Situated on an Indonesian island about an hour’s flight from Bali is a famed resort that promises an experience at “the edge of wilderness”. Nihi Sumba has been attracting surfers, honeymooners, and adventurers since it first opened in 2001, and its remote position on the Western coast of Sumba creates a unique haven for these travelers.
For our Southeast Asia honeymoon, we decided to make the trip to Sumba and experience Nihi for ourselves so we could share our honest firsthand review of the property.
Perks when booking with us
We recommend booking your trip through a luxury travel advisor who knows the property well. When booking with us, we can also add the below benefits to your stay:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily Breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom, served in the restaurant (already included in property rates)
- $100 USD equivalent Resort or Hotel credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
- Early Check-In / Late Check-Out, subject to availability
Since Nihi Sumba is an all-inclusive resort, many inclusions like meals, non-alcoholic drinks, and a daily happy hour are already a part of your booking. Activities are at an additional cost.
Getting to Nihi
In order to reach Sumba, we started our journey in Bali, where representatives guided us every step of the way. After landing at Lede Kalumbang Airport, formerly Tambolaka Airport, Nihi’s open-air safari jeeps were waiting to whisk us away on a 90 minute journey to the resort. Since getting to Sumba is a journey in itself, see our in-depth post about how to get to Sumba.
We do recommend booking your flights through Nihi, so they can help with transfers on the Bali side and assist with any flight delays if they arise.
The Property
Situated on a 5km stretch of private beach, Nihi’s property is made up of villas that are built into the hills above it. With 28 villas, 3 restaurants, and 1 pool, there is ample space to lounge and explore on the property.
Our first glimpse of the Nihiwatu beach was from afar, emerging in the distance as our open-air vehicle paused at the top of the hill that the hotel is built into. We were greeted warmly in the reception hall with fresh towels, and headed straight to the restaurant for lunch. Below reception are the villas sprawled out across the hillside, dispersed between the walkways that led us down to the restaurants, pool, and beach.
Note that the property is very much barefoot luxury. We lunched in Nio Beach Club, the poolside restaurant, while waiting for our room to be ready, and immediately kicked off our shoes to walk in the sand that carpets the floor there. Even at the main restaurant Ombak, half of the seating is on sand.
Those looking for adventure can snorkel or surf at Nihi’s private cove. There are staff on jetskis who take you out and feeling of whipping across the waves in anticipation of going out on an ocean adventure is exhilarating.
Back on land, you’ll also find a chocolate factory, cooking classes, gym, and the stables where the famed Nihi horses reside. Off property excursions to waterfall hikes and surfing coves, or a cultural immersion with the Sumba Foundation to learn about the work they’ve done on the island are also on offer.
The Rooms
One major make or break factor at Nihi is your villa type. Many are distinct from each other and picking the right one can really affect your stay. This is where your travel advisor can shine to help you ensure that you have a comfortable stay. Some villas have also been upgraded or renovated recently, so definitely make sure you’re looking at the latest information when thinking about villa types.
Our villa was Puri Wamoro Jungle. It’s a two bedroom villa that can be combined with another villa to make up a larger estate, but it also has it’s own private entrance to remain very private feeling. The views and plunge pools are incredible from any villa, but decor can vary.
One important aspect of the villa to note is the bathrooms! Our villa had an outdoor bathroom, as do some others, which means potential for more bugs and less temperature control. It was still enclosed and didn’t bother us too much, but we know this isn’t a fit every type of traveler.
The Service
Service at Nihi is very personalized. Each villa gets their own butler duo (AM/PM shifts) and they are extremely responsive through Whatsapp. We used the app to communicate with them on activity bookings, questions, daily itinerary, etc. and they were always extremely prompt.
Many Nihi staff are from Sumba, where tourism is still growing, so the standard of luxury service may not feel up to par with more developed areas. However, everyone we interacted with was warm and hospitable, genuinely trying to make our stay wonderful.
The Food & Drink
The resort is all inclusive, and we definitely took advantage to order as many coconuts as we could. Note alcohol is not included, but there is a daily happy hour, dubbed Happiest Hour, with free-flow wines and beers.
Nihi is also wellness focused, so there is a good variety of healthy options on every menu, as well as both Indonesian and more Western options.
If you’re staying 5+ nights and really passionate about food, we could see the options starting to feel repetitive. Especially since there are only two restaurants included in the room rate and dinner service alternates between the two. However there are also certain themed dinners like the weekly White Party dinner or the seafood buffet (offered at additional cost). There is also a small sushi bar that is not included in the all inclusive cost.
The Activities
Not going to lie, we were pretty excited to see the Nihi horses running down the beach within the first hour of our arrival. It is a spectacle that is just as fun and unique to see as it seems on social media.
We partook in two of Nihi’s famous activities during our stay: surfing and horseback riding. If you don’t know how to surf but want to try, this is the place to do it. You have a private wave, small group instructor, and staff on jet skis waiting to help pull you out to the waves. Horseback riding here is also a unique experience, as we had the entire beach to ourselves at dawn. If you’re more experienced in either of these activities, you’d probably enjoy yourself even more.
Nihi does recommend pre-booking activities, though we had no problem deciding some of our itinerary once we arrived. Since we took our trip during the shoulder season, we missed out on some things like hikes or sunset rides due to rain.
The Spa Safari & Villa Rahaisa
A must-do activity here is definitely the famous spa safari. It’s held at a separate private cove about 15 minutes away by car, or you can hike/ride over as well. This is a half day or even whole day affair, where you get to pick from an unlimited (!) board of treatments and your therapist incorporates all of it into your session.
The spa safari is what blissful island dreams are made of. We enjoyed the backdrop of ocean waves and open-air views of the horizon. You can also have lunch before or after your treatment, and enjoy the pools and beach here. It’s worth picking your treatment time based on when you’d like to eat and enjoy the facilities, since they are another unique aspect of the experience!
For anyone wanting the ultimate private, disconnected experience, Villa Rahaisa is also located here. Rahaisa means secret in Indonesian, and this is Nihi’s secret villa. There is no service and no wifi, just a small villa and plunge pool with views that are yours to enjoy in private.
We have to emphasize that this is not a room upgrade, it’s an experience in even more remote privacy than anything else you’ll encounter at Nihi. There are no other staff or guests who stay here overnight (though there is security that you can communicate with via radio). After a beautiful private dinner and special surprise at night, you’re left to enjoy the peace and quiet until the staff return with breakfast the next morning.
Parting Thoughts
Getting to visit Nihi and see the island of Sumba feels like an experience that touches the edge of wilderness. It is not the easiest trip to make, but it is easy remembered as a distinctly unique experience. While neither the setting nor the service are going to be the most extraordinary in the world, something about how it all comes together makes this a one-of-a-kind trip. For us, Nihi really comes alive in the activities they offer, so make sure you take advantage of their land or water experiences if you’re making the journey out there. Feel free to reach out to us if you’re planning a trip here and would like to know anything else about our experience!
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