Hilltop location and building constructionnd building construction
The north western area of Indonesia has a history of tectonic activity, and a recent one at that. Earthquakes and tsunamis are unfortunately a possibility in this island paradise. While we hope that we won’t have to deal with this kind of occurrence, nonetheless we have kept them at the forefront of our minds in the design of Pitstop Hill. Our location approximately 40m above the beach is significantly higher than any land that was affected by the devastating Aceh tsunami. We believe that we are safe from this potential threat.
In the design of the buildings at Pitstop Hill we have enlisted the help of West Sumatran architect Popo (Dedy Iskander and Aban (Shahibul Abrar). Popo has been employed by the United Nations (UN) in designing buildings for the people of other areas of Indonesia, such as Aceh and Nias, that have been impacted by natural disasters. His core experience is in designing structures to withstand the impact of these occurrences. We are very glad to have both Popo and Aban on board and have followed their advice not only with their amazing architectural designs, but especially with regard to building materials, design and structural integrity.
Malaria
Malaria exists in the Mentawai islands, as it does in the rest of Indonesia and many other beautiful tropical locations around the world. It is important to note that humans and other higher primates are the only creatures that can carry the Malaria parasite. Thanks to Nyang Nyang island’s very small and spread out human population, we are at far lower risk of the existence of mosquitoes carrying the parasite than other more densely populated areas (towns, villages etc) of the Mentawais or broader Indonesia.
There is a common misconception that guests who choose to stay aboard charter boats are safer from the threat of mosquito borne disease. As the charter boats need to find safe anchorages of an evening, they often moor very close to the lee of the islands and often close to the villages that exist there precisely because of their protected location. We don’t want to split hairs over this point except to say that we (like our charter boat friends) do everything we can to reduce the risk of contracting malaria. The best way to do so is to not get bitten.
There are a number of features of Pitstop Hill that help to reduce the existence of mosquitoes and the risk of being bitten by one. Our location across the front of a hilltop overlooking the beach (and facing west, the origin of the majority of the weather that we receive) means that we have a good chance of being open to any breeze that is around, which in turn helps significantly to reduce the existence of mosquitoes. Also all of our buildings are air-conditioned. As mosquitoes prefer warm, damp environments and air conditioned areas are precisely the opposite of this, these are places that we like to be, and mosquitoes don’t. We also use a number of other measures such as landscaping and minimizing any stagnant water in the area (especially the water that gathers in the coconut husks left behind by the copra farmers) and also have a large supply of mosquito coils and repellant on hand at all times.
Compulsory travel insurance
Due to the nature of our location, and the nature of the sport that we love, travel insurance is compulsory at Pitstop Hill (we are referring to emergencies; crime is not a problem at the island). We thank you for your understanding with this and ask that you bring with you a photocopy or proof of your travel insurance policy. In the event of an emergency at the island we have the option (depending on severity) of treating minor injuries ourselves, canvassing medical professionals in the area who may be at other resorts or on nearby boats, sending guests to the basic medical clinics at one of two locations nearby, running guests back to the mainland with our speed boats (as quick as almost any other tourism operation in the islands) or chartering a new fast boat that is docked in the islands nearby for the run to Padang.
Mentawai Mooring Movement
We are proud to support, and contribute to, the Mentawai Mooring Movement, an organization involved in installing moorings at the most popular surfing breaks in the area to eliminate the need of anchoring which can result in damage to the reefs which are not only important to the surfers but also the locals and of course the marine life. Most recently we worked with the 2 other resorts in the South Siberut region to install new moorings at Pitstops, Beng Bengs, Nipussi, Bankvaults, Rifles and 4 Bobs. Please check out www.mentawaimooringmovement.org and become a member if you are interested in protecting the reefs of the Mentawai Islands.
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