Wild. Beautiful. Full of soul.
It starts with the wind: warm, salty, soft. It carries the scent of frangipani, the thunder of the surf and somewhere in the distance the neighing of a Sumba horse. Nihi Sumba is not a place you simply visit. It is a feeling. An atmosphere that lingers long after the sand has been washed off your feet.
Even the journey there feels like a trip back in time. In an open jeep, with a fresh coconut in your hand, the roads become narrower, the villages quieter and the world seems to shift down a gear. Children wave, water buffaloes lie in the shade of the trees and the sea glistens between the rice terraces. Sumba is different from Bali, Lombok or Java - less polished, less predictable, but more genuine, more earthy, more original. An island that has retained its own rhythm.
Nihi Sumba is located in the wild southwest of Sumba, between jungle, rice fields and a beach that looks as if no one has ever set foot on it. The villas - each a retreat in its own right - combine Sumbanese architecture with simple elegance: carved wooden doors, airy rooms, hand-woven fabrics and soft sandy tones draw the eye to the essentials: the sea.
But what makes Nihi Sumba special is not just the villas or the legendary surf spot on the doorstep. It's the people. The warmth of the staff, the smiles of the children, the gentleness of the proud locals. If you like, you can visit a school or clinic with the Sumba Foundation and experience how education and health change lives here. These are touching encounters.
And then there are those moments that you never forget: the dawn, when horses gallop through the surf and their manes fly in the wind. The moment when you sit in the saddle, barefoot, the sea glistening, and you realize that this is what freedom looks like. Children learn to surf here, laugh with local boys on the beach, pick bananas and ride through rice fields - barefoot, free and happy.
In the evening, when the light softens and the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, a special atmosphere spreads. You sit on the terrace with a glass of wine or a fresh coconut, listen to the sound of the waves, the soft live music - and feel the day slowly coming to rest.
And yet Nihi Sumba does not stop here. The resort also has unforgettable moments in store for its youngest guests. Children can get involved in the in-house chocolate factory - stirring, snacking and creating little masterpieces themselves. On the paddle tennis court under the Sumbanese sky, the sea air blows through their hair as the ball whizzes over the net. And the highlight: swimming with the horses in the glittering ocean - a special experience that will stay with you forever.
Sumba also offers fantastic experiences beyond the resort. Hikes to hidden waterfalls, visits to local villages and extended horseback rides are all part of the experience. The tours through the vast landscape - whether on horseback, in an open jeep or by bike - provide authentic insights into life on the island.
A special recommendation is the Spa Safari: a whole day of slowing down that begins with a hike followed by breakfast by the sea and leads along gentle paths to secluded treatment pavilions where every massage and ritual is celebrated in the open air. Meanwhile, the children are in the best of hands and are lovingly cared for at the resort, where play, creativity and security are paramount.
In culinary terms, Nihi Sumba unfolds its full creative diversity: from crispy pizza from the wood-fired oven to fine Japanese dishes and fragrant, authentic Indonesian cuisine - here, food is cooked with passion and enjoyed with all the senses. Many of the ingredients come from the hotel's own farm, where fruit, vegetables and herbs are grown sustainably. In addition to breakfast with a view of the sea, we love the atmospheric buffet evenings with their live cooking stations, where the aromas of the island permeate the tropical air. And if you want to delve deeper, discover the true taste of Sumba in the inspiring cooking courses.
For us, Nihi Sumba has long been more than just a travel destination. It is a place that shows us what really matters: being close to nature, meeting people who are so strong in their simplicity and who now lead a healthier, more self-determined life thanks to the Sumba Foundation. Our youngest son surfed his first wave here, the eldest discovered his love of yoga and Pilates - in an open pavilion while the horses galloped past on the beach. By the time the children were playing in the surf with the locals and their water buffaloes and laughing together, we knew that this was one of those rare places that you carry in your heart for a long time.
Nihi Sumba is wild, beautiful and full of soul - a place that broadens the mind and awakens the spirit of discovery. Those who arrive with an open mind take away more than they were looking for.