Nihi Sumba Island

Our fourth stay at Nihi and I leave only looking forward to the next trip. A true luxury resort in a remote paradise where we were cared for impeccably by our two villa butlers 24/7 - nothing is too much trouble for the staff at Nihi. World class spa, surfing and facilities with incredible food at every single meal and of course the whole place working in conjunction with the wonderful Sumba Foundation. I cannot find enough superlatives for this very, very special place. Thank you for allowing us the privilege of joining your family once again.

My second stay at NIHI Sumba and somehow it was even more special than the first. NIHI truly has my heart and soul. The resort itself is beautiful, but for me it is the people who make it feel like home. The warmth, kindness and genuine care shown by the team is what makes NIHI such a special place, and the reason I keep dreaming of coming back. This visit was particularly special as I was able to share the experience with my family for the very first time. Watching them fall in love with NIHI, Sumba, and its people was something I will never forget. The villas, horses, food, spa and scenery are all world-class, but what sets NIHI apart is the people. Every single person makes you feel genuinely welcome, cared for and part of the family. A very special thank you to Doris. From the moment we arrived, he made us feel genuinely welcomed and cared for. He is incredibly warm, kind and thoughtful, and nothing was ever too much trouble. Whether it was helping with arrangements, checking in to make sure everything was perfect, or simply stopping for a chat, he always went above and beyond. His attention to detail and genuine care made such a difference to our stay, and we are so grateful for everything he did for us. To Tian, you are an absolute gem. We looked forward to seeing you at every meal, and your kindness, warmth and beautiful energy brightened every day of our stay. To Egy at the stables, thank you for your kindness and gentle nature. Your love for the horses shines through in everything you do, and it was such a pleasure getting to spend time with you. And to Anier, what can I say? You are truly one of a kind. Your energy is infectious, your warmth is unforgettable, and you have a remarkable way of making people feel like instant family. She was my Guest Captain during my first stay and remain one of the many reasons NIHI holds such a special place in my heart. A heartfelt thank you to Kenneth and the entire NIHI team for creating such a magical place. The beauty of Sumba is extraordinary, but it is the people of NIHI who make it impossible to leave. Until next time ❤️

Location was superb straight to the ocean but not very recommended for special needs assistance and expecting mothers but other than that it was perfect. We thankfully got a room upgrade it was very big for just us two. Food was a top notch the best quality ones. The staff were super helpful,Anier and Irul was very attentive. We hope we can come back to Nihi in the near future

Our visit was outstanding. Resort, room, food, activities and staff are all first class. We wouldn’t change a thing. Ayu and Upi were our guest captains and they were brilliant. Always very quick to respond and organised everything we needed including an urgent last minute flight change

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.