Hotel Review: NIHI, Sumba
Sometime last year, I vowed that I would start 2024 far away from London, in a location where I could work on my tan lines, and the weather rests around the balmy 30 degree mark. And so, at the beginning of January, I found myself on the Indonesian island of Sumba, an untouched wilderness home to steamy jungle, dramatic coastlines, and gin-clear waters; an island that is also, thankfully, deplete of tourists. The driving reason for my visit? A stay at the highly-lauded NIHI, a hotel that has long been on my bucket list and somewhere that quite literally teeters on the edge of wildness.
First impressions: 5/5
Our experience at NIHI started well before we even arrived in Sumba. As soon as we arrived at Bali’s Denpasar airport, we were immediately met by two airport representatives, who assisted us until the very moment we stepped onto our flight to Tambolaka Airport, helping us to check in our luggage, and jump the queues at security. Travellers who find the experience of transiting through Bali’s international arrivals and into the domestic terminal daunting will be reassured by this extra touch, an indication of the exceptional level of service that awaited us at NIHI.
An hour later, we landed in Sumba, where a smiling team member from NIHI instantly swooped up our bags and ushered us into an open-air safari-style jeep. Fresh coconut water and homemade sweets were waiting for us and we happily slurped and nibbled on these as we whizzed away from the airport and began the 1.5 hour journey towards the hotel.
Off we went, trundling along the palm-fringed roads, passing through thick rainforest and sweeping past hundreds of thatched, pointy-roofed houses, waving to excited children who would squeal with joy whenever they saw us. The island of Sumba is twice the size of Bali, yet has only a sixth of the population and remains vastly untouched; and while Bali is overrun with backpackers, luxe hotels, and buzzy beach clubs, Sumba remains quite the opposite. In fact, the island is far less developed than Bali (and other Indonesian islands), with many villages still functioning today without running water or electricity: something that was instantly visible as we sped through the savannah-like landscape.
Just as I was beginning to nod off, we finally arrived at NIHI. Reaching the crest of a hilltop overlooking the sea, we instantly recognised the picture-postcard views over NIHI’s endlessly sweeping beach. The service was seamless as soon as we stepped out of the jeep: we were instantly greeted by a cluster of team members, including the personal butlers (or Guest Kaptens, as they’re referred to at NIHI) who had been assigned to us throughout our stay as our main points of contact.
We soon familiarised ourselves with the resort’s layout: despite sprawling across 567 jungle-clad acres, most of the hotel facilities (including the two restaurants and clutch of bars) are primed towards the ocean and hug the cliffside. The hotel’s 27 private villas (each ranging in size and style - some have multiple bedrooms) are scattered among the thicket, each boasting private pools that look out onto the waves. Depending on which villa you are staying in, you’ll be able to catch glimpses of spectacular Nihiwatu beach: NIHI’s famously pristine beach, which is entirely private to hotel guests, and seemingly sweeps towards the horizon for 2.5 kilometres, undisturbed save for the majestic ponies that gallop along the sand once a day.
Our villa (Lantoro 1) was gloriously airy and spacious: inside, we discovered a soaring, thatched roof, generous four-poster swathed in linen, and plenty of room to sprawl out between us. You’ll find each villa at NIHI similarly bathed in creamy tones and wooden touches, with hints of blue, green, and orange woven throughout the interiors thanks to the handspun Sumbanese ikat fabrics that are draped across the bedspreads and hug the squashy cushions. Outside, we discovered a private pool with loungers to loll on, and an open-air bathroom where we could shower while surrounded by the coo of wildlife. The high level of personalisation in our villa was immediately noticeable as well: welcome messages were inscribed in the sand on our doorstep and arranged across the bed with flowers and fronds, photos from our wedding were framed on our bedside table (it remains a mystery as to how the hotel team managed to get these!), and freshly baked macarons were placed on our desk. In our complimentary minibar, homemade cookies, chocolate, and non-alcoholic coolers are waiting for us - yet another personalised touch, as the hotel had taken note that neither of us drink.
To do: 5/5
NIHI was originally built as a surf destination, and to this day, remains a place of pilgrimage for die-hard surfers across the world. It’s also the prime location for novice surfers to test the waves: sign up for a lesson on the spray, or try your hand at one of the many other water activities on offer (paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkelling and jet-skiing), all of which can be arranged by dropping your obliging Guest Kapten a Whatsapp message.
Land excursions such as hikes to Sumba’s majestic waterfalls and cycles to nearby rice paddies can be scheduled too; and of course, many visitors at NIHI are keen to get acquainted with the hotel’s famous sandalwood ponies, whether that’s during a horse riding lesson, beach rides, or equine therapy. We had a swimming with horses session (yes, really) scheduled for one of our mornings at NIHI: sitting astride our horses, we were led out into the ocean by one of the riding instructors, and floated above the water as the horses peddled through the waves beneath us. This made for a truly unique and thrilling experience that is hard to compare to anything I’ve ever done before.
There are plenty of other things to keep you busy: spend your time exploring the hotel’s chocolate factory (take part in chocolate-making lessons and pop in at any time of day for a sweet pick me up), browse the hotel boutiques for local crafts and try your hand at ikat weaving, or work up a sweat at the tennis courts and fully equipped gym. Days can easily be whiled away with long walks on the beach, dips in the sea, and lounging by the infinity pool at Nio Beach Club too.
