Awera Island Surf Camp

Camp Size: 8-10 guests
Accommodation: 2 x ocean front bungalows & main lodge
Daily Meals: Included
Daily Transport: Daily boat rides included
Located in front of surf break: Yes - backyards/suicides
Destination: Sipora, Mentawai Islands
Surfing Ability: Beginner to advanced
Budget: 3/5
Surf School: Yes
Surfboard Rental: No (available in Padang)
Yoga: No
Ideal for: Anyone looking for a good value Mentawai experience

Awera Island surf camp offers a straightforward, comfortable surf experience in the Mentawai Islands, designed for surfers who care more about waves and ease of travel than luxury branding. The camp sits comfortably between basic and high-end, clean, comfortable and well organised without pretending to be a resort.

Hosting just 8–10 surfers at a time, Awera delivers a relaxed pace and plenty of time in the water. Each guest stays in private accommodation, including rare single-room options, making it an excellent choice for solo surfers who want privacy without paying resort-level prices.

The surrounding Mentawai region is one of the most wave-dense surf zones on the planet, and Awera provides access to a wide selection of breaks suitable for all abilities, from beginners to experienced surfers. Whether you’re learning, progressing or chasing classic Mentawai reef setups, the camp’s location offers flexibility based on conditions and skill level.

Awera is also notable for its ease of access. With transfers from Padang operating four days a week, it remains one of the most accessible Western-operated surf camps in the Mentawais, helping guests spend less time in transit and more time surfing.

With its small group format, private rooms and wave access, Awera remains one of the more affordable Western-run surf camps in the region, delivering strong value for money without compromising the core surf experience.


Views over Awera Island, with the camp pictured in the foreground. For reference, Awera Resort is a few hundred yards down the beach on the right side.


Just two bungalows and a main lodge, with private accommodation, hearty meals and an easygoing vibe.


Directly out the front of Awera Island Surf Camp - white sand beach, crystal clear lagoon and a right hander just 150m from the shore.

Accommodation at Awera is simple, comfortable and thoughtfully arranged to suit a relaxed surf-camp lifestyle. The property consists of Awera Lodge, which can sleep up to four guests across separate bedrooms with a shared bathroom, and two self-contained beach bungalows, each accommodating 2–3 guests with private ensuite bathrooms.

Rooms are designed for comfort in the tropics rather than excess, clean, airy and practical, with fans and mosquito nets providing cool, comfortable nights. With a maximum of just 8–10 surfers on site, the camp never feels crowded, allowing for privacy, space and a calm, easygoing atmosphere throughout your stay.

Communal areas are relaxed and functional, offering plenty of places to unwind between surf sessions. Guests can stretch out on daybeds, relax in hammocks, or spend time in shared lounge spaces, making it easy to disconnect, recharge and enjoy island life at a slower pace.

Accommodation & Amenities Include

* Private accommodation (including rare single-occupancy options)
* Beach bungalows with ensuite bathrooms
* Lodge rooms with shared bathroom facilities
* Fans and mosquito nets in all rooms
* Shared lounge and communal areas
* Daybeds and hammocks
* Complimentary Wi-Fi access
* Games and magazines
* Laundry service (available at extra cost)


Two self-contained beach bungalows, each accommodating 2–3 guests with private ensuite bathrooms.


Bungalow view

Private bathroom in each of the bungalows (shared bathroom in the main Lodge, for the single guests).

Food at Awera is all about keeping guests well fuelled, comfortable and satisfied between surf sessions. Meals are home-cooked, generous and varied, designed to suit long days in the water rather than fine-dining formality. The emphasis is on fresh ingredients, balanced portions and simple flavours that hit the spot after a surf.

Guests are served three meals per day, enjoyed communally in the main dining area, creating a relaxed, social atmosphere that’s very much part of the Awera experience. Menus typically include a mix of Indonesian and Western-style dishes, with plenty of variety throughout the week.

Drinking water is always available, along with tea and coffee throughout the day, including quality Sumatran coffee. Cold beers, soft drinks and other refreshments are available for purchase, ideal for winding down after a full day in the water.

The overall setup is straightforward and welcoming, good food, cold drinks and a comfortable place to relax, perfectly suited to the easygoing rhythm of life at Awera.

Food & Drink Inclusions

* Three home-cooked meals daily
* Drinking water available at all times
* Tea and coffee throughout the day
* Communal dining area

Surf Guide

Awera’s surf guiding and instruction is led by Pete, a trained surf instructor and qualified surf lifesaver from the United States. Pete has lived full-time on the island with his young family for the past 14 years and brings deep local knowledge, water safety expertise and genuine passion to every session. A true surf froffer at heart, he’s as stoked to see beginners catch their first waves as he is to help experienced surfers score the waves of their lives.

For day-to-day surf guiding, Pete’s services are included at no extra cost for intermediate and advanced surfers, providing local knowledge, safety oversight and support during each surf session. For guests wanting formal surf lessons, typically beginners or those seeking structured instruction, lessons are available for an additional fee.

Surf Lessons

Lessons are tailored to individual ability and delivered with clear guidance both in and out of the water, with a strong focus on safety, ocean awareness and progression. Beginner lessons cover the fundamentals of surfing in a reef environment, including water safety, understanding local conditions, positioning in the lineup, paddling technique and reading waves. Given enough time, instruction progresses toward independent surfing, catching unbroken (green) waves, improving pop-ups, and learning essential skills such as duck-diving and managing steeper take-offs.

