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Riding Sumatra’s Lost Coast

Ian NeubauerThe West Australian
Waterfall on Sumatra's Lost Coast.
Camera IconWaterfall on Sumatra's Lost Coast. Credit: Ian Neubauer/The West Australian

Until recently, the 300km strip of palm-fringed beaches backdropped by mountains on the southwest coast of Sumatra, the largest island in Indonesia, was only known to surfers seeking an alternative to the crowded waves of Bali — a lost coast. That began to change during the pandemic when travel restrictions forced locals and expats living in Indonesia to take a closer look. “There are three cities around us and all the wealthy people there normally spend their holidays in Bali,” says Enik Wijaya, a local property agent. “But during the pandemic, flying was too complicated and this area became popular. Now there’s a real estate boom. It’s insane,” she said, noting that land prices have increased nearly 20-fold over the past few years.

Riding Sumatra's Lost Coast.
Camera IconRiding Sumatra's Lost Coast. Credit: Ian Neubauer/The West Australian
Riding Sumatra's Lost Coast.
Camera IconRiding Sumatra's Lost Coast. Credit: Ian Neubauer/The West Australian

An hour later I pulled into Tanjung Beach, home of Ujung Bocur, AKA the Point, the longest and most consistent left-hand wave in Sumatra. When it’s fully pumping, it has a ride of at least 200m to 300m. A throwback to Bali in the 1980s, there are about a dozen inexpensive hotels, about the same number of restaurants, a handful of scooter and surfboard rental shops plus a couple of massage joints.

Accommodation on Sumatra's Lost Coast.
Camera IconAccommodation on Sumatra's Lost Coast. Credit: Ian Neubauer/The West Australian
Sumatra's Lost Coast.
Camera IconSumatra's Lost Coast. Credit: Ian Neubauer/The West Australian

fact file Garuda Airlines has daily flights from Perth to Jakarta with connections to Bandar Lampung in South Sumatra on Lion Air. AirAsia offers direct flights from Bali to Bandar Lampung. From Bandar Lampung Airport, it’s a six-hour taxi ride to Krui. Mandiri Beach Club at Mandiri Beach offers 10-night surf packages including return airport transfers, daily beach transport, three meals per day and surf guides for $1060. mandiribeach.club.

Beachfront on Sumatra's Lost Coast.
Camera IconBeachfront on Sumatra's Lost Coast. Credit: Supplied

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