Four-star Three MICHELIN Keys Wanokaka, south-west coast, Sumba
NIHI Sumba
Villas with their own pools above a private beach on Sumba's south-west coast, with a left-hand surf break off the sand and a spa a ninety-minute walk away.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Three Keys, 2026
- Founded
- 1988, as a surf camp
- From the airport
- About 90 minutes by road from Lede Kalumbang
The hotel
From surf camp to three Keys.
Claude and Petra Graves came to this beach in 1988 looking for a wave, and found Occy's Left, a break that runs two or three hundred metres along the reef. Sumbanese tradition holds that the Marapu, the island's ancestors, first landed on this beach. The Graveses built a simple surf camp and named it Nihiwatu, mortar stone, after a lone rock on the shore. The jungle around it now covers some 567 acres.
In 2012 Christopher Burch bought the resort in partnership with James McBride, and it became NIHI. Readers of Travel + Leisure voted it the best hotel in the world in 2016 and again in 2017. The Sumba Foundation, which runs clean water, health and school projects across the island, works in partnership with the resort. NIHI holds B Corporation certification, and in 2026 the MICHELIN Guide gave it three Keys.
- Spa Safari A day at Nihioka, a clifftop spa above a private beach, reached on foot, on horseback or by car, with no wifi or phone signal.
- Sandalwood Stables Rides on the beach at sunrise or sunset on local horses, and the chance to swim with them.
- Occy's Left The reef break in front of the resort, with gentler waves for beginners at Nihiwatu Beach and Coconut Cove.
Rooms & suites
A pool, the jungle and the Indian Ocean.
Every villa has its own pool and looks out to sea, from one bedroom to an owner's estate for large groups.
- One bedroom One-bedroom villa From about 158 square metres, with a private pool and the ocean in view.
- Family Mamole Tree House Three connecting villas built around a tree trunk, with an infinity pool and a tented room for each.
- Groups Owner's estate Six villas together, sleeping up to fifteen.
Dining
Over the ocean and on the beach.
Restaurants as described by the resort and in press reviews. Shown for information.
- Ombak Indonesian and Western Breakfast and dinner, built out over the ocean
- Nio Beach and Pool Club Asian and Western Lunch by the pool, wood-fired pizza
- Kaboku Japanese omakase Kappo counter, by request
Recognition
Awards and listings.
- Three MICHELIN Keys 2026
- Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards Best hotel in the world, 2016 and 2017
- Leading Hotels of the World Member
- B Corporation Certified
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Flights from Bali land at Lede Kalumbang in about an hour; the drive on to the resort takes about ninety minutes.
- Luggage Helicopter transfers have strict weight limits for passengers and bags, so luggage can follow by road.
- Connection Nihioka, the spa, has no wifi and no phone signal.
Getting there
Flying to Sumba.
The airport is Lede Kalumbang, formerly Tambolaka, about an hour's flight from Bali on Batik Air or NAM Air, then about ninety minutes by car. It is not a port of entry, so a private jet from abroad clears customs at another Indonesian airport first; a helicopter can fly from Bali or the airport to the resort.
- Denpasar 55 min
- Jakarta 2 h 10
- Singapore 3 h 05
- Perth 3 h 40
- Sydney 5 h 55
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does NIHI Sumba have?
- Three, in the 2026 selection. It is one of three Indonesian hotels at that level, with Amanjiwo and Mandapa.
- How do you get to NIHI Sumba?
- Fly from Bali to Lede Kalumbang airport on Sumba, about an hour, then drive about ninety minutes to the resort. A helicopter from Bali or the airport is the other way in.
- Can you surf at NIHI Sumba?
- Yes. Occy's Left breaks in front of the resort, and beginners can take lessons at Nihiwatu Beach.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Sumba?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Sumba, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Sumba
Other hotels worth the trip.
Staying at NIHI Sumba?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Sumba, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.