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To get to the Telos you must come via Nias.

 

Getting to Nias

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Currently of May 2025 the only airline flying to Nias is Wings air (run by Lion air) from Medan (Kualanamu International Airport) to Nias/Gunung Sitoli (Binaka airport)

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Wings air have about five flights per day but charge Rp1,000,000 per board (not board bag) the ridiculous price increase was upped in May 2024​​.​​​​

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I recommend checking boards in as early as possible as occasionally there might not be room for all boards in the planes luggage hull so your board might arrive on the next flight.

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When you arrive at Nias/getting to Sorake or Teluk dalam

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Normally there will be guys with cars or vans wanting to take you to Sorake the price to charter a car is generally Rp400,000 to Rp600,000 (depending on your bargaining skills)

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Or if you let Mick know he can get Andreas to organise a car & driver to pick you up from the airport we use Armin Travel (Price normally Rp600,000) he has been very reliable for us.

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The trip from the airport to Sorake generally takes about 3 hours or about 2.5 hours to Teluk Dalam where the ferry departs. (a little faster if road conditions are good, longer if wet or an accident)

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IMPORTANT: If you want to cancel your car and driver booking you must provide 24hrs notice so we can cancel it, any cancellations on the day must be paid for in full, because if you dont the car/driver will ask Andreas to pay, we also need to keep a good business relationship with drivers we use so we dont like to screw them around.

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Ferries to the Telos:

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Ferries go from Teluk dalam about 20 minutes from the point at Nias (Sorake/Langundri)

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As of May 2025 the fast ferry has re launched and started operating again with a new schedule, we try to take bookings based on its operating schedule but in the past it has sometimes been unreliable  so if it doesn't go we then use the slow ferrys as back up.

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The fast ferry: Now goes from the big harbour on edge of town in Teluk dalam at the south end of the bay, you can either buy tickets on the day at the harbour or sometimes possible the day before, I if buying on the day it's best to buy in the morning as can sell out, also please get to the ferry about 1hr before it departs.

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Price is Rp200,000 per person and Rp200,000 for boards

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The fast ferry goes Mon, Wed, Thur, Sat 

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8:00am Tello to Teluk dalam

3:00pm Teluk dalam to Tello

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It isn't scheduled to run Tue, Fri or Sun

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Slow ferrys: Dont run to a set schedule but generally the main slow ferry goes one day from Nias to Tello, the next Tello to Nias (rarely goes on Sundays)

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On the big metal ferry you can often pay extra and get a captains cabin with 4 bunks and A/C.

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The big meal slow ferry goes from a harbour at the very south end of the bay at Teluk Dalam, just outside of town at what locals call the new harbour.

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There is also the odd smaller timber ferry they go from the small harbour in town.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION: ​

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Please note: if staying at The Point Nias/Sorake take the information you get from locals about ferries especially losmen owners with a grain of salt, many either don't know the schedule or lie about the ferry info because basically they don't want you to go elsewhere as they lose business.

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Andreas can ring the captain of either ferry to get up to date info and often keeps me (Mick) updated.

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Chartering speed boat: 

 

We now also have the option of chartering a large speed boat from Tello, it can take 8 people plus gear and be chartered either way, however it isn't cheap at Rp9,000,000 (9 million rupiahs) but its a good back up option especially for larger groups it takes about 2hrs

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Other related info:

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There is no fast ferry to or from Padang anymore, and there is no ferry that runs to a schedule that goes to Padang only the odd cargo/ferry that goes every few weeks and even then it stops in the south so takes two days, so not really an option..

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Flights to Telos:

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The Telos does have a small airport and Susi Air do run flights about twice a week however they DO NOT allow surfboards due to baggage restrictions (cargo hold not big enough), most of the upper market resorts charter private flights to get their guest in, which cost them thousands of dollars (hence part of the reason why the Telo resorts are so expensive).

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