Ever fantasized about escaping the relentless pace of your day-to-day life for the serene, sandy shores of a secluded tropical island? It’s a tempting thought, especially when the pressures of work and daily responsibilities start to mount. But is this dream scenario really as idyllic as it sounds? Marjolein and her partner An might just have the answers we’re looking for, having made that very leap themselves.
This adventurous couple said goodbye to their conventional jobs and embarked on a new life in the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. Here, they’ve embraced a lifestyle that many of us might envy: they live off the land and have the freedom to surf whenever the waves call.
Marjolein shared their experiences in a documentary by Exploring Alternatives, shedding light on their unique, off-the-grid life. “We live on a tiny island in Indonesia. The island we’re on is about 5km in diameter and there’s no villages or roads, so all the transport is done by boat with wooden boats handmade locally,” she explained. What she cherishes most is the independence it offers. “We can provide our own electricity, our own water, our own food and that’s pretty cool.”
Their shared passion for surfing not only brought Marjolein and An together but also led them to purchase a plot of land in this remote paradise. However, despite the allure of island life, they face significant challenges.
One of the major difficulties is maintaining communication with the outside world. Marjolein described the logistical hurdles they encounter just to place a simple order: “To actually order stuff from the mainland, we have to drive out with our small boat, find some better signal try and send a message to the shop on the mainland,” she said. “Then we hope that they’re online, wait for a reply and yeah… that can take days just to order one little thing. So that’s why things don’t really go so quickly here.”
Additionally, they contend with unpredictable weather, the threat of deadly snakes, and the solitude that comes with such isolation. “Since we live so remotely it can definitely get a bit lonely at times and that’s not always easy,” Marjolein admitted, highlighting that loneliness is one of the toughest parts of their island life.
So, while the idea of escaping to a tropical island might seem like paradise, Marjolein and An’s story gives us a glimpse into the realities—both the enchanting and the challenging—of such a life.