Many island resorts are able to bring in an abundance of travelers by using their location alone. When people think about vacations, the sand, sun and water are usually the top three on nearly anyone's list, so it's no trouble at all getting people to frequent a resort.

However, the Wavepark Mentawai Surf Resort throws in an added bonus for people who love to catch some waves. Wavepark is, basically, a nature-made theme park, featuring some of the best swells in Indonesia. The resort offers luxurious accommodations, hand-and-foot waiting and some of the best waves in the world.

The staff at Wavepark tout themselves as experts on the Indonesian water and weather. When it comes to the surfing, there are different areas of the water and different times of the day and season that bring in a different type of tide.

Naturally, you can find pristine waters that are ideal for learning how to surf, medium difficulty courses, and even advanced areas, featuring massive waves that swell and break rapidly. This tropical resort is one of half a dozen located on the Mentawai islands.

The Wavepark Mentawai Surf Resort officially opened its doors to the public in 1998. There have been imitators since, but this is the original of the bunch and offers a type of full-service vacation that cannot be duplicated at the other locations.

West Sumatra, Indonesia is already an in-demand destination, and the fact that there's a resort dedicated to surfing just further helps the tropic niche find a destination. Mentawai picks up many visitors from Australia, Japan, the US and many other countries.

The resort is offering guided surfing lessons or you can take to the waters on your own. There's also a fishing boat service that will take you out on the open waters and allow you to catch some tropical fish. Guests are also given 3 meals daily, plus drinks and snacks. There are also many other activities on the island besides surfing, including hiking, biking, diving, and much more.

The food definitely has a tropical feel to it with everything being local. The breakfast is a meal of freshly squeezed juice, coffee, and tons of fresh fruit. There are also options for French toast, pancakes, oatmeal and more. Traditional Sumatran food is served throughout the day as well as the local offerings, including grilled tuna burgers, rice and/or noodles and plenty of other fresh fish.

Only housing a total of 14 surfers, the Mentawai resort is more like a private location. The villas are secluded and feature a blend of local style and high-class opulence. The roofs are sago palm thatched and the floors are beautiful, natural hardwood.

There's a small bar in the lounge where the surfers can congregate before of after a day's surfing, and the environment is family friendly, with professionals on duty to make sure no one's swept away by the waves. All in all, Wavepark seems to be offering a lot of excitement for the usually laid-back surfing type.