Indonesia’s luxury wilderness resort, Nihi Sumba, is the latest addition to World Resorts of Distinction’s (WRD) stable of world-leading resort brands.
CEO Tess Willcox said the resort operates according to a responsible luxury ethos that makes it a complementary fit for WRD’s collection of like-minded properties around the world.
“Our goal is to transform the tourism industry by working with resorts that are pioneering the conscious travel space and Nihi Sumba is one of the first names that comes to mind in that regard,” she said.
“Home to the Sumba Foundation and a slate of sustainability practices, including organic gardens that produce the majority of the resort’s food and an impressive composting and water recycling system, we are proud to market this innovative property to the Australian and New Zealand markets.”
Located 400 kilometres east of Bali on Indonesia’s most unexplored island, Sumba, the resort is easy for Antipodean travellers to access.
“Most metropolitan airports in Australia and New Zealand offer direct flights to Indonesia and there are three flights per day from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar to Sumba Island’s Tambdaka Airport,” Willcox said.
As the brainchild of American entrepreneur, Chris Burch and South African-born hotelier, James McBride, it has been reborn as a luxury resort with a conscience, featuring 27 pool villas built in the traditional Sumbanese style, set on 467 acres of tropical forest, rice terraces and grasslands wrapped around the stunning 2.5-kilometre-long Nihiwatu beach.
Nihi Sumba has evolved into one of the most coveted resorts in the world and is an example of a sustainable operation in harmony with the environment and the Sumbanese people.
Guests can enjoy horseback riding on the beach, private surf breaks, spa safaris and signature excursions including visits to local Stone Age sites, picnics under waterfalls and treks along butterfly trails.
Additionally, there are plenty of opportunities to experience Sumba’s magnificently preserved ancient culture on the island, such as trips to local villages to see traditional arts and crafts, megalithic burial sites and exquisite Ikat weavings.
For more information, visit nihi.com/