Real Photos From Our Mentawai Tribe Tours — Page 2 of 3

Every photo below is from an actual Pulau Asli Tour trip — no stock photography, no staged scenes.

Page 2 of 3: real Sikerei daily life, spiritual rituals, and the traditional craft and tattoo work guests witness firsthand on a Mentawai tribe tour with Pulau Asli Tour in Siberut. Sikerei belief is part of the wider Arat Sabulungan belief system, and the traditional tattoos shown here are explained in full on our Mentawai tattoo guide. This heritage is protected inside the UNESCO Siberut Biosphere Reserve.

Sikerei: Daily Life & Rituals

Mentawai Sikerei applying handmade natural poison to wooden arrows for hunting in Siberut — A Mentawai Sikerei carefully preparing poisoned arrows for a traditional hunting expedition.

Mentawai Sikerei crafting natural arrow poison using freshly harvested rainforest plants in Siberut — Crafting natural poison for hunting arrows using freshly gathered Siberut rainforest plants.

Mentawai Sikerei eating traditional sago caterpillar as a natural protein source in Siberut rainforest — A Mentawai Sikerei enjoying traditional sago caterpillars deep in the Siberut rainforest.

Mentawai Sikerei mixing traditional soot-based tattoo ink in a coconut shell mortar in Siberut — Preparing the ink: a Sikerei mixing traditional soot-based tattoo ink by hand.

Mentawai Sikerei preparing natural arrow poison ingredients with a tour guest in Siberut — Preparing the poison arrow tips together, guest and Sikerei side by side.

Mentawai Sikerei preparing natural forest ingredients by the riverside in Siberut — Riverside preparation: a Sikerei working with natural forest ingredients.

Mentawai Sikerei mixing traditional natural ingredients by the river in Siberut — Mixing tradition by the water: a Sikerei blending natural riverside ingredients.

Mentawai Sikerei holding bamboo containers of freshly prepared medicine by a Siberut river — Medicine ready: a Sikerei holding bamboo containers by the jungle river.

Mentawai Sikerei chopping wood with a traditional tool in the Siberut jungle — Everyday jungle work: a Sikerei chopping wood with a traditional tool.

Mentawai Sikerei and tour guests gathered together at night inside a Siberut uma — Evening in the uma: a Sikerei and guests gathered together after dark.

Mentawai Sikerei holding a jungle vine for a tour guest to drink emergency water from, child watching in Siberut — The Sikerei lends a hand: helping a guest drink straight from a forest vine.

Tour guest sitting with a tattooed Mentawai Sikerei family inside a Siberut uma longhouse — Inside the uma: a guest sitting with a tattooed Sikerei family.

Tour guests group portrait with a tattooed Mentawai Sikerei family inside a Siberut uma — Group portrait with the Sikerei family, traditional tattoos on full display.

Mentawai woman tending the fire hearth inside Uma — Keeping the hearth alive: a Mentawai woman tending the fire.

Two Mentawai women preparing fish food inside Uma — Preparing the day's meal: two Mentawai women with fresh fish.

Monkey skull hunting trophies hanging inside Uma longhouse — Hunting trophies: monkey skulls hung facing outward, their spirit belonging to the forest.

Monkey skull hunting trophies hanging on Uma roof beam — Close-up on tradition: hunted skulls hung from the uma's roof beam.

Wild boar skulls hanging from Uma roof, Mentawai hunting tradition — Wild boar skulls hanging from the roof, marking a successful hunt.

Two Sikerei relaxing on the Uma porch, Mentawai — Downtime on the porch: two Sikerei relaxing together.

Sikerei preparing arrow poison while guests watch, Mentawai — Guests watching closely as a Sikerei prepares arrow poison.

Sikerei examining medicinal forest plants, Mentawai jungle — Reading the forest: a Sikerei examining plants for medicinal use.

Wild boar skulls hanging from Uma roof beams, Mentawai — A wider look at the boar skulls hanging from the roof beams.

Traditional Craft & Tattoo

Tour guest sketching a traditional Mentawai tattoo draft using authentic tribal tools in Siberut — Hands-on culture: a guest practicing traditional Mentawai tattoo drafting in Siberut.

Mentawai Sikerei and tour guest washing newly made traditional tree bark cloth in a Siberut river — Rinsing freshly crafted tree bark clothing (*kaburit*) in the river with a Mentawai Sikerei.

Tour guests sharing a laugh with a Mentawai Sikerei after crafting traditional tree bark clothing in Siberut — Warm moments: guests sharing a lighthearted laugh with a Sikerei after making traditional tree bark loincloths.

Tour guests hugging and laughing with a Mentawai Sikerei after completing traditional tree bark clothing in Siberut — Heartwarming moments: guests sharing hugs and big laughs with a Sikerei after making traditional bark clothing together.

Mentawai Sikerei teaching a guest child how to make traditional tree bark clothing in Siberut village — Passing down traditions: a Mentawai Sikerei guiding a guest child in processing tree bark for traditional clothing.

Mentawai Sikerei hand-tap tattooing a tour guest's arm using traditional method in Siberut — The traditional hand-tap method: a Sikerei tattooing a guest’s arm in Siberut.

Local Mentawai craftsman weaving rattan strips inside a traditional uma longhouse in Siberut — Handcraft in the uma: a local craftsman weaving rattan strips the traditional way.

Portrait of a Mentawai Sikerei with his family, showing traditional tribal tattoos in Siberut — A family portrait: a Sikerei and his family, marked by generations of traditional tattoos.

Mentawai Sikerei teaching a tour guest how to weave palm leaves in Siberut — A hands-on lesson: a Sikerei teaching a guest traditional palm-leaf weaving.

