NIHI Sumba

Magical place.. absolutely stunning and breathtaking 😊😍

NIHI Sumba is not just a resort. It is an entire experience. Before anything else, I should mention that I have been a travel advisor for 25 years. I am used to luxury properties, iconic hotels, hyped destinations and exceptional service — because this is my profession. So I don’t say this lightly: NIHI Sumba is one of the most complete and emotional travel experiences I have ever had. The experience started the moment we landed at Tambolaka Airport. We were welcomed by a whole team, taken directly to their private lounge, and then escorted to the car. Everything was smooth, warm and perfectly organized. And then came the first surprise: an open safari-style jeep, fresh coconut water and snacks waiting for us. The 1.5-hour drive to the resort is not something to “endure” — it is part of the journey. You pass traditional markets, local villages, animals everywhere, children coming out of school, and you slowly start to understand where you are. It is absolutely worth the drive. Once we arrived at the resort, we were welcomed by our captains, Doris and Upi, who looked after us throughout the entire stay. They work in shifts and somehow always know what you need before you even ask. After a quick lunch, we were taken to our villa. The villas are extremely generous, beautifully designed in a traditional style, yet very comfortable. The bathrooms are stunning, the minibar is complimentary and very well stocked, including whisky, gin and plenty of other treats. The hotel works on a full-board concept, including non-alcoholic drinks, and honestly, if you are not careful, you may leave with a few extra kilos. The food is excellent and the variety is impressive: Western dishes, traditional food, seafood — everything beautifully prepared. I even tried the pizza and the burger, and surprisingly, they were excellent too. But NIHI is not really about food and accommodation. The experience begins the moment you step outside your room. There are 2 km of wild, spectacular beach reserved for hotel guests, where the horses also come for their activities. You can surf, ride horses on the beach, swim with the horses, go riding through nature if your level allows it, try Reiki with the horses or even horse massage experiences. One of the absolute highlights for me was the Spa Safari. You can start with a two-hour trekking experience through local villages, rice fields and nature, and then you arrive at the spa — a completely different location. I have never seen anything like it. It feels like a Garden of Eden, set on a cliff above the ocean, with private beaches, breakfast served there, and then 2.5 hours of treatments of your choice. After that, you have the pool, the beach and about 1,000 photos because it is impossible not to take them. The activities are simply outstanding: spa therapies, cultural tours, horse experiences, surf, nature, local discovery — almost anything you can imagine. I honestly don’t think I have ever been to a place that offers so m

Myself and my family have just returned home from a week at NIHI. Normally when we stay somewhere there is something we would change, but this place was perfect for all of us. It’s a small hotel, but has plenty on offer so we never felt bored. We rode on the horses in the ocean, trekked to the offsite spa, played pickle ball, played pool and table tennis, walked the length of the hotel’s private beach (5km), played Padel, went deep sea fishing and the kids made chocolate in the chocolate factory. They have a turtle hatchery on site - 107 turtles hatched whilst we were there, so we got to see them being released into the ocean. We also visited the Sumba foundation and a local school. Surfing is obviously a big draw to the hotel as well. The meals were excellent with so much variety - we never went hungry. Probably the best meal was when we ate the fish that we had caught that morning. The Spa is the best one we have been to - instead of a 90 minute massage it was a 2.5 hour treatment consisting of a combination of whichever 5 elements we chose - including massage, reflexology and body scrubs. The setting is stunning, on a cliff top in an open air room. Each room at the hotel is assigned a ‘guest captain’ or two, who communicate with you throughout your trip via WhatsApp. We were assigned Yulius and Petrus who were also excellent. Nothing was ever too much trouble and they made suggestions for us throughout our stay. Our kids got to know them and felt very comfortable with them. Thanks guys! One thing that really struck us was how clean the ocean was compared to Bali. We swam every day and it was crystal clear. On a 5k beach walk I picked up about 4 pieces of plastic which had washed up - virtually nothing. Another great thing is that the hotel never felt busy - the pool area always had plenty of sun loungers available so we never felt we had to ‘reserve’ one. Getting to the hotel is part of the adventure. The flights to Sumba are pretty unpredictable - both of ours changed with our outbound flight being 5 hours delayed and our inbound flight to Bali being brought forward an hour. We stayed at the Novotel at Bali airport for our first night which had a pool and spa so wasn’t too bad with the delay. We used NAM air to get to Sumba which was a pretty old plane, next time I’d probably use Batik air which have newer planes according to other guests we spoke to. Once at Tambolaka airport we were collected by NIHI staff and driven to the hotel in the open air safari style jeeps. This was fun - it takes 90 minutes. I guess something that could enhance the stay even more would be the option for a helicopter transfer, as the scenery would be amazing and the transfer much quicker. All in all a great holiday, and already looking at going back next year.

Spent 6 days at Nihi Sumba. My overall impression is that Nihi is perhaps "The best place in the world" The facility is incredible and they left no stone unturned. Everything you could want is there at least 2x3 times over. The staff is incredible, Aris the am Bartender had epic coffees ready for us daily. Pauline was perhaps the most well organised, attentive, accommodating hotel manager we have ever encountered. She has great energy, kept us informed and entertained. The people plus environment is unparalleled. Definitely going back. The surf is also epic!

Our stay at Nihi Sumba was truly extraordinary from the moment we arrived until the very end. Everything was perfectly taken care of, allowing us to fully relax and enjoy the experience. A special thanks to our amazing guest captains, Dus and Asna, who went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. Their attention to detail and warm hospitality made all the difference. The room was incredibly comfortable, and the entire property felt serene and beautifully maintained. One of the highlights was the horses—so well cared for and such a unique part of the experience. There were so many enjoyable activities to choose from, including horse massages, riding along stunning landscapes, and even swimming with the horses—an unforgettable experience! The food was also delicious, with a great variety of options, and everything was thoughtfully arranged so we didn’t have to worry about anything. Overall, it was an exceptional stay, and we felt completely taken care of from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Nihi is a completely unique experience. The level of attention to detail throughout all elements of our stay was incredible, and aside from the stunning scenery and facilities, truly the staff team, specifically Kentt and our guest captains, elevates the experience to another level. We were looked after by our Guest Captains Upi and Doris, who were incredibly attentive and great company too. They added a whole other level of service to what was already a fantastic experience - celebrating my birthday with decor, flowers, always being on hand to interact with and occupy my baby at meal times and so on so I could eat, taking amazing photos of us during our horses experience. We also admired Nihis commitment to the local community, and felt the connection between the resort and the island deeply. Overall, a magical stay which must be experienced. Thank you Doris Upi and the team for making it one to remember forever.

Great location and truly exceptional service—honestly the best I’ve ever experienced. From the moment we arrived, everything felt incredibly special. This is a stay I will never forget. The hotel was spotless, and the rooms had such thoughtful, personal touches. You can tell a lot of care goes into making guests feel comfortable. Every amenity you could need was there, and our room felt both private and secluded while still being conveniently walkable to everything. The atmosphere was peaceful, relaxing, and almost magical. First impressions were top-notch, and it only got better from there. The team even helped coordinate everything from our departure in Bali to our arrival in Sumba and transfer to the hotel, which made the whole experience seamless. We were greeted with such a warm welcome, and the level of hospitality never dropped throughout our stay. It was absolutely worth every penny—an unforgettable experience all around.