Pulau Kepayang
The lunch stop on the island-hopping tour. Beachside seafood stalls serving fresh grilled fish, fried squid, and Padang-style crab. There is a wooden swing facing the sea.
Midway through the island-hopping trip, usually around one in the afternoon, your stomach starts feeling empty and your skin starts feeling the sun. Kepayang Island is ready. Under thatched-roof shelters lining the beach, long wooden tables wait with a menu determined that morning by the fishermen who just came back from the sea. Snapper or grouper grilled over coconut charcoal. Squid battered and fried until crispy. And if you ordered ahead, large soft-shell crab with your choice of sauce: Padang chili, oyster, or garlic butter.
The food alone makes Kepayang a mandatory stop. But the island itself is also comfortable. Gently sloping white sand, calm water, and coconut palms shady enough for a quick nap after lunch. There is a wooden swing facing the sea, the favorite photo spot of almost all our guests. Do not rush. Eat slowly. Your boat will wait until the last sip of young coconut water is finished.