12 Days Split Payment Options

Overview

Perfect tropical waves with no crowds..

Just you, 6 others, a boat, world class waves, and a load of uninhabited tropical islands. Sound good? Well that’s living for 10 days on our unique Indonesian boat trip in the Banyak region. You’ll also be joined by a Ticket to Ride trip leader, and of course a local crew to escort you around the islands ensuring you are surfing the best waves on any conditions. This is living!

What to Expect

Lifestyle

It's all about the waves, surf boat life is as good as it gets! The usual day will go something like this: wake up, early (sunrise - you may have been travelling overnight, so you’ll be eager to see the surf!), grab a coffee - have an early morning surf, come back to breakfast, let that settle - have another surf, chill - lunch - let that settle - have another surf, you're feeling pretty surfed out by now, so it’s either time to crack an early Bintang, fling out a fishing rod, or take it easy and muster up a bit more energy for the 4th surf of the day.

The Waves

This seldom surfed region is open to the same ground swell that travels up the Indian Ocean lighting up all the famous surf spots in Indonesia. Much like its neighbouring archipelagos, the waves arrive at its shores immaculately groomed with relentless frequency.

Being located just above the equator, winds are usually light or non existent, which shapes waves into something you could only dream of.

From the main boat you'll be dropped off in the line up on a speedboat tender, who will be there to pick you up post session.

The amount of surf spots is a mystery and many spots remain nameless, but there’s a wide choice of lefts and rights, barrels and cruisey leg burners. We hope you're ready

Improvement!

Nothing improves your surfing like a boat trip. You will be surfing as much as you can every day, no travel logistics or distractions to get in your way. This with our on board coaching means you can expect rapid progression.

The Boat

But most importantly, the boat will take you straight to the waves.

You'll be dropped off right in the line up and it will be there when you're done. No long paddles required.

This unique, 20m, local-style fishing boat has been converted with surfers in mind. There's a space to store your boards and all your gear, two big decks to nap on, do yoga, or enjoy a beer whilst watching your mates get barrelled and an air conditioned bed to lay your head after a hard day's surfing. There's also a freshwater shower, a speedboat, strictly no wifi, the occasional phone signal, clean tiled local-style toilet, strong coffee, snacks, drinking water, banana pancakes, square meals – fish, chicken, noodles and other local dishes – fishing and snorkel equipment, full first aid kit, full safety equipment, power for all your gadgets, a solid sound system, captain, crew, Ticket to Ride Trip Leader and good vibes.

The Banyaks

The Banyak Islands are an archipelago of 99 islands off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Only 7 of these islands are inhabited. This really is the picture-postcard tropical island surfers' paradise.

Adventure

A real advenure into a genuine surf exploration frontier. The reason the waves are so uncrowded, is because it's in the middle of nowhere! After your flight to Medan, you travel 8 hours overland to the small harbour village of Singkil where we will stay overnight, and from there it's a 1.5 hour boat ride out to the boat. When you're on board you'll be pinching yourself about the world you left behind 36 hours before.

What's Included? 

• All transfers from Medan, Sumatra, to the boat (8 hour taxi, plus a fast boat ferry)

• All accommodation including arrival and departure nights in Singkil. 12 nights total, 10 on the boat

• Professional surf coaching from dusk till dawn with your Ticket to Ride Trip Leader

• Daily video / photo analysis

• Local Captain/guide to the best spots

• All meals aboard the boat

• Return transfer back to Medan

International flights, beers and travel insurance aren’t included in the trip. A photo package will be on offer for those who want it.

 

What's Included


  • Airport Transfers

  • Trip Leaders For Duration

  • Video Surf Analysis

  • Photos Of Your Surfing

  • Shared Accommodation

Trip Timeline

Here you'll find a day by day breakdown of your course.

  • Arrival Day

    The fortunate frothers will need to fly into into Medan (KNO), on the east coast of Sumatra for midday, where your trip leader will be waiting for you in Arrivals. You will then be driven 8 hours to the small port town of Singkil on the west coast of Sumatra where you will spend the night.

  • Days 2 - 11

    The following morning you will jump on a 1.5 hour fast boat to the islands where you will board the surf boat! The following ten nights will be spent surfing, eating and sleeping in surfers paradise. Surfing the best waves the swell has to offer, given the ability of the surfers on board.

  • Departure Day

    We will spend the evening before the final day in Singkil before the same journey to the airport, relaxed and completely surfed out...

Course Video

What past riders say


FAQs

Got a question about this course? Here's the best place to start. If you don't find your answer here, you can request a callback or get in touch using our contact page.

7 Ticket to Ride Guests, 1 Ticket to Ride Trip Leader, 2 local staff and the captain.

Typically you’ll get a connecting flight via Jakarta, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

We spend ten nights on the boat and two nights either side of the boat trip in transit. You are also most likely to have to get an overnight flight from your home destination, meaning the trip will last 14 nights on average.

You’ll need to get a 30 day visa which are free upon arrival into Indonesia.

You would need to be an intermediate level surfer at least. The waves in the Banyaks aren’t as gnarly as its more famous neighbours, but they still pack a punch and although they tend to break deeper over the reefs, the coral is still just as sharp. As a guideline, you should be comfortable with reef surfing, and able to surf both lefts and rights.

There is local phone signal. Getting internet data is fickle and not very reliable. Sometimes there’s a lucky spot. Get your obligations finished before you leave.

We have a dorm style cabin, with single beds.

Yes you can pay an extra £150 for a full photo package

We have a Personal Locator Beacon (like an EPIRB), satellite accurate to 25m, waterproof beaker. We also have a Garmin explorer for anytime anywhere comms linked to subscription, emergency button on there with immediate response, waterproof to 3m. Marine radio and walkie talkie comms with the other boats and camps. The boat is also loaded with Jackets, flares and extinguishers etc. meaning that it is well covered for any emergencies etc.

We ask people to look after their cuts with their/our equipment to be free of infection. The TTR trip leader is fully first aid qualified. For more serious cuts we can get to neighbouring towns/villages on their fast the speedboat tender, which has 2 powerful motors on the back. If it’s really serious, we request the army to deploy a helicopter, which is something they have done in the area in the past (nothing with us!).

  • Draw any Indonesian money you want at Medan airport
  • There’s one fishing rod, bring one if you’re an enthusiast!
  • Zinc oxide / suncream (lots of it)
  • Ding repair kit / spare board
  • Rehydration sachets
  • Mosquito repellent! (mosquito nets are provided over the beds but bugs are common for an hour at sundown)
  • Biodegradable shower gel and toothpaste (it goes back into the ocean)
  • Put all your tunes on USB, there is a port and decent speakers
  • Hat (surf hat), towel, headlamp, books, shades, chargers etc
  • Spare rashy, booties, fins, warm water wax

Straight from the surf