The Naga Laut has got to be one of the best boat trips going in the Mentawais. Aussie owner Frank and his Indo crew are an epic bunch, most notably Boy the killer chef, Anton the deckhand and Alawa the dingy guy are all completely at the top of their game and a pleasure to be around All of them work incredibly hard to make sure everything runs smoothly, are well fed and you get the best waves. I’ve done three trips with this crew and look forward to going back soon and would never consider going on any other charter. The Naga Laut is comfortable, clean and a super solid boat and under the guidance of Yanto and his brother Didit the surf guides, good local surfers who knows the spots like the back of their hands, I have always felt that on any given day we were getting the best waves on offer in the Mentawais, including a number of absolutely perfect sessions with just our boat around. Five stars all the way. Just epic, every time.
You just can’t top the Mentawais for wave quality and while there’s plenty of surf charter options, my time on the Naga Laut was nothing short of exceptional. The crew are just on point in every aspect. Didit (the surf guid) is a super in tune surf guide. We were all really impressed with his knowledge. He made the right call every day to maximise our surf quality and minimise the crowds. The boat is quick and really comfortable. We were usually the first boat to show up and the two speedboats maxed our options at every spot. We surfed ourselves to exhaustion and there was plenty of quality drinks and snacks to keep us fuelled up. The steaks and lamb roast were as good as mums home cooking and the Padang food was just epic. I can’t get back on the Naga quick enough. Congrats to Ben and Frank on a first rate operation.
Our first trip was on the Naga Laut in 2005 and we’ve since been back another two times (2008, 2014) and I’m confident in saying they’ve never let us down!
First and foremost, the skipper, crew and guide on the Naga Laut are great hosts, always keen to search for less crowded breaks and giving you the heads up on what other boats are doing, weather forecasts and sharing their local knowledge on where the best waves will be depending on what surfing experience you and your mates are searching for. Oh yeah, they’re also geared up to reel off surf photos of all your memorable sessions which makes for a perfect day after surfing, having a few beers with the boys and watching the action highlights on the TV – pure indulgence for any frother. Apart from this, is the food…whoa…from a rich Indo curry, to a lamb roast or sashimi on deck it’s certainly no Lombok chicken-boat tour, that’s for sure.
Other than that it’s also worth mentioning is Ben and Frank who are running the show. They responded to endless questions from my mates and I before departing, sorting visas, transfers, deposits and generally kept us frothing. Even sending one of the team to wait at the airport until lost luggage arrived while we chilled on the boat over a few Bintangs. We’ll be returning again, that’s for sure. Thanks again guys.