Somewhere nobody you know has been
Sumba is our answer when a client says they want somewhere nobody they know has been. The island moves at its own pace: horses on the sand at dawn, thatched villages with stone tombs, beaches with no one on them. NIHI Sumba, repeatedly named among the world's best hotels, is the reason most people come; Cap Karoso, design-led on the west coast, is the newer alternative.
Book nine to twelve months ahead. Its Spa Safari — a morning's journey across the hills to a spa above the sea — is the signature.
Sumbanese horses running along the beach in the early light.
Peaked thatched houses and megalithic tombs in villages like Ratenggaro.
Best time to goApril to June, and September to October.
A starting point, not a package — every day is shaped around you.
A buffer night in Bali, because domestic schedules shift.
An hour's flight to Tambolaka, and a drive to the coast.
The morning across the hills to the spa, and the afternoon at the beach.
A guided visit to the island's traditional villages.
Fly to Bali, spend a night there, then take the daily one-hour flight to Tambolaka. We always build in the Bali night.
It is one of the most memorable honeymoons we plan — private, wild and far from the crowds.