experience in the Mentawai tribes
Nita and Ethan
In June 2023, we spent 5 days on Siberut with Bang Ucok and his team.
We are a family from Jakarta with a 10 year old son. We wanted an authentic experience with the Suku Mentawai and got that with Bang Ucok’s expertise and guidance.
He was more than a guide. He was a caring friend to our family and his assistants Man Shanto and Norobu were always ready with food, coffee or tea.
He speaks the tribe’s language and his knowledge of their culture and the jungle really added to the trip. When we had questions. Bang Ucok’s style was to let the tribe answer those questions themselves and only supplemented the answer when needed. We went for the experience and returned with great memories and new friendships.
Elena & Constantin
We only had a few days left in Sumatra,
Ucok was very flexible and open to our wishes. So we were able to plan a 1-day tour at very short notice in the evening before we were supposed to start.
Ucok took us to dreamlike hidden rivers and beaches, southeast of Padang.
Ucok is a very experienced guide and was able to tell us a lot about the local nature and culture. With Ucok we also felt safe and well advised at all times.
When we return to Sumatra we will explore the Mentawai Islands, hopefully with Ucok as our guide.
Maxim (from russia) may 2023
The impression of a trip to the Mentawai tribe in Sumatra was formed from opposites, to see with your own eyes and plunge into the life of a primitive tribe, and not just to be a bystander, but to be a part of life for a few days is a colossal experience that allows you to expand the boundaries of your capabilities, to come face to face with fears (to spend a few nights in the jungle, to be away from civilization, to find out what a real tropical forest is), admiration (dexterity and endurance of the leader, the identity of the dwelling). A real test of strength, but such emotions were worth it! Thanks to an experienced guide , the trip turned out to be one of the most memorable in my life !
Elisabeth & Bernhard (from Austria) july 2023
Dear Ucok,
thank you so much for taking us on the adventure of a lifetime. Even on very short notice you managed to organise the trip for us and explained everything we needed to know beforehand. During the 4 days you took excellent care of us, providing delicious meals and detailed information about the life and ways of the Mentawai Tribe. That way, we gained a lot of insight into their way of life, their customs and traditions. We felt very welcome and Marcus and his family were nothing but nice to us. We were very lucky to witness the gathering of friends and family to tow handmade canoes through the rainforest and celebrate afterwards with a feast. It was impressive to see the closely knit community of the Mentawai Tribe working, eating and enjoying their time smoking together, just as we enjoyed our stay with them. Thank you for being our guide and providing us with the opportunity to gain experiences that will last a lifetime.
Richard from england may 2023
What an incredible experience!! I had the most amazing time visiting the Mentawai tribe with Ucok!
Spending time with the indigenous people was a once in a lifetime experience. One of which I’ll never forget. Ucok is the best! He arranged all of the transport from Padang over to Siberut and through the rainforest until we arrived with the Mentawai tribe.
Ucok was the best guide we could have wished for, he communicated with the tribe and translated for us and was always so happy and helpful which really made our trip even more amazing.
Thank you for such an amazing trip Ucok!!!
Maja and Sipko February 2024
Dear Ucok,
We had an amazing experience which we will never forget.
The Mentawai tribe welcomed us enthusiastically. If felt like home. You have such a good connection with this family, you explained everything about the life of these people. Everything was very well organized and although this is a complete different world, it felt okay and safe. We could see that you enjoyed as well being there. Ucok, thank you very much for this fantastic experience!
From Maja and Sipko from Belanda