Close-up of a Mentawai Sikerei hand-tap tattooing a tour guest's leg in Siberut — Close-up: the traditional hand-tap tattoo technique in action on a guest’s leg.

Mentawai Sikerei performing a full traditional tattoo session on a tour guest's leg in Siberut — A full traditional tattoo session, guest and Sikerei working together in Siberut.

Mentawai Sikerei crafting traditional hunting arrows together with a tour guest in Siberut — Hands-on tradition: a Sikerei and a guest crafting arrows together.

Tour guest weaving palm leaves together with a Mentawai woman in Siberut village — Learning to weave: a guest and a Mentawai woman working palm leaves by hand.

Tour guests learning palm leaf weaving from a Mentawai family in Siberut — A shared skill: guests learning palm leaf weaving from a Mentawai family.

Tour guests with a Mentawai Sikerei holding traditional bark cloth in the Siberut jungle — Bark cloth in hand: guests with a Sikerei showing traditional tree-bark clothing.

Tour guest practicing traditional Mentawai archery alongside a local boy in Siberut — Bow in hand: a guest practicing traditional archery with a local boy.

Rattan stem, traditional inspiration for Sikerei shoulder tattoo motif — Nature as design: the rattan stem that inspired a Sikerei's shoulder tattoo.

Close-up of Sikerei hand tattoo with spiral pattern — Spirals and symbols: a close-up of traditional tattoo work on the hand.

Sikerei in traditional kabit dress with full body tattoos, standing in a river — Full traditional dress: a Sikerei's kabit and full-body tattoos by the river.

Sikerei full body portrait with traditional tattoos at a waterfall — A striking portrait: full traditional tattoos at a jungle waterfall.

Close-up of traditional Mentawai arm and hand tattoo on Uma porch — Traditional motifs up close, photographed on the uma porch.

Traditional Mentawai geometric grid pattern tattoo on arm — Geometry in ink: a traditional grid-pattern tattoo on the arm.

Traditional Mentawai star motif tattoo on shoulder, close-up — A star motif tattoo, close up on the shoulder.

Traditional Mentawai Titi tattoo motif on elbow, close-up — The Titi motif, traditionally inked at the elbow.

Traditional Mentawai leg tattoo, back view showing ankle motif — Traditional motifs from a different angle: leg and ankle tattoos, back view.

Traditional Mentawai herringbone tattoo motif on forearm — A herringbone motif tattoo, worn the length of the forearm.

Two Sikerei peeling tree bark from a forest log for traditional cloth — Where bark cloth begins: two Sikerei peeling bark from a forest log.

Guest learning sago leaf roof thatch weaving with a Mentawai woman — Learning the craft: a guest weaving sago leaf roof thatch.

Guests group weaving palm leaves with local children inside Uma — Weaving together: guests and local children working palm leaves.

Guest with an elderly Mentawai woman weaving by the fire — By the fire: a guest learning to weave from a Mentawai elder.

Uma longhouse under construction, wooden frame structure — Behind the architecture: a traditional uma under construction.

Guest at the entrance of an elevated traditional Uma longhouse, Mentawai — The uma's elevated entrance, a guest at the stairway.

Guest with full exterior view of traditional Uma longhouse architecture — A full view of traditional uma architecture.

Sikerei peeling tree bark for traditional Mentawai clothing — Detail shot: peeling bark for traditional bark cloth.

Guest and Sikerei weaving a sago leaf roof panel, Mentawai — Weaving a sago leaf roof panel, guest and Sikerei side by side.

Guests and local children weaving palm leaves by the fire, Mentawai — Fireside craft: guests and children weaving palm leaves together.

Sikerei cutting sago leaves with a machete, Mentawai forest — Machete work: a Sikerei cutting sago leaves in the forest.

Sikerei processing tree bark for traditional clothing, Mentawai — From bark to cloth: processing the raw material by hand.

Sikerei peeling tree bark with a knife, Mentawai forest — Peeling bark with a traditional knife, step one of bark cloth.

Photo Gallery FAQ

Are these real photos from actual Pulau Asli Tour guests?

Yes. Every photo on this page was taken during real Pulau Asli Tour trips — tribe tours and surf camps — with actual guests, actual Sikerei families, and actual villages on Siberut Island. Nothing here is staged or stock photography.

Will my own trip include moments like these?

Every group is different, so the exact moments vary, but the core experience shown here — time with a real Sikerei family, jungle trekking, traditional craft, and shared meals — is standard on every tribe tour package, not a one-off for photos.

Are the Sikerei families shown here paid to pose for tourists?

No. Pulau Asli Tour never stages rituals or moments for tourist entertainment. What you see — tattooing, arrow poison preparation, cooking, weaving — is authentic community life that guests are welcomed into, not a performance.

Can I request specific photos from my own trip afterward?

Yes. Andrian and the guiding team take photos throughout every trip and are happy to share them with guests afterward via WhatsApp or email — just ask before or during your trip so the team knows to capture your group.

Do surf camp guests get photos like these too?

Some — the Surf Camp & Arrival section shows a few surf-side moments, but most of this gallery is from tribe tours since that is where most guest-Sikerei interaction happens. Surf guests can still request photos from their own trip.

Is it okay to take my own photos and videos during the tour?

Yes, guests are welcome to photograph and film most of the trip. Some sacred ceremonies may have photography restrictions out of respect for the Sikerei — your guide will tell you clearly when this applies.

Ready to Make Your Own Mentawai Memories?

Join a real Sikerei family on Siberut Island for an experience worth photographing — guided by a 3rd-generation native of Mentawai.

✓ Chat Andrian to Book