Maybe your last beach holiday was a little ho-hum. More crowd than beach. Noisy teenagers everywhere. Humdrum cafes, humdrum nosh. Time to check out Nihiwatu, a resort tucked away in Indonesia’s Sumba island – google it; it’s about 900km away from Bali. It’s in the middle of nowhere, which can be a good thing if all you want to do is read trashy novels, sit by the pool and do as little as possible while being surrounded by views like this:
Accommodation – all villas, designed in Sumbanese style with lots of wood, bamboo and ikat prints galore. Ethnic furnishings never looked so good (below). Best part: most of these come with a private pool (or two).
And if you’d rather spend time in the great outdoors, there’s a 2.5km private beach to stroll along, plus tree-house platforms with views of the ocean, the beach, and the surrounding jungles and hills. (Here’s another resort with beautiful ocean views.)
If you’re planning a bachelorette party or a group holiday, book the 4-bedroom Wamoro villa estate (cluster of villas). Or go for the new 3-bedroom Puncak villa (below), which comes with two pools on either side of a sunken outdoor dining area. Just imagine waking up and stepping out here for a nice private breakfast away from every sort of crowd.
There’s no chance you’ll be bored, even if having two pools fail to amuse you after a while. At Nihiwatu, you can arrange to go diving (the waters are deep and clear), sport fishing (if that’s your thing), and even a spot of surfing (off the private beach are some of the world’s best left-hand break waves – see below). Or just eat: barbecues on the beach are a regular affair at Nihiwatu. You can always walk off the calories on a guided trek through jungles and paddy fields.
Or try something you wouldn’t normally do: a spot of meditation? With a view like this, even the most hardened city slickers should be able to let go and just be.
Prices at Nihiwatu start at USD900 (S$1,230) per villa per night, all meals and non-alcoholic drinks included. At this price point, you’re not likely to have teenagers cramping your style.
If you book a five-night stay before Sept 30, you’ll get two days on top of that – free. For more details, email reservations@nihi.com.
Like this? Another sunny destination you might love: The Marly at Cape Town
