By Craig Jarvis • Photos by Chantal Malherbe and Sabrina Schmidt
Imagine a chain of islands, 60 miles due west from the mainland of Sumatra. These islands are wild, often uninhabited, but crowded with malaria, monkeys, and orangutans.
Out of all these islands, one tiny island is home to a beautiful eco-resort, with enough luxury to put anyone at ease. It also has easy access to incredible waves to quell the heart of the most wave-addicted and anxious surfer.
Bilou Beach Villas is such a nirvana.
The Big Score
When the Mentawai Islands were discovered to be holding some of the best surf spots in the world, no one could have foreseen what was to come.
Australian surfer and skipper Martin Daly, who was on a salvage job off Sumatra in 1983, can be credited with the initial discoveries. However, there are stories of people who surfed the waves before him but managed to keep it a secret.
Martin was poring over some nautical charts and figuring out the logistics of a salvage mission when he started musing over waves and decided to check out a few nooks and crannies. As a result, he was rewarded with probably the biggest score of a surf adventurer.
The New Mentawais
Fast-forward 40 years, and the Mentawai islands are crowded. Less so because of COVID, but at times up to 15 charter boats, each holding 10 paying guests and surfing crew, at one particular wave. A quick calculation will show that this makes surfing totally dysfunctional — there are just too many people.
So surfers started looking for more quiet spots. A few land camps popped up near decent waves, usually with a home break in front and a few more within easy access.
South African travelers Gideon and Chantal Malherbe had already run one of the most successful charter cruises in the Mentawais — the Indies Explorer. After that adventure, they decided to build Bilou Beach Resort and Villas.
Awera Island
They chose Awera Island. They have three hectares of land on the southern tip, giving them 250 meters of the west coast and 300 meters of the east coast, which come together on a beautiful sandspit.
They were attuned to the ways and means of Indonesian culture and managed to get the best value from the local builders and artisans to help set up their establishment. It was a case of: if you build, they will come.
As word got out, the surfers started arriving — some alone, some with families. The need for a drinking bar experience was soon very apparent.
Bilou Sunset Beach Bar
Catering to everyone's needs, the Malherbes and their two surfing sons, Josh and Indie, soon discovered a need for a bar. As a result, Bilou Sunset Beach Bar was built to become the most exquisite and unusual bar in the area.
A place where all guests could hang out after a day surfing or fishing, and neighboring surfers or charter boats could pop in and say hello to some mates and enjoy ice-cold beer, snacks, and more.
The Bilou Sunset Beach Bar has undergone a few renovations. It is part of the solar-powered, rainwater-based, off-the-grid system that the entire resort is based on. However, it took a long time and hard work for the Mentawais to have this option.
The bar offers the basics of a Bintang beer and some simple meals, but anything can be sourced, and most of your basic drinks and mixers are available.
Come for a Beer, Stay for the Vibe
It has an incredible vibe. Some days it might be quiet, with just a few guests enjoying a sundowner as the sky goes on fire at sunset. At other times it might be a boisterous crew of surfers who have just had the waves of their lives, screaming and whooping in excitement as they down beers and check the cameras for replays of their epic waves.
It's the perfect place to wind down and enjoy a hearty meal after a day on the ocean — or under the water, fishing.
Access
Access is not easy, and Bilou Sunset Beach Bar does not advertise. However, if you were to find yourself in the Mentawai Islands, you would soon be able to find out where the location is and go have a look. Then you can enjoy a cold one with the owners and guests at one of the most beautiful and unusual locations for a bar worldwide.
Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Volume 8 (Spring 2022). Story by Craig Jarvis. Photos by Chantal Malherbe and Sabrina Schmidt. For more, visit biloubeach.com.
