The Magic of Nias

Exciting to watch, the stone jump is one of many unique aspects of Nias culture and any time spent on the island will reward the traveller with a glimpse of a complex and sometimes mysterious living culture.

Isolated and picture perfect beaches can be found in the north of the island, as well as down the west coast.

Most people in Nias are not aware that they were once part of the British Empire. In fact if history would have panned out differently, maybe Nias would be famous for it's own Raffles hotel, as it was Sir Stamford Raffles that briefly brought Nias under British rule in the early 19th century, commenting on how impressed he was with the civilization and rice cultivation on Nias.

Stone jump. Welcoming dance from Botohili village, southern Nias. Nias has perfect waves for surfing. map

However that was not to be, as Raffles and his entourage departed Nias to pursue riches in more strategic parts of the archipelago, and Nias again became an isolated and out of the way island, gaining a reputation as a place of cannibalism and extreme savagery. The reputation was buoyed by stories of beheaded missionaries and warring tribes, and most likely perpetuated by the 1933 Hollywood classic ‘King Kong', which purportedly held Nias as the inspiration behind Skull Island, the home of the terrifying gorilla. Although when King Kong fan and stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen went to Nias in search of the mythical island, he was apparently surprised to find the locals didn't understand his greeting of ‘Bala, bala kong nna hee' that he had borrowed from the fictional language of the original King Kong screenplay.

Perhaps the most enduring image of Nias' unique culture, the one that greets us on every pamphlet promoting tourism in Nias, is the famous stone jump. That is where a young man sprints fiercely towards a two-meter high pile of rocks and then leaps into the air, tucking one leg under the other, and elegantly sails over the top of the pile. The origins of this practice are not known, though some speculate that it stems from the practice of raiding enemy villages. In current times it is perceived as a test of manhood and proof that a man is ready to take a wife. Exciting to watch, the stone jump is one of many unique aspects of Nias culture, and any time spent on the island will reward the traveller with a glimpse of a complex and sometimes mysterious culture.

Arriving at the Binaka airport just south of Gunungsitoli, the largest city in Nias, one can be forgiven for thinking they have just stepped onto a Pacific island sometime in the 70s. Friendly officials in safari suits and sporting near knee length sideburns stand under coconut trees by the edge of the runway, greeting friends warmly in the melodic Nias language, a language having more in common with Polynesian languages spoken in the Pacific than the neighbouring Sumatran languages. The pace is slow and laid back, so it's hard not to feel like you're on holiday in Nias.

While most tourists head straight for the surf beaches and the famous traditional village of Bawomatolua in the south, there are many other exciting expeditions to be had in various parts of the island. Isolated and picture perfect beaches can be found in the north of the island, as well as down the rugged and sparsely populated west coast. Amazing and largely un-mapped limestone caves can be found throughout the island and a few picturesque waterfalls such as that in Afulu are easy day trips from Gunungsitoli. Also from Gunungsitoli, boats can be chartered to carry the more adventurous traveller to the out of the way island of Sarambau, an island surrounded by unspoilt coral reef and home to about 11 fishing families.

If you're heading down south then its well worth your while to travel via Gomo, a rugged area said to be the heartland of the Nias civilisation. Amongst these rugged gorges and waterfalls one can find ancient megaliths dating from 3000 to 5000 BC. According to legend, Gomo is the cradle of Nias civilisation, with the first people of Nias apparently having come from Gomo.

The village of Bawomatoluo is a must see for any visitor to Nias. Built around the turn of the century after the Dutch had attacked the original village, the village is not ancient as some guidebooks suggest. It is however truly magnificent. Situated on a peak and centred on two wide intersecting paved roads, the village is accessible through its main entrance by climbing a breathtaking series of steps at its southern end. Traditional stilted houses line up against each other like boats moored in a harbour, while the King's massive house, still inhabited by the Kings family today, stands overlooking the whole village.

But the real magic of Bawomatoluo is that it is alive, not preserved for spectators as one may find at other tourist attractions around the world. Villagers go about their daily business, drying fragrant patchouli on woven mats draped over stone benches and megaliths, besides which laughing women wash clothes in plastic buckets before stringing them out to dry underneath parabola dishes popping out of both tin and thatched rooves. For the people of Bawomatoluo, tourism is something to be familiar with but not to depend on, thus the visitor will feel and experience first hand authentic life in Nias' most magnificent village, as it happens – unchoreographed and natural. ■

Text by Michael Shultz, photos by Alcibbum Photography - Copyright by Bali and Beyond Magazine