Tanah Mympi

Tanah Mympi has an entire island to itself in the Telo Islands, off the west coast of Sumatra. A coral reef sits just offshore, the jungle climbs up behind the beach, and the interior is thick with greenery and alive with birdsong. Look past the reef, and there is only open water, so the island, its beaches and its peace belong entirely to the guests staying there. It’s a true private island setting, and a wonderfully calm place to call home for your trip.

Life on the island centres on a shaded pavilion, with the pool laid out in front, a swim-up bar, a covered lounge area and an ice bath. Sixteen suites welcome up to 32 guests, and the whole island can be booked for exclusive use. Around 70% of the team come from the local islands, and produce is sourced from local families wherever possible, giving your stay a real sense of place!

The Telo Islands are packed with lefts, rights and peaks, so you can surf somewhere new every day of your stay. Waves here suit every level, and the in-house expert Surf Guides know the islands well enough to match each group to the right break. Surf runs year-round, with peak season from May to September. March, April and October bring mellower swell energy with a decent smattering of bigger days, while the "Secret Season", from November to February, delivers fun, uncrowded waves, often with few or no other surfers around. If you’re planning a 10 or 11-night stay, you give yourself a great chance of catching two Indian Ocean swells in one trip.

The island’s central location opens up both the northern and southern breaks, and with two sessions a day by speedboat, you can paddle out early, head back to the island for lunch, then go again in the afternoon, or spend a full day out on the water. Each boat carries a maximum of 8 guests, and surf groups are kept intentionally small, with rarely more than a handful per break. The fleet is led by Heidi, a 53-foot power yacht with four 325-horsepower engines, alongside TM3, a 38-foot day-trip boat with a shower and toilet onboard. Back on the island, the shop carries everything you need for minor board repairs, and private boat charters can be also arranged!

There are eight Ocean View suites and eight Jungle View suites, 16 in total, hosting up to 32 guests. Ocean View suites face the reef, with a private deck and the pool and the swell in view – and offer a little more space than the standard rooms. Jungle View suites are tucked into the island’s greenery, with a private garden deck and a view over the canopy. Each suite accommodates a maximum of 2 adults plus 1 child aged 2 to 11 years and 1 infant under 2 years.

All rooms come with a private ensuite, air conditioning, ceiling fan, towels and linen, television, in-room internet access, a working space, a mini fridge and in-room filtered rainwater. Suites are built in clusters of four, two Ocean View at the front and two Jungle View behind, connected by interconnecting doors, so two suites can be combined for larger families and groups.

Food is in the hands of the in-house chef, with three chef-prepared meals a day plus appetisers and snacks throughout the day. The cooking draws on Southeast Asian influences with a touch of holiday indulgence, and menus change with the day’s catch or whatever the garden offers. Dietary requirements are accommodated with advance notice, and produce is sourced from local families wherever possible.

Dinner parties are held at long communal tables set right at the water’s edge. The bar pours cocktails, alongside fresh coconut straight off the tree, and the swim-up bar in the pool offers an ideal spot to chill out between sessions. Unlimited filtered water, tea and basic coffee are included throughout, and Indonesia permits one litre of duty-free alcohol per person, with no corkage fee on the island.