NIHI SUMBA
UNSCRIPTED. WILDLY ICONIC.
NIHI doesn’t easy you in — she makes an entrance. One minute you are passing roadside markets in small Sumbanese villages and weaving through the mountains, and then you turn a corner and she appears before you — an endless sweeping view of untouched coastline, bursts of bougainvillea, and the wild ocean throwing itself against a jungle of palms. It’s tropical theatre at it’s best, dramatic and mesmerising — the kind of reveal that silences the conversation before you even realise you’ve stopped talking. Part magic, part raw nature, part brilliant design — entirely unforgettable.
The Boathouse is where the spell truly settles over you. Live music drifting on the breeze, cold drinks materialising with suspiciously perfect timing, and that effortless barefoot energy that instantly loosens your shoulders. It’s social in the best possible way — a tribe of travellers who were strangers an hour ago and best friends by sunset. And just when you think the vibe can’t get any better, the horses thunder down the shoreline at golden hour — unmistakably NIHI, unmistakably magic.
Sumba itself feels like the island that time left behind. The locals live much as they have for generations — grounded, gentle and joyful. And not joyful because ‘tourism pays off’, but joyful because that’s simply who they are. Your arm genuinely gets sore from waving to the kids as you make your way from the airport, tiny hands shooting up with pure excitement, not expectation. There’s an innocence and warmth that wraps around you from the moment you arrive.
The villas, ranging from one to four bedrooms are soulful hideaways, each with their own personality and space to breathe — private, calming, and perfectly positioned into the hillside. The ‘NIHI Passage’ is it’s own kind of adventure, and sits alongside these more traditional stays as one of NIHI’s newer ways to experience the resort. Instead of remaining in a single villa for your entire visit, Passage invites you to move through a curated collection of NIHI’s most character-filled spaces — each with its own rhythm, view, and personality. It’s less a ‘room category’ and more a journey, offering a dynamic way to explore the resort from multiple perspectives, while still keeping the comforts and ease NIHI is known for.
And here’s the clever part — every transition is seamless. While you’re off riding horses at sunrise, floating in the ocean, or lingering over lunch, your things are quietly mirrored into your next villa. No fuss, no disruption, no awkward half-packed suitcase lurking in the corner. Just a new space waiting for you when you return, perfectly prepared, as if it had always been yours. Your Guest Kapten juggles every detail so naturally that you genuinely forget there was ever anything to juggle.
Sometimes that journey means sharing a larger estate with another couple — private suites but with shared pools and lounges, the best kind of modern-day “house party.” At most resorts, this setup would feel in a word… risky. At NIHI, it somehow becomes part of the magic. You meet like-minded travellers who feel almost hand-picked — the “friends you haven’t met yet.” Conversations unfold naturally, stories traded over a poolside drink, and by the end of your stay, you’ve collected both memories and people! It’s magic of a very human kind: living, connecting, and discovering in a way that feels organic, unforced, a little bit luxe, a little bit serendipitous — and entirely NIHI. Whether you prefer to unpack once or embrace the adventure of discovering more than one villa, NIHI now gives you the freedom to choose the style that feels most like you.
The experiences at NIHI are what set it apart. Known as the ‘Edge of Wildness’ for a reason, it’s entirely possible you’ll come across a local farmer on your sunrise horseride, herding his water buffalo into the ocean for their morning swim - a casual reminder that life here moves to its own rhythm, as it’s always done - unscripted, wild and raw.
Swimming with horses is one of NIHI’s signature experiences and really is one of those ‘is this really happening?!?!’ moments —riding bareback in the ocean as they swim, neck-deep and weightless, is something I didn’t even know I needed to do, but it now lives firmly in my core-memory hall of fame.
The Spa Safari is it’s own brand of magic. You can hike through the fields and jungle, or bounce along in one of the NIHI open air jeeps to the clifftop sanctuary of NIHIOKA. A half-day here includes a long lunch and three treatments of your choice —indulgent yet grounded in a way that feels almost spiritual.
My personal highlight? The Equine Connection Massage with the beautiful gentle giant, Hannah. It’s all about energy — your calm meeting her calm. If you’re lucky, these gentle souls will wander close, breathing beside you, offering a moment so wild, spiritual and unexpected that you can’t actually believe you’re having a full-blown soul moment with a horse. As you do.
These are the moments that make you appreciate the raw wilderness that still exists out there — just an hour’s flight from the mayhem of Bali, yet an entire world away from it.
For surfers, The Boathouse is command central. With only a limited number of surfers allowed each day, the waves stay blissfully uncrowded — one of the world’s most iconic left-handers practically all to yourself. Beginners fresh from lessons and seasoned surfers mingle easily, the day’s wins are celebrated at sunset at Occy’s Left bar, where a ‘legend of the day’ is crowned as the sun melts into the sea.
What also makes NIHI extraordinary is the heart behind it — the work the resort does with the Sumba Foundation and the Burch family’s long-standing commitment to the island and those who call it home. Each week, guests are welcomed to an intimate evening dinner, showcasing community projects in health, clean water, education and nutrition. It’s inspiring, humbling, and a beautiful reminder that luxury and purpose can live side by side.
One of only 143 hotels on the planet to be awarded 3 Michelin Keys in 2025 — and a member of Leading Hotels of the World — NIHI carries that signature blend of character, creativity, and independent spirit, wrapped in jungle-by-the-sea magic. Raw and refined, wild yet warm, luxurious with bucket loads of soul. It’s the kind of place that becomes a beautiful problem — because, somehow you'll be planning trip number two before your plane even takes off.
If NIHI is calling your name (and trust me, she tends to) — the magic, the energy, the horses, the surf, the sunsets… all of it is waiting.
Let’s start planning your NIHI story ✨
