In April of 2006 I set off on a 16 day trip with a couple of friends to the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra. Leading up to the trip I did alot of research on how to prepare for the unknown. The trip was virtually charter boat based with only a couple days on land at the beginning and end of the trip. Granted, on-board accomodations were plush by local standards. Still, I wanted to be prepared.
Some important things to pack are light cotton long sleeve shirts and pants, a couple wide brim hats (the sun is intense along the equator). Plenty of waterproof sunblock; 50 spf would be recommended. Take along reef booties, the low cut, split toe kind work great. Powdered vitamin packets that dissolve in water, energy bars and sea sick aids would be a good idea if you are prone to motion sickness.
Mosquito repellant with Deet! This is a must, especially if you will be on land in the evenings. The mosqitoes are relentless at dusk and dawn. The main concern is in populated areas where mosquitoes can easily feed from one person to another possibly spreading malaria along the way. While on the boat you still need to be vigilant, wear your long clothes and lather up with repellant, but you can relax a bit. Make sure you have some lights on to keep an eye out for mosquitoes. The main ones to watch out for have the 'tiger stripes" on the wings. At dusk you will notice campfire smoke wafting up through the trees along from the island villages. The locals do this to keep the "mozzies" at bay. Do some research on anti-malarial drugs and consult your doctor.
Bring along a first aid kit. If you travel with someone who works in the healthcare industry have them bring sutures, anesthetic, etc... If not get ahold of some if you can, there is bound to be someone on the boat who is experienced in stitching. Take butterfly bandages to help close up any cuts from the reef while out of the water.
Speaking of the water (from the hotel or restaurant plumbing). Don't drink it. Go bottled. Period. End of topic.
For the start of your trip you may want to consider a sleep aid depending how far you are traveling. I flew out of San Diego stopping in Japan, Singapore and Central Sumatra before landing in Padang. It was just about 24 hours worth of flying over about a couple day period. The flight was long and almost unbareable toward the end. Consider taking along something such as Ambien or go natural with Melatonin. Remember not to drink alcohol while taking a sleep aid. Consult with your doctor.
So to recap on first aid supplies and other suggestions keep the following on your list:
Quality Cloth Medical Tape, Bandages & Latex Band Aids, Second Skin, Sleeping Pills, Betadine, Hydrogen Peroxide, Lomotil or other Anti-Diarrhea, Anti-Biotic Ointment, Anti-Fungal Powder, Aspirin, Sun Block & Lip Block and Sunburn Lotion.
When traveling to this region of the world along the equator, it is very important to research and prepare for the climate and local customs. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world and their religious customs run deep. You will most likely not run into fanitical Muslims who harbor great resentment for Westerners. You may want to avoid areas in Jakarta, Timor though. The Indonesian people are largely warm and welcoming; the epitome of happiness and a great many of them are dirt poor! We could learn alot from them.
When in public it is considered respectful to wear long pants as exposing alot of skin, even for men, is considered somewhat inappropriate. If you are a surfer and want to wear shorts in the high, heat high humidity. Go ahead, they will usually understand however; do not enter into any religous site or otheriwise religously significant location in your baggies.
I hope this has been of value, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Greg |
