We’ve all dreamed of our own version of paradise, for many of us that involves a tropical island located somewhere in the middle of paradise and heaven. But, does that paradise exist?
For the most part of my life I thought ‘No, it can’t possibly exist because wouldn’t everyone be there?’. Like a mirage it seemed like a faint hope I could never let go of.
Two years ago, it smacked me in the face when I took up an offer from a friend to join him on a boat tour exploring the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. I’d never heard of it but I can say now with 100% certainty: Yes, Paradise does exist. Yes, it is real. Yes, you still can get dropped off on a deserted island and be the sole person on it. You can even snorkel over a sunken tropical island and let your imagination go wild.
I’m glad places like Bali are mainstream because it leaves places like the Mentawai Islands to still be untouched and undiscovered. The real paradise of being in a warm tropical climate, with the sun on my skin and salt in my hair is a feeling of a dream that became a reality, and something I think about every day.
Now, the question does it exist? Has turned into, who am I going to take with me?
Article by Nicole Hely
Photos by World-Class Surf Trips
