Experience the Best of the Banyak Islands, Indonesia with Our Family-Run Surf Resort
- John Bailey
- Sep 1, 2024
- 3 min read
Welcome to our family-run business, The Floating Surf Resort, here in the Banyak Islands, Indonesia. While our current venture may be new, we've been offering surf tours in the Banyak Islands for over a decade.
The Floating Surf Resort is owned by Hilaria Wau and Nofri Hasban. Hilaria met Nofri through me, her husband John Bailey, in 2019.
Our story with Nofri dates back to 2010. I first heard about the epic waves north of Nias from Australian sailors I met earlier. My local friend Rahel and I flew to Medan, arranged transportation to Singkil on the coast of Sumatra, and took a local wood ferry four hours out to the Banyak Islands. Upon arrival on the island of Pulau Balai, Nofri was the first person I met, and our friendship has endured ever since.
Back in 2010, there were no accommodations in the Banyak Islands, so Nofri organized a boat, mattresses, and food for our rugged adventure. We were dropped off by boat at the Bay of Plenty and set up camp on the beach. The night that followed was a challenging experience. We were almost devoured by sand fleas and mosquitoes. Despite having a mosquito net, if you don’t get inside before dusk, it’s nearly impossible to avoid them.
To describe the ordeal in one word: Torture. We barely slept, and at 1 am, I waded into the water up to my neck to find some relief.
When we finally woke up, we were greeted by perfect waves and found ourselves alone in the lineup. Rahel and I paddled out to 3-4-foot Gunturs and caught countless barrels. It was a dream compared to the previous night’s nightmare.
That day, we tried to find a way to survive, but once night fell again, we felt like we were fighting for our lives. Rahel was anxious, fearing malaria and feeling like we could die with no phone signal or means to call for help.
The next morning, we woke up covered in bites and welts, exhausted from surfing perfect waves and the sleepless night before. To our surprise, a sailboat appeared in the Bay of Plenty. I put my cell phone in a plastic bag and paddled to the boat. The Australian sailor onboard was shocked to see us and offered us refuge.
He asked, “Where are you guys staying?” I pointed to a towel hanging from a tree on the beach, and he was stunned. He noted that while we were being eaten alive, he had slept on deck without being bothered by sandflies, only occasional mosquitoes.
Originally, I was looking to build a second home as I was living in Hawaii but needed to leave during the flat summer months. The thought crossed my mind: “What if I had a house on the water in this bay?”
I eventually invested in a business in the Banyak Islands. It started off good. I was getting plenty of barrels and watched the business grow over the next decade…however, the dream turned into a nightmare as I lost everything I had worked for—10 years of savings and investments. It was a devastating period. I felt like a towel had been pulled out from under me while I was laying down with my eyes closed.
What transpired over the next five years was very tough mentally, physically, and financially. I left my family, moved back to the US, and worked alone to support us, away from my new wife and son.
This wasn’t the life I had dreamt of and decided it was time to take another chance. They say it’s not how many times you wipe out but how many barrels you make…or something like that.
I was determined to control my future, because I knew I could offer an experience that gave surfers the best of the Banyak Islands, with a family-run mentality, so I reached out to my long-time friend Nofri. Fast forward seven months, and here we are, floating in the Banyak Islands, Indonesia ready to share our passion and adventures with you.
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