This September make the island of Nias, - off the west coast of North Sumatra in the Indian Ocean,- your choice destination. From 11th to 19 th September 2016, all district governments together with the people of Nias have joined hands to present the highlight of their 2016 Calendar of Events, which is filled with a cultural festival called Ya’ahowu and the staging of the International Surf Competition.
Initially set to be staged in August, the event has been rescheduled to 11th to 19th September 2016 following a joint agreement by the mayor and regents of Nias Islands and the Minister of Tourism. “5 regents and mayors agreed to reschedule the event due to a number of simultaneous activities in each regency and city” explained Lakhomizaro Zebua, Mayor of Gunung Sitoli as quoted from kompas.com.
The series of excitement will kick off with the Ya’ahowu Open Championship International Surfing Competition along with the ‘Hombo Batu’ Traditional Stone Jumping Competition from 11th to 15th September 2016 at at the Sorake Bay and Lagundri Beach. Meanwhile, the Ya’ahowu Festival will start from 17th September until its pinnacle on 19th September 2016.
Nias is already wellknown worldwide for its unbelievable rolling surf barrels, - the darling of surfers, - and the earliest discovered living Megalithic culture in the Indonesian archipelago, which still thrives on the island until this very day.
These and other exciting cultural performances will be shown during the festival at Gunung Sitoli, that include the amazing famous barefoot high jumps over piles of stone, a mock battle , and other unique and colorful traditional ceremonies of Nias. And, for a more modern touch there will also be fashion shows and a culinary bazaar for all to enjoy.
The Festival will close with popular Indonesian singers and 1,000 lanterns released into the sky.
As part of the province of North Sumatra, the island is reachable by regular flights from the Kualanamu International Airport of Medan, capital city of the province, to the Binaka Airport at Gunung Sitoli. While Sorake Bay is 90 km from Gunung Sitoli. There are surf camps available there for surfers. Medan receives flights from Singapore, Malaysia, Jakarta and other major cities in Indonesia.
For more information, please contact:
Simon Fau
Phone: +6281376226770
Dolin Wau
Phone: +6281397303764