And of course, there’s the spectacular Nihioka spa, which was easily the highlight of our stay at NIHI, and the hotel’s crowning jewel. Situated 15 minutes’ drive away from the main resort (or a 90 minute trek away if you prefer to head over on foot), Nihioka feels utterly remote, and removed from the rest of the hotel. Guests are led along winding palm-lined paths before reaching the spa, which is perched on a cliffside overlooking a beach-fringed cove. One-off spa treatments can be booked, but NIHI’s signature ‘spa safari’ is an one-of-a-kind experience that I highly recommend booking for your stay.
The ‘spa safari’ begins with a pared back breakfast overlooking the ocean, before segwaying over to the infinity pool that looks onto the cove below, from where you can spot dolphins and turtles. From there, head up to your open-air treatment room to begin the allotted 2.5 hour spa session with your therapist. During this time frame, you can choose however many treatments you would like to be combined into the session, resulting in an experience which is entirely personalised and unique. I opted for two different types of massages, a body scrub, facial, and hair mask - all of which were fused into a blissful 2.5 hour experience that left me feeling entirely rejuvenated. I can easily say that this was the best spa experience of my life, and I’ve never visited another hotel spa that offers even a similar experience to NIHI’s ‘spa safari’.
Food and drink: 4/5
Mornings at NIHI begin with breakfast at Ombak restaurant, perched high on a cliffside, with sweeping views over the beach below. Dragon fruit smoothie bowls, eggs benedict served on ridiculously fluffy brioche, and bubur ayam (an Indonesian congee) sit side by side on the menu, which fuses a mix of Indonesian and Western breakfast favourites. Guests can also graze on homemade pastries every morning (sticky banana bread and flakey croissants), all washed down with fresh juices and smoothies.
At lunch time, if not already spread-eagled by the infinity pool, segway over to Nio Beach Club, where the beachside bar and restaurant serve a relaxed lunch menu. Tables here are just steps away from the sand, and you can graze on international dishes that appeal to all taste buds: pizza, pasta, salads, sushi, and Indonesian dishes are all on offer.
For dinner, guests head back to Ombak restaurant, which is usually decked out in candles and flowers come evening. Dinnertimes at NIHI were easily my favourite meals: expect spicy Indonesian curries, sharing rijsttafel platters, and indulgent desserts all served with plenty of flair. The ‘live dessert’ that we enjoyed on our first evening was one of the best things we ate during our stay: the chef laid two pandan leaves on our table, which he then painted with a dizzying variety of fruit compotes and sauces, along with hand-churned mango and pistachio ice cream parfaits.
All room rates at NIHI are inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so there’s no fear of going hungry during your stay. Each evening, sunset happy hour at the Boathouse Bar also takes place, where guests are plied with complimentary cocktails, house wines, and fresh satay - all while enjoying the live music and having the opportunity to mingle with other guests and members of the team.
My only criticism of the culinary offering at NIHI is that there is only one restaurant option for lunch, and one for dinner, which I found surprising for a luxury resort of this scale and standard. While we ate delicious meals at both restaurants and the menus were fairly extensive, if staying for a longer period of time, guests might find that mealtimes could become a little repetitive.
Comfort and service: 5/5
From the moment we arrived on the island of Sumba, I could already sense that our experience at NIHI was going to exceed all of our expectations. And, I must admit, I had extremely high expectations for our visit - NIHI is, after all, an award-winning hotel, that is often touted the best in the world, and had long been a bucket list destination of mine.
The location, facilities, and experiences offered by the hotel are all exceptional, but the faultless, all-smiling service was what really elevated our stay at NIHI one step further. I love staying at hotels where everyone wears a name badge and each member of staff is encouraged to speak to guests, and throughout our stay we had lots of interesting conversations with team members across the entire resort, many of whom had been working at NIHI for years and loudly sung its praises. Our ever-attentive Guest Kaptens were always just one Whatsapp away, and responded almost immediately to each request we had - as well as anticipating our every move, and being on hand should we need anything,
It would be remiss of me not to mention that NIHI’s presence on the island has also had an overwhelmingly positive effect on Sumba as a whole. Although Sumba is still one of the poorest islands in Indonesia, The Sumba Foundation, a charity that is linked to the hotel, has pioneered much of the primary development across the island, from sponsoring education, spearheading the hospitality industry, providing jobs, and even setting up a hospitality school. As part of your hotel stay, guests are invited to become acquainted with the island and its locals rather than holing up in the resort: visits to traditional Sumbanese villages, as well as schools and malaria clinics funded by The Sumba Foundation are all offered as daily activities, and provide a welcome reminder that the cost of your hotel stay has had a positive impact on the lives of the Sumbanese people.
Overall, our stay at NIHI was simply flawless, and one of the most unforgettable hotel stays I’ve ever experienced. Besides from NIHI's incredible location, tasteful hotel design, and the unique experiences and facilities on offer, what struck me most about our experience was the intense level of personalisation running throughout every single aspect of our stay: the variety of personalised touches in our bedroom that made us feel welcome, the fact that everyone working in the restaurants was aware of our dietary requirements, and our tailor-made ‘spa safari’ session, which will go down in history as my favourite spa experience in the world. As someone who has visited hundreds of hotels across the globe, and reviews countless every year, it may come as a surprise that few hotels rarely leave me feeling breathlessly giddy with excitement in the same way that NIHI has - in fact, I’m painfully aware that every hotel stay for the remainder of 2024 is likely going to disappoint after starting the year at what is, inarguably, one of the best hotels in the world.
