Mursala Island

Mursala lies off Sibolga on the west coast of North Sumatra, an island of about eight thousand hectares of forest and rock in the Indian Ocean, and its distinguishing feature is a waterfall that comes off a cliff and falls directly into salt water - a stream draining the island's interior reaching the edge and dropping some thirty-five metres onto rock and sea, so that boats can pull up close and passengers swim in the pool where fresh water meets salt. Falls that discharge straight into the ocean are uncommon anywhere. The island is otherwise uninhabited except for a few fishing shelters, with reef, white sand coves and forest holding hornbills. The trip is a boat charter from Sibolga taking around two hours each way and is entirely weather-dependent.

What you actually see

• A waterfall into the sea - about thirty-five metres straight off the cliff.
• An uninhabited forest island - eight thousand hectares with only fishing shelters.
• Coves and reef - white sand and shallow snorkelling around the coast.
• A boat approach - two hours each way from Sibolga.

When to go

March to September; the sea is rough outside that. A day.

Honest expectations

Trips are cancelled in swell and the crossing can be rough. There are no facilities on the island - bring everything. Boat charter costs are shared, so a small group is cheaper.

Nearby

Sibolga is the mainland port; Lake Toba is inland to the east.