Intermediate lessons focus on refining technique and building confidence in a wider range of conditions. Sessions typically work on improving take-offs, generating speed, wave selection and drawing cleaner lines, with the aim of progressing surfers into more challenging surf as conditions allow.

Surf lessons at Awera are relaxed, supportive and practical, ideal for guests who want to improve their surfing while enjoying the uncrowded, easygoing nature of the camp.

Surf Lesson Pricing

* AUD $50 per person (approx. USD$ 35)
* 1-hour surf instruction
* Includes speedboat from the camp, to the surf break & back.

Note: does not include surfboard, which can be easily rented from Padang (we can help!)

What’s Included

* Private accommodation for all guests (includes rare "single-occupancy" room options)
* Maximum of 8–10 surfers
* Beach bungalows with ensuite bathrooms
* Lodge rooms with shared bathroom facilities
* Fans and mosquito nets in all rooms
* Wi-Fi access
* Hammocks, daybeds and relaxation areas
* Three home-cooked meals daily
* Drinking water available at all times
* Tea and coffee throughout the day
* Complimentary day-to-day surf guiding for intermediate and advanced surfers

Available at an Extra Cost

* Transfer package: Padang Airport > Awera Island Surf Camp > Padang Airport 
* Cold beers, soft drinks and other refreshments
* Fishing trips
* Surf lessons 
* Laundry service

Detailed information for all the surf breaks can be found in the destination's section of the site within the North Sipora pages: Awera Island Surf Breaks

There’s around a dozen waves (mainly lefts) that are within 5-20 minutes from Awera island.

Although there aren’t as many waves in the direct vicinity as *playgrounds* - there’s a nice variation of lefts and rights with differing ferocity. There’s certainly something for everyone – including beginners (2-3 waves are perfect for learning), which is a rarity in the Mentawai Islands. It’s also much less crowded than its neighboring & more famous surfing areas found in the Mentawai Island chain, so you’ll arguably get more waves.

Tikus (above) is just a short speedboat ride away and is ideal for beginners and those looking for a cruisey surf when the main spots are maxing out.

The crown jewel of the region is Telescopes thats just a 10 minute speedboat ride away (above)

Guests need to fly into Padang Airport (PDG), West Sumatra 

We recommend using www.kayak.com and flying into Jakarta, Indonesia.

From Jakarta, there are over a dozen flights each day that fly into Padang, from airlines such as Garuda Airlines (always recommended), Batik & Super Air Jet. Avoid Lion Air when possible.

It’s also possible to fly to Padang via Kuala Lumpur although (only 2-3 flights each day) or via Singapore. 

Please note, on average a standard shortboard costs around IDR 200k to 500k “per board”, per domestic flight, paid in cash at the check-in counter.

Note that if you book with Garuda, your board bag will be free up to 20-40kg’s depending on your ticket.

We recommend using www.traveloka.com for short haul flights within Indonesia

Visa On Arrival: A FREE 30 day Visa On Arrival is now available for the following countries: Australia, USA, Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Peru, Costa Rica, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, England, France, Switzerland, Sweden and Germany (and many more!)

Guests are welcome to make their own way to Tua Pejat in Sipora, where we can transport each guest to Awera Island which is less than 10 mins away. 

Alternatively, guests have the choice to take the "Transfer package" (PDG>Awera>PDG);

Includes:

-  Airport collection
-  Taxi to Hotel
-  Taxi to Ferry
-  Ferry Ticket (Padang to Tua Pejat, Sipora)
-  25kg's of luggage (aboard ferry)
-  Speedboat transfer from Tua Pejat (Mentawai port) – the the Surf Camp
-  Exact same on return back to Padang Airport

Note: Does not include hotel in Padang although they're very affordable. We recommend Santika, D'Oxville, Mercure & ZHM.

Padang Airport (PDG)

Upon arrival at Padang’s Minangkabau International Airport, you will be greeted by one of Awera's staff members with pre-arranged transport and you'll be taken to your hotel. 

Mentawai Fast Ferry

You'll be collected from your hotel and taken to the ferry port the next morning around 6.00am. The port is very close to where the hotels are found - it's just a short 5-10 minute taxi ride.

Mentawai Fast Ferry - departure times:

Padang – Tua Pejat: Monday, depart 07.00am
Padang – Tua Pejat: Wednesday, depart 07.00am
Padang – Tua Pejat: Friday, depart 07.00am
Padang – Tua Pejat: Sunday, depart 10.00am (late departure)

Tua Pejat – Padang: Monday depart 3:00pm
Tua Pejat – Padang: Wednesday depart 3:00pm
Tua Pejat – Padang: Friday depart 3:00pm
Tua Pejat – Padang: Sunday depart 1:30pm (early departure)

The Ferry crossing time takes around 3 to 4 hours. Guests will arrive in Tua Pejat (Mentawai Port) around 10.30am, where their staff will be waiting to transfer all the baggage to the speedboat and take the guests to the camp, arriving around 11am. Crossing times are subject to weather conditions and delays can happen.

On return, guests will arrive back to Padang around 6.30pm. A staff member will transfer you to your hotel, as well as the airport the next morning. 

Before booking a trip to Awera Island Surf Camp, make sure to check our "Know before you go" section which is a handy page of what to expect as well as a detailed inventory of what to bring.

For those that are unsure what's better a surf charter boat or surf camp, then check out our blog below